Wingnuts on parade

In Part I, I covered some Republican claims that weren't simply wrong, but where the exact opposite was true. In Part II, I used up most of the leftovers. But it's been getting worse and worse, and most of these are recent, and many from this week [April 9, 2007].

Nuclear holocaust preferable to disloyalty

George W. Bush keeps saying that the war in Iraq was about weapons of mass destruction, and that Iran is possibly the greatest threat since it's developing a nuclear capability. But his actions say that the exact opposite is the case. He is more concerned about 'loyal Bushies' than in the safety of the United States. When it turned out that Bush lied about Iraq's potential threat and that our brave soldiers were dying because of those lies, Bush/Rove/Cheney et al did the only thing they're capable of.

Admit mistakes? No way.

Change plans so we have some exit strategy? Of course not.

Make sure the best people are in the right position to make the US safer? Not even close.

No, in response to the truth coming out, they illegally and recklessly revealed the covert status of CIA agent who was an expert in the nuclear capabilities of our potential enemies. Valerie Plame, wife of Joe Wilson who outed Bush, was outed by people looking for a Permanent Republican Majority. Rove nor Cheney cared that Plame was working under cover in the Counterproliferation Division of the CIA (story, links and video). Vital intelligence was lost. All they cared about was protecting themselves.

At first, Bush simply denied everything, claiming he was going after the real killers would fire anyone who was involved with the incident. Turning his back on the traitorous actions didn't get him anywhere, so he just sent stooges to take the fall, notably Scooter Libby.

As always, Bush's first impulse was to run away, and his second impulse was to lie.

The world isn't safer because Saddam's gone as long as we have W.

Bush continually says the world is safer because of the War on Terror In fact, the exact opposite is the case: The world is more deadly, more scary, because of conservative Republicans.

Bush said that "you're either with us or with the terrorists (look up)", but when it comes to safety, the only thing he can talk about is the lack of a military attack on the US. Spain, England and Iraq would disagree very much they are safer. And here in the US, the terrorists have won: We have to take off our shoes to get on an airplane, innocent people are on the no-fly list, US civil rights are gone, habeas corpus is gone. Bush has done everything Osama bin Laden wanted, up to leaving Saudi Arabia and failing to investigate 9/11.

He's only fooling a smaller and smaller (and more vocal and more scatological) group of sphincter conservatives. Real Americans understand that incompetence is a threat: Bush 'fails' in anti-terror job: "a whopping 48.9 percent of respondents giving the president the thumbs down" with another 10.7% saying he was only "fair". And this is supposedly the one issue Bush was "strong" about. Mainstream America doesn't like to be lied to. They were fooled long enough. The US is now catching up with Europe, who knew long ago. Financial Times Report 6/19/06: US still main threat to stability in European eye: "36 per cent of respondents identify the US as the greatest threat to global stability" while "Thirty per cent of respondents named Iran".

McCain's armored stroll through Baghdad

Don't these people know we have videotape?

March 27, 2007, Senator and Republican presidential hopeful John McCain told Wolf Blitzer on CNN: "You know that's where you ought to catch up on things, Wolf. General Petraeus goes out there almost every day in an unarmed Humvee. I think you ought to catch up."

As it turned out, the exact opposite was the case. The streets of Baghdad are not safe to walk unarmed, and it was McCain who had to catch up.

Military Sources Respond To McCain’s Escalation Remark With ‘Laughter Down The Line’, (one of many sites linking to a video of CNN Baghdad reporter Michael Ware's response). He repeated the assertion on Bill Bennett's radio show (text and audio). Another video of Ware's comments: Honestly, Wolf, you'll barely last twenty minutes out there. I don't know what part of Neverland Senator McCain is talking about when he says we can go strolling in Baghdad."

It gets worse for McCain

Report from Bagdad merchants:

And it gets even worse. Attempting to brazen out his lie, McCain visited Iraq and walked those streets of Baghdad. I'll give him credit for chutzpah, but his lies were evident. Even McCain, surrounded by 100 soldiers and 3 Blackhawk helicopters, wore armor. (Link to video) Even John McCain doesn't believe John McCain.

And it gets still worse. Less then 30 minutes after McCain wrapped up, a barrage of half a dozen mortars peppered the boundaries of the Green Zone, where the senators held their press conference.. McCain's sabre rattling has made a bad situation more dangerous.

Sitting Duck Republicans

By way of Glenn Greenwald in salon.com Will National Review correct Cliff May's false Iraq claims? (Premium membership required) Cliff May in the National Review claims:

Those high times are here. Pew Poll released march 26, 2007:

Indeed, by the charts in the release, the exact opposite of May's wishful thinking has been the case since 2004. The country has been almost evenly divided, with fewer than 10% difference in support in either direction, until the middle of 2006 when a large majority of the country realized just how badly things were going.

Cliff May and many right-wing pundits just want our troops in harms way so they can justify years of dunderheaded incompetence. Soldiers are fighting bravely, but they are being betrayed by the Bush Administration's "Sitting Duck" mentality. It's time to honor the sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform, and actually make the US and Iraq safer by putting adults in charge.

Jesus died for these people?

It's Easter as I write this, and finding examples of conservative Republicans expecting you to believe the exact opposite of the truth is as easy as a kid finding Easter Eggs on the White House lawn. So easy, that I have many more examples left over.