Posted on 09/16/2006 4:32:30 AM PDT by rightgrafix
FAIRFIELD -- Using apocalyptic imagery of civilization lost, Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman blamed politics Friday for undermining the war on terror and leaving the U.S. vulnerable to "barbarians at our gates."
The U.S. faces a patient and ruthless enemy in Islamic extremists, an enemy that "threatens not just America, but all of civilization," Lieberman said in a national security speech at Fairfield University.
"We remain too divided as a nation, and in Washington, spend too much time fighting each other rather than coming together to make our country safer," Lieberman said. "At stake is the kind of world we will live in, not far away abroad but right here, home in Connecticut."
His 25-minute address repeatedly called for bipartisanship in Washington, reinforcing the central theme of his re-election campaign as an independent since losing the Democratic primary in August to his main rival, Ned Lamont.
He was introduced by Mary Fetchet of New Canaan, whose son, Brad, was lost in the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center. Fetchet helped lead the relatives of victims in lobbying Congress for the creation of the 9/11 commission supported by Lieberman.
Lieberman faulted the Bush administration for alienating potential allies in the war on terror, though he gave no examples of an administration miscue. He never mentioned the war in Iraq, a topic he intends to address with another policy speech.
The senator blamed the terror attacks of 9/11 on a generation of leaders lulled into complacency as tensions eased with the Soviet Union.
A string of Islamic assaults on American interests, beginning with the takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Iran in 1979, should have served notice that the U.S. faced a new and dangerous world even after the close of the Cold War in 1989, Lieberman said.
"But as a nation, we remained asleep, unwilling to see the gathering storm," Lieberman said.
While criticizing Bush, he effectively buttressed comments the president made Friday that the world remains a dangerous place.
"We cannot ever again let down our guard or allow ourselves to go into denial," Lieberman said. "We must stay alert and engage in this war against the barbarians, because that is what they are - modern barbarians at our gates. Our enemies are patient and purposeful. They are ruthless. They are lethal."
His line about barbarians was one of Lieberman's many departures from a six-page text that was copied and distributed to reporters minutes before the speech at Fairfield's school of business.
Lieberman said Islamic terrorists are a threat to Americans of all races and creeds.
"They hate us all because we are Americans. And yet, we remain divided among ourselves in responding to them," he said. "It's really outrageous that that continues to be the case. We have got to move forward together."
He faulted some on the right for implying that Democrats do not care if terrorists succeed and some on the left for going "beyond dissent to demonize the president" and impugn the motives of those who support him.
Lieberman said Congress and the president must work in a bipartisan fashion. Sprinkled through his speech was praise for Republican senators with whom he has worked cooperatively: Susan Collins of Maine, Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, John McCain of Arizona, and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania. He singled out no Democrat.
The senior Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security Committee, Lieberman also touted a port security bill the panel endorsed this week on a vote that crossed party lines.
"When we work together across party lines in Washington, when we put principles ahead of politics, the national interest ahead of our parties' interest, we have made progress in making America safer," he said.
Liz Dupont-Diehl, Lamont's press secretary, said Lieberman tried Friday to criticize Bush, yet he used the same fear tactics as the president.
"Sen. Lieberman's Houdini-esque contortions today, an effort to make believe that he is above the fray, will not fool Connecticut voters," she said.
The Lamont campaign said Lieberman's rhetoric is belied by his missed votes as a committee member on homeland security funding.
"He skipped all of these votes after issuing at least 8 press releases claiming he was outraged at President Bush's inadequate budget proposals," the Lamont campaign said in a written statement.
Lieberman, 64, a three-term incumbent, faces a five-way race for re-election, though polls show Lamont is his main rival. The field also includes Republican Alan Schlesinger, Ralph A. Ferrucci of the Green Party and Timothy A. Knibbs of the Concerned Citizens.
Lamont, 52, a cable-television entrepreneur, delivered his own national security speech Wednesday at Yale University, accusing Lieberman of breaking faith with a half-century of U.S. foreign policy by backing Bush's pre-emptive invasion of Iraq.
On Friday, Lamont stood at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford with Democratic gubernatorial candidate John DeStefano Jr. to blame Lieberman and Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell for failing to lobby for legislation that would have targeted homeland security funds to urban areas, which could have brought federal aid for security to the ports of Bridgeport, New Haven and New London.
Lieberman missed a Senate floor vote on the legislation, which then failed on a tie vote. "Sen. Lieberman's vote would have made the difference, and Sen. Lieberman wasn't there to cast that vote," Lamont said.
Tammy Sun, Lieberman's campaign press secretary, said the senator was touring the Sikorsky Aircraft plant in Connecticut on the day of the vote, discussing how to secure more business for the helicopter maker.
Rich Harris, a spokesman for the Rell campaign, said the governor did object "vehemently" to the funding cuts.
Don't tell us, Joe, talk to your moonbat buddies!
Lieberman gets it. Probably the only Democrat in the country who does.
Thanks for speaking out against foreign enemies, Joe.
Speaking out against domestic enemies you are batting .000
Half your brain is tied behind your back.
Lieberman seems to know that the democrats dont work for the country ,but for themselves. I agree we need bi-partisanship but he praises RINO's who are more democrats than Republicans.
No, Joe. Americans see and understand the "gathering storm" of Islamic fascism.
It is your democratic party, the anti American elites who are so delusional, they are willing to die for their politically correctness
Call them out and you will be a real hero
There is one I really miss ... Jim Trafacante.
His "Beam me up Mr. Speaker" was always a treat .. today, I'm afraid he'd be serious .. there seems to be very little intelligent life on Earth
Amen, Popman, and preach on!
This is really cool! If he gets elected as an independent despite the huge currency invested in his leftist opponet by the anti American extremist, the heartburn on the left will be a sight to behold!
LOL! It will remind me of the hangdog expressions that I saw on US political pilgrims for the Sandilistas in Nicawawa after they lost the election to the conservatives
Lieberman gets it. Probably the only Democrat in the country who does.
You must have heard of Zell Miller.
Don't forget former NYC mayor Ed Koch. That makes a grand total of about 3 democrats that get the problem.
Now he needs to be seen hugging the pope or something.
The Muslim street would hit a new decibel level.
I imagine a kind of psychic membrane inside Joe's brain. A membrane of incredible thickness. It separates his brilliance on the subject of terror from his stupidity on the subject of socialism.
Joe Lieberman's Amazing Psychic Membrane allows him to see the evil of the islamofacists and yet still perceive some kind of value in the Democratic Party.
He needs some kind of pill, to dissolve that membrane, and he could actually become a good (non-RINO) Republican.
He's sane--BUT.........
You have to notice the only Senators mentioned are the worst RINOs in the pack. Those working as hard as they can to sabotage policy in the war.
No wonder the Clintonistas went after him.
Lots of good reading there and they are a good reminder of a lot of what was wrong in the world when the Dem's ran the Senate and WH.
Yeah, I remember Zell but he's not holding office right now.
Yes, he does get it. In spades. It's too bad, in his call for unity, he has to Bash Bush.
"We remain too divided as a nation, and in Washington, spend too much time fighting each other rather than coming together to make our country safer."Y'got that right, Joe.
The Left is preoccupied with perpetrating what's left of the '60's counter culture movement, doing whatever it takes to get its Political Machine (the Democrat Party) into power, and leading the U.S.A. down the same path to destruction that Europe has taken.
Democrats will do anything to seize power. Treason is of no consideration to them; endangering the U.S. and the American people, merely another strategy.
The Left hates President Bush so vitriolically that Leftists would rather destroy the U.S. than see him succeed.
This hatred results less from his policies than from his successes in keeping Democrats out of office; the 2000 election, which they still insist was stolen from them, an aspect of their own propaganda that they insist on believing; and continued bitterness over Republican outrage at the Clinton scandals (which Leftists choose to minimize) and the Clinton impeachment (which Leftists choose to blame on "Right-wing puritanism and sexual squeemishness", believing again their own propaganda), a bitterness that they prefer to acknowledging the correct reason for the outrage and the impeachment, viz. concern about the incompetence that resulted from his distraction and the consequent weakening of U.S. national security.
The Left has no intention of coming together to make our country safer." Many Leftists do not want the U.S. to be safer. This would benefit President Bush and the Republicans. Furthermore--do not forget!--many Leftists want the United States to be destroyed--or, at least, reduced in power to non-superpower status!
Leftists have no intention of reducing the national division or decreasing the fighting in Washington. These things further the Leftist agenda; they are major implements in Leftist strategy.
And never forget for a moment, that the Democrat Party is the Political Machine of the anti-American Left or that the Mainstream Newsmedia is its Propaganda Machine.
If Lieberman wants to decrease the national divide and the political fighting in Washington, and if he wants to bring Americans together to make our country safe, he's got a monumental task ahead of him, and he'd better concentrate his efforts on smashing the delusions of the Left, getting his fellow Democrats thrown out of office, and nullifying the propaganda of the Mainstream Newsmedia.
The fact that he is an American politician and a Jew is probably enough to make them scream.
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