I Was Wrong About Bush

OpinionJournal.com ^ | 09/25/2001 | Gerald Posner

[Fury]

What a difference 10 months make. Last November I broke the unwritten rule that requires journalists to be neutral political observers when I got embroiled in the controversy over the presidential election and publicly supported Al Gore.

It was not just with friends that I passionately argued the election had been stolen and that Mr. Gore would be the better president. I was one of the signatories to the pompously titled "Emergency Committee of Concerned Citizens 2000," which took full-page ads in the New York Times demanding a revote in Palm Beach County, Fla. I wrote op-eds for Salon.com and the New York Daily News. On television talk shows from MSNBC to Fox News's popular "The O'Reilly Factor," I made the case for Mr. Gore. In thousands of e-mails, I urged voters to deluge Clay Roberts, director of Florida's Division of Elections, with appeals for a recount.

[white rose]

Posner has written extensively about the Kennedy Assassination and seems to believe the Warren Commission Report. In my book, this man should never be trusted. He is used as a government shill when it is convenient.

I agree. "Case Closed" is as mendacious a book as I've ever read, to the point where I have to believe he is some sort of official disinformation expert. Perhaps I'm being overly cynical, but I simply don't trust a word this guy says about anything, and I have to wonder what, exactly, he's really up to.

[CWOJackson]

"Some of us libertarians don't need someone to "ping" us to something--we've got minds and can even do a little reading and thinking of our own..."

Wow, you destroyed your credibility in the first sentence.

[CWOJackson]

Living proof that simply giving yourself a historic name doesn't make you any smarter...

[Protagoras]

Wow, you destroyed your credibility in the first sentence.

Credibility isn't something that would appear in the same sentence with your screen name. If you didn't hate freedom, what would you have to post about?

[jrobb20]

It's funny how when the stuff hits the fan all of the liberal rhetoric goes out the window and they run to the adults to protect them.

[wattsmag2]

which he rightly called an "act of war" from the start--gave him a focus and clarity I had not earlier seen.

Glad the Donkey blinders fell off, however late.

[Protagoras]

People who want to be left alone to destroy themselves hate themselves much more than the imagined hatred of those who value their lives more than they themselves do.

I don't know about him, but I don't hate myself. I hate busybodies who claim to love me while usurping my rights. The idea that you value my life more than I do is right up there with the top ten moronic things you have posted in this forum.

[habs4ever]

A liberal comes to his senses, and I am supposed to care? Why? I can still be gracious without congratulating him on something most of us already knew.His mea culpa doesn't warrant a pat on the back;it would have been more appropriate when Gore was attempting to steal the Florida recount. He admits his unprofessionalism in the service of his partisan cause, and even this reeks of opportunism.Welcome aboard Mr Posner, but don't expect a hand clap.Getting the approbation of people like him isn't high on my "to do" list.

[Protagoras]

Living proof that simply giving yourself a historic name doesn't make you any smarter...

I might not be the smartest guy in the world, but I'm ahead of the guy in last place, you.

[CWOJackson]

"I might not be the smartest guy in the world..."

You should have stopped there...you would have been credited with getting one right for once. But you had to spoil it and demonstrate the thruth of my original comment.

I would dearly love to sit on FR and exchange quips with you but it's kind of like playing with the cat. Cute for a while but not much of an intellectual challenge.

[Protagoras]

I would dearly love to sit on FR and exchange quips with you but it's kind of like playing with the cat. Cute for a while but not much of an intellectual challenge.

Playing with yourself is more like it, leave the cat out of it.

Cut and run is the usual technique for cowards.

[jammer]

If someone at Sam's Club rejects my entre' to their business without a membership card, there's an armed government entity known as the local police who'll gladly arrest me if I push the issue. If I can't produce a ticket to get into Lambeau Field, and I enter anyway, guys with guns will soon be on the scene.

Correct. You would be committing an illegal act. That's why we have police. But Sam's Club cannot arrest you.

I've witnessed a lot of dire predictions here regarding proposals for the additional tools to identify bad guys within our borders. "Like the War on Drugs, this is another opening for feds to break down doors." Well, I don't believe Feds breaking down the doors of the homes of innocent citizens in the exercise of the War on Drugs is any issue at all. It happens so rarely as to be a non-entity. This image of Federal police randomly storming the private property of law abiding citizens looking for drugs, or soon to be terrorists, is a paranoid delusion.

Then we have no common basis for interaction. Just let me ask you one more question.

Who's Lon Huiriuchi? A new Seattle Mariner?

Is that question a joke or a symptom?

[All-American Medic]

"oohh!! hats off to you. SOrry this had to happen three weeks before you were supposed to retire! ack!! Hehe it's a texas sized can of Whoop Ass and W's shaking it right now getting ready for it to explode on america's enemies..." Lawgirl, sorry to hijack your statement, but in light of recent events...Its a Noo Yawk can of da 'whoop ass and dubya's about to say "How yoo doooin.." to Osama and the rest of the scumbags, fugghedddaboutit........

[Redleg Duke]

Okay, fine. Be petty like a liberl then.

[habs4ever]

I'm not being petty by saying I don't care, ok? There is a difference.Being indifferent to Mr Posner's epiphany isn't pettiness.There are bigger things to worry about than this :-)

[tberry]

"So you can find in his speeches where Bush has advocated internment camps, a national ID card, face recognition software, and enhancing Carnivore?"

They are just as avalable as pictures of bin Laden flying one of the planes into the Trade Center.

[Hugh Akston]

Then humor me and document where Bush has called for those things.

[clee1]

I never thought I'd see the day: a liberal with true principles. Good for you Mr. Posner - I'm glad you have awoken.

[Cinnamon Girl]

Posner is on Dennis Prager right now explaining himself.

[clee1]

GOOD! All your base are belong to us....