Bushies Betray Free Speech (NY Post editorial on islamic cartoons)

NY Post ^ | Feb 4, 2006

[doctora]

February 4, 2006 -- Why did the Bush administration need to insert itself into the increasingly violent worldwide protests by Muslims upset by the publication of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed?

And, having chosen to issue an opinion, why did the administration take a position that is, frankly, shameful and wholly antithetical to the basic freedoms that Americans hold dear?

Even as European and Asian leaders appealed for calm and understanding in the wake of escalating violence, the State Department yesterday came out foursquare in support of the demonstrators — and condemned the "offensive" cartoons.

"These cartoons are indeed offensive to the belief of Muslims," said department spokesman Kurtis Cooper. "We all fully recognize and respect freedom of the press and expression, but it must be coupled with press responsibility."

He'd have done better to call instead for respect for freedom of the press, rather than kowtow to rampaging mobs attempting to intimidate newspapers worldwide.

[xcamel]

Sean McCormack
BIOGRAPHY

Sean McCormack
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Public Affairs
Term of Appointment: 06/02/2005 to present

Sean McCormack was sworn in as Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs and Department Spokesman on June 2, 2005. Immediately prior to returning to the State Department, Mr. McCormack served as Special Assistant to the President, Spokesman for the National Security Council, and Deputy White House Press Secretary for Foreign Policy.

Mr. McCormack began his career in the Foreign Service in 1995. He served at the U.S. embassy in Ankara from 1996 to 1998, where he was assigned as the Farsi-speaking officer in the consular section. He was posted to the U.S. embassy in Algiers from 1998 to 1999, with responsibility for economic reporting and consular issues. Mr. McCormack served in the State Department Operations Center in 1999 before moving to the Executive Secretariat Staff ("The Line"). He was detailed to the National Security Council Staff in 2001.

Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Mr. McCormack was an analyst at the Meridian Corporation working on issues related to arms control and non-proliferation.

Mr. McCormack graduated from Colby College in 1986 with a Bachelor’s degree in economics. He received an M.A. in international relations from the University of Maryland, College Park in 1990.

Released on June 2, 2005

[montag813]

Huh? It's a cartoon, published by a free press. Our government shouldn't have anything to say about it.

When did I mention the government? "We" are the people. And it is up to us to defend our values against Sharia maniacs. I agree the government should not have injected itself into this.

[Sabramerican]

LOL

You are poster child for proving my peave. Seeing ony what you want to see and ignoring what it is front of your nose.

Why did you highlight that part and not this:

"Sean McCormack was sworn in as Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs and Department Spokesman on June 2, 2005. Immediately prior to returning to the State Department, Mr. McCormack served as Special Assistant to the President, Spokesman for the National Security Council, and Deputy White House Press Secretary for Foreign Policy."

He may have joined during the Clinton years, BUT RICE TOOK HIM TO THE BUSH WHITE HOUSE AND RICE TOOK HIM WITH HER TO THE STATE DEPT.

Are you saying Rice can't judge people and their policies?

[Sabramerican]

ony=only

[nwrep]

Please re-read the USDOS statement. "These cartoons are indeed offensive to the belief of Muslims," is a statement of fact. Are you mad that the State Department would have the temerity to state the obvious? Are those not offensive to Muslims, or you think the Muslims are actually tickled pink by these cartoons?

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

State Dept is full of lefties and Clinton stooges. I don't know why Bush didn't purge the organization when he first took office.

[Dewy]

No problem for me and the 20 others in my family.

Constitution Party

[TomGuy]

You don't understand the civil service system very well.

No, I understand it -- and know why it was created. The point is -- how did Clinton manage to 'his' people in select positions and create all these so-called Clinton holdovers? Clinton managed to put people in select positions. Bush should have followed that pattern when he first took office. Bush did not. Remember Richard Clarke? He wasn't Civil Service. He was an appointee whom Bush left in place and who chose to resign on his own.

[zeebee]

Right. Diplomacy at work.

[Triggerhippie]

Do you think the State Dept spokesman, Kurtis Cooper, is the same guy as this.

LOL! To quote the Dude (Big Lebowski): "Does the Pope sh!t in the woods?"

[infowarrior]

That's why you clean house when you get into office.

That only works on the political apointees. The carer staff, which are just as bad, if not worse, are immune to that type of "housecleaning". It has been the "careerists", not the political types, which have done the country the most damage, throughout the decades, to the point where we now find ourselves...

the infowarrior

[SkyPilot]

I cannot believe Dr. Rice won't fire this jerk (Kurtis Cooper) immediately.

Anyone who works for the current administration, and had gone to the media to say this is not worthy of a government paycheck in the Executive branch.

But Kurtis Cooper said: "I really think the debates tonight did little more than reinforce preconceived notions." He said George Bush did not come across as being as bright or as intelligent as Vice-President Gore, adding that Mr Bush's "synapses just didn't seem to be firing."

Thanks for the editorial, Mr. State Dept Official Spokesman.

Fire his sorry behind Condi!

[El Gato]

If you go to this thread you can read a transcript of the briefing. As I suspected, the Slimes and Reuters both got it wrong. *The* State department spokesmen did defend speech rights, while also trying to pour some oil n the troubled waters... and of course it was before the embassy fire bombings in Syria.

[coconutt2000]

Do you go around pissing off people who are going to be in your rear while you're off fighting terrorists in the Middle East?

Only an idiotically brave fool thinks that we can afford to piss off or alienate the Muslims who are fence sitting or actively supporting us. And the fence sitters are by far the majority. Push them over to the side of the terrorists and the war we have will be apocalyptic, fought on the streets of Europe's and Asia's cities.

It is common sense. If you're a brave and idiotic fool, that's fine. If I'm a coward who wants to not just fight the terrorists to a stand still but actually beat them, well... call me a coward. But when you go around calling people a coward, have the decency to do it to my face. I'll even give you my address in Hawaii to come on over and tell me in person how cowardly I am.

Idiot.

[satchmodog9]

Reassign them all to a new office in Utah.

[coconutt2000]

There appear to be a wealth of idiots of Free Republic you think we should fight all the Muslims right now.

Islam is a violent religion founded on conquest and oppression. That is not in doubt. Most Muslims are fence sitters. They don't want to do anything or have anything to do with the militants. If we give them a reason to keep their mouths shut about future operations, or push them even further into militant activism as to join the terrorists, terror cells will spring up like weeds in a garden, beyond our ability to control.

And if this happens, it would require drastic measures to contain them... Possibly resorting to mass deportations and concentration camps (not the killing kind). Drastic measures would only justify further alienation and militantism... All of it avoidable through the simple exercise of common sense. Avoiding inflammatory lampooning of Islam. Lampoon the terrorists... Feel free. Lampoon Islam and it isn't just the existing terrorists we'd have to worry about but the future terrorists wholesale mainstreaming of anti-Islamic cartoons, etc.

We gain nothing from picking a fight with a bunch of bystanders. We lose a lot by turning bystanders into enemy fighters and supporters. Strategy demands that we try and keep as many of the bystanders on the sideline while we fight the terrorists. That's the way I see it. So far the worst insult I've gotten is "coward."

[inquest]

Do you go around pissing off people who are going to be in your rear while you're off fighting terrorists in the Middle East? Only an idiotically brave fool thinks that we can afford to piss off or alienate the Muslims who are fence sitting or actively supporting us.

You're making it sound like we were the ones who published these cartoons. The State Department didn't have to comment on them at all, and the Muslims "in our rear" wouldn't have known the difference. But instead, we sent the message that thuggish violence pays off.

[infowarrior]

Reassign them all to a new office in Utah.

Wouldn't disagree with you there. Was just saying that they can't be fired summarily, like the political appointees can...

On the other hand, early on in our country's history, we had a strict "spoils system", whereby *all* civil service jobs were political appointments. Which has served us better over the long run? Up until the middle of the 20th century, the later system, in my opinion. Alas, as in so many human endeavors, it got corrupted...

the infowarrior

[infowarrior]

Islam is a violent religion founded on conquest and oppression. That is not in doubt.

So, your "strategy" consists of rolling over to wholesale extortion? *NOT* a winning strategy, in anybody sane's book...

the infowarrior

[coconutt2000]

Like I said, fight the enemies we have now. Try not to piss off potential enemies from joining the fray in our rear.

You guys can advocate the suicide of civilization if you want. I still thing you all are a bunch of f'n idiots.