Democrats Forgot How to be 'Ferocious'

NewsBusters.org ^

[Mobile Vulgus]

Dana Milbank is mad at Democrats for somehow letting Former Iraq Chief Paul Bremer off the hook today in the Washington Post’s ”Rusty Democrats Unable to Pin Anything on Bremer”.

I guess to show he is a real meterosexual, Milbank starts his piece off with an observation on Bremer’s choice of footwear and draws the wild conclusion that it must say something about his mental state.

Jerry Bremer wore black dress shoes instead of his trademark combat boots yesterday as he testified before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. But except for that concession, the former American viceroy of Iraq had lost none of his swagger.

That observation lacks so much on substance that it is laughable. Does wearing combat boots in a desert, while walking around battle-damaged buildings, or in areas where nearly everyone is so shod somehow speak to Bremer’s arrogance, his “swagger”??

If a fan wears gym shoes to a basketball game, would that speak to the fan’s assumptions that he is as good as Michael Jordan or those players on the court?

With that weak attempt to scold Bremer for his arrogant choice of footwear done, Milbank goes on to insinuate that he is guilty of malfeasance during his time in Iraq.

His widely condemned move to disband the Iraqi military? "I stand by the decision."

Billions of dollars potentially wasted on dubious contracts? "I did not have authority over the awarding of contracts."

Incompetent personnel at the Coalition Provisional Authority? "My role in hiring was very limited."

"On the whole," Bremer told the lawmakers, "I think that we made great progress."

Even if you think Bremer WAS wrong on each point Milbank presented, why the snide presentation of his replies?

Why? Because, to Milbank, like most leftists, decisions made and the policy that results from those decisions that might, in the end, turn out problematic just could not be a result of honest belief in the ideas behind that policy that might have turned out wrong. It MUST be some sort of evil plot, some “corruption” or something illegal.

It just couldn’t have been a bad choice.

Now Milbank turns on his fellow leftists for their failure to rip Amb. Bremer to pieces.

It was to have been the grudge match Democrats waited years for: The ferocious Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), newly installed as chairman of the committee, was to flex his new oversight muscles by summoning Bremer to account for his actions while running Iraq in 2003 and 2004.

But Bremer proved unexpectedly agile at shifting blame: to administration planners ("The planning before the war was inadequate"), his superiors in the Bush administration ("We never had sufficient support"), and the Iraqi people ("The country was in chaos -- socially, politically and economically").

“Unexpectedly agile”? What is that supposed to mean? Couldn’t Bremer just have been sure of himself, in command of his appearance and convinced he was right? Obviously not, because, for Milbank, it must surely be some kind of TRICKERY.

And those foolish Democrats just had their heads turned because they are so “rusty” and “out of practice” at being politicians. As he laments that:

And Democrats, after 12 years in the minority, were out of practice.

So, Bremer is a big liar, a vile but wily trickster, but his boys are just “rusty”.

Milbank wails further that, “After nearly five hours of questioning, the lawmakers failed to find a smoking gun…”

Gee Dana, why have your pals so failed you?

He isn’t done bad mouthing Chairman Waxman either.

Waxman, who began the hearing with a broad smile and played frequently with the gavel while sitting on the edge of the chairman's seat, gradually grew more somber and sank back into his chair.

Geeze, I almost feel sorry for poor Henry!

Next Milbank reverts back to his feminine side to comment on Bremer’s clothing with another substanceless comment equating his suit with his attitude.

The natty Bremer, sporting a pocket handkerchief and a flag lapel pin, grew more confident. As his deflections thwarted the lawmakers, Bremer's wife, unable to contain her delight, reached out from the first row of the audience to pat her husband on the back.

Man, if all one needs is a “natty” handkerchief to “thwart” lawmakers I’d like to order a couple of them. They must be powerful squares of cotton, indeed.

The piece goes on for several more paragraphs of Democrat bashing, Republican bashing, and Bremer bashing, but unfortunately Milbank reveals little of substance.

In any case, it seems Milbank is auditioning for Al Franken’s soon to be vacated spot on Air America instead of offering real political reporting here.

I wonder if his shoes speak to his confidence that they will pick him for Franken’s spot?

[Mobile Vulgus]

Poor Dana. He might want to consider writing for the fashion pages instead of politics.

[rhombus]

Those Democrats are just going to have to do better. They weren't put there by the MSM to let Bush cronies off the hook. ;-)

[mouse_35]

The headline is wrong. Today's dims have never KNOWN how to be ferocious.

[Peach]

He's such a blatant metrosexual. At best.

OT:

Does anyone have the quote Peter Jennings made some years ago to the affect that "It's not news until we say it is."

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

The last time the Democrats were "ferocious" was before any of the current party members were born.

If by "ferocious" he means dragging out the demagoguery and their general b*llsh*t, I can see the reason for Milbank's disappointment, because the current Democrats are very good at that.

[Thrownatbirth]

He might want to consider writing for the fashion pages

The Post's Robin Givhan would make him her personal gimp.

[Condor51]

For years I thought Dana was a girl the way the columns were written and by the girly name.

Well ... pictures be dammed -- I still DO.

['Prolly' had sex change operation.]

[DejaJude]

The Post's Robin Givhan would make him her personal gimp.

He's stepping into her shoes for this article.

[USS Alaska]

My beautiful niece is named Dana and this queer demeans her name.

Would five inch heels be better than black shoes to testify to the demonRAT scumsuckers?

[Wombat101]

You lost me right at the "metrosexual" part.

Disagreeing with the man and questioning his motives are well and fine. Sticking him into an easy-to-demonize category serves no purpose, except to throw red meat to the more reflexively rabid (and impenetrably stupid) amongst us.

Or was that the purpose in the first place?

Having said that; near to the mark with the rest of it, if only superficially.

If this is what NewsBusters puts out on a daily basis, I'm glad I don't read it.

[Erasmus]

Well ... pictures be dammed -- I still DO.

You meant to write:

"Well ... the picture shows I was right."

< }B^)