Posted on 07/13/2004 4:34:03 AM PDT by governsleastgovernsbest
Something important just happened. Newt Gingrich called the foreign policy bluff of the Kerry campaign. And with the chips on the table, the Kerry spokesman folded.
We won't dwell on the fact that Katie accorded Holbrooke both the opening and the closing statements in the interview, or that she cut Newt off when he first tried to respond, insisting instead on airing some footage of Kerry taking shots at W.
No, let's cut to the chase. The subject was North Korea and its nuclear program. Holbrooke waxed on about the Bush administration wasn't doing enough "to put pressure on N. Korea."
Finally Newt had his say. "So, what would the Kerry administration do differently? Would you attack N. Korea?"
Newt repeated the question a number of times. Holbrooke refusing to answer. Finally, cornered, this was the sum and substance of what Holbrooke came up with: "well, we should continue the six party talks now underway, but the US should also speak directly with N. Korea."
Newt pounced. "That's it? We should speak directly with N. Korea? That's going to 'put pressure' on them?"
It was a seminal moment. Pull back the curtain on the Kerry foreign policy and what do you find? Nothing. Some vague notions that we should be nicer to Jacques Chirac, and talk directly with Kim Jung Il. Thanks very much, and don't forget the lovely parting gifts.
Today Show ping.
Remember to also send your very 'pretty and sexy' Albright to handle the details.
Too bad we don't have more "reporters" with Newt's talent.
"Pull back the curtain on the Kerry foreign policy and what do you find? Nothing."
This seems to be true for just about all of Kerry's alleged positions. There is no there there. Just empty rhetoric.
It;s going to be a long 4 months.
While Holbrooke's melt-down on N. Korea was the highlight, the interview ranged on to other areas as well.
Katie: "Do you believe America and the world are safer?"
Holbrooke: "I wish it was. Getting rid of Saddam has been carried out in such an incompetent way that Iraq has become ground zero for terrorism."
Newt pointed out that as a result of the Iraq invasion, Libya has given up its nuclear program. Holbrooke tried to claim this was unrelated, and really began under Clinton.
Holbrooke continued: "Getting Saddam was a valid goal, but it has been badly carried out. Iraq has become a disaster area for vital US interests. It has been a tragedy."
To her credit, Couric asked: "[If it's so bad] why didn't Edwards and Kerry examine it more carefully before they supported the Iraq resolution?"
Holbrooke: "No one could have anticipated disaster that followed."
Although he cornered Holbrooke on Iraq, Newt was not the staunchest defender of W, suggesting that all sorts of mistakes have been made in post-war Iraq.
Good catch!
Go Newt
That's Kerry in a nutshell. All he really has to campaign on is vague criticisms that can't be traced to a specific policy he would implement. He knows the kool-aid drinkers don't care, and the swing vote is easily demagogued.
Yup. I saw the whole interview. Newt nuked Holbrooke with ease. When pressured as to what would sKerry DO about N Korea, other than TALK about it, Holbrooke was toast.
Give the complete lack of substance on anything, I think the Kerry strategy is to run solely on "hate-Bush" vote. They are spending all of their time and money convincing people Bush is a liar, untrustworthy, etc. In other words, bring Bush down to their level so they can compete.
I am afraid it is going to work.
"Pull back the curtain on the Kerry foreign policy and what do you find?"
Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.
I'm quite pleased...surprised really...that the TODAY Show would make the blunder of having the two on together, giving Newt the real-time opportunity to rebut what Holbrooke had to say.
I was pleasantly surprised too by Newt's presence. SOP at Today is to have only a Bush administration critic as a guest. But this makes twice in the last week or so that they've had a 'fair & balanced' panel.
For that matter, though, I reject the notion that post-war Iraq has been a "disaster" and a "tragedy," as Holbrooke claimed. Sure, it's not all sweetness and light, but what student of history would have ever thought it would be? But the fact is that Iraq is now on the road to sovereignty and hopefully to a peaceful democracy.
That has been accomplished at the cost of the lives of about 1,000 US soldiers. Hardly inconsequential, but less than 2% of the military deaths we suffered in Vietnam, which ended in total failure.
I think a lot of mistakes have been made in Iraq as well but I am still glad we did it. I think the biggest mistake was allowing the stockpiles of weapons to remain unguarded and undestroyed.
We've been talking directly to North Korea all along. It has not gotten us anywhere. The mistake we made was made in the early 90's by the Clinton administration. Clinton should not have bargained with the North Koreans to begin with. Now it's too late to do anything about it. We just have to hope that they don't get out of control.
I would say, though, that the Bush policy has one important advantage. It has called attention to the problem, isolated North Korea, and probably impaired the ability of North Korea to obtain additional uranium shipments. The size of their nuclear arsenal is limited by the amount of uranium Clinton let them have. Once it's gone, it's gone. That's one reason they don't want to test their bomb.
Retreads from the Clinton Administration. And their foreign policy successes were… ?
Holbrooke: "I wish it was. Getting rid of Saddam has been carried out in such an incompetent way that Iraq has become ground zero for terrorism."
Why doesn't anyone counter this with that was the intent all along?!!? The idea was to get the terrorists to come to Afghanistan and Iraq and engage our professional soldiers, rather than continuing the "terrorism is a police matter" policy of Clinton!!! It has worked brilliantly as we have not had another attack on our soil since 9-11. Who would have predicted that?
It's called the Bush Doctrine and was part of the plan from the beginning!
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