Cool It! By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

The New York Times | 5/22/02 | gillmeister

[Gillmeister]

Here's today's OP-ED in the NY Times from the 1 and only Tom Freidman, c'mon, you all know Tom, the guy who is on every Sunday show telling Bush how to solve the Mid-East crisis. Hey, Tom, your a stinking newspaper columnist, get over yourself.

[The_Media_never_lie]

The real problem is that the Democrats seem willing to trash the President and their country for political gain. Tell it like it is, Tom.

[Ulysses]

Man! These clowns want it both ways! The President and his team are terrible because they DIDN'T warn us. The President and his team are terrible because they ARE WARNING us. WOW! I hope their "stategery" is apparent to all...trash the President and his team NO MATTER WHAT!

[babble-on]

Exactly. If Daschle wants to attack the administration for not going over the top on every unsubstantiated warning, then they have little choice but to go over the top more often. IF Friedman wants to complain, he should criticize Daschle for taking an unbelievable cheap shot in trying to say (with the press's acquiescence) that the Bush administration is responsible for 9-11 since there was a nonspecific warning out there.

[The Raven]

Well, it appears that Tom Freidman wasn't in on the Dem's scam. He's not following the script (see for instance, Newsweek).

Doesn't he know the whole idea is to get Bush's poll numbers down - one way or another?

The only thing to fear is the Democrats, themselves.

[Thebaddog]

Look at what the fellow isn't saying. He's backing away from last week's agenda where all the little weenies were trying to relive the Watergate hearings. Now he wants to have the peace of mind for his bike ride this weekend and that is what the government would be doing for him without the advice and criticism last week.

And listen for those calls for the hearings go away with that last article in the LA paper interviewing the fellow that tried to broker the handover of Bin Laden to Clinton's administration. This is what you aren't hearing.

[PGalt]

Friedman can now cross off 5/22/02 on his calendar of events..."SPIN AN ARTICLE FOR MY SOCIALIST FRIENDS"

[babble-on]

I disagree. The plan is to create talking points to criticize Bush regardless of the truth. It became clear in polls out yesterday from Cook/IPSOS and ABC that the "Bush is responsible for 9-11" crapola was backfiring. Bush's poll numbers had actually risen. So now they criticize him for being an alarmist.

I think the Bushies know that another terrorist attack will hurt them in the polls. The Right will say they haven't done enough, and the Left will say the attacks were caused by the war on terror. Their task therefore is to make sure that if an attack happens that people know enough not to be shocked again, and that its continuous with the first attacks and will keep up until Powell gets out of the way of the war on terror.

[A Vast RightWing Conspirator]

I predict rainy days.

You've been warned!!!!

[CedarDave]

Notwithstanding last weeks media-White House dustup (won by the President), it seems like the Rats and their press cronies are all over the networks/cable channels still looking for ways to get at Bush. Last night had John Kerry on Hardball blasting the Homeland security color warning system and how the admin was not following it by giving warnings via Cheney or other admin officials. Now Senator Tommy-boy is using it as an excuse to call for hearings on 9/11 and, Dan Rather on Imus this a.m. is following up his remarks that the President is not immune from criticism (especially that from Rather) just because he is president during this time of war. (Of course, it may just be perception on my part because I don't see any cable shows except in hotels when I'm away from home on business -- Yeh, right: media bias is all imagined!!).

(p.s. love your screen name; I'm prone to it before my first a.m. cup of coffee)

[Alouette]

my Memorial Day weekend plans are set: golf Saturday, bike trip Sunday, barbecue Monday.

Yeah, Tom, it's all about you. BTW did you invite your friend Prince Abdullah to the cookout?

[babble-on]

We shall overcome!!

[PJ-Comix]

These clowns want it both ways! The President and his team are terrible because they DIDN'T warn us. The President and his team are terrible because they ARE WARNING us.

It's like the press after 9-11. Bush was terrible because he wasn't going after Al-Qaeda fast enough. Then Bush was terrible because he crushed Al-Qaeda too quickly. Remember that?

[Valin]

AAAGGGHHHHH! run away run away!

[McGavin999]

This is all too funny. The democrats demanded that the people be warned of unspecific threats, so the administration is complying with their demands. Suddenly, they've changed their minds, they DON'T want to know.

If we think this is bad, just try to imagine what the FBI, CIA and the President hear about on a daily basis.

Personally, I think they have been smart. Now people are beginning to understand, and be grateful, that we are told things when it's credible. It has served the purpose of reminding people that they MUST be vigilant.

[Mike Darancette]

Memo to Tom (Do-Little) Daschle and the Rats:

- Don't pass a budget then criticize Bushies for losing the surplus.
- Criticize Bushies for not divining the events of 9-11 then bemoan fear mongering when any type of alert is given.
- Scare old people.
- Scare poor people.
- Scare people of color.
- But most of all do not make any constructive suggestions.

If the Dems win in November this battle for the freedom to live as Americans will be over. The next battle will cost millions of lives.

[chimera]

...my Memorial Day weekend plans are set: golf Saturday, bike trip Sunday, barbecue Monday...

Oh, how wonderful! Who gives a crap what this clown is doing? He can stay in his room and play with himself for all I care.

What is interesting is what he doesn't say he'll do, and that is the purpose of Memorial Day. Not a mention of any thought of those who sacrificed so that scum like Friedman can go play golf or play with himself or bike ride or cook out.

Truth is, he doesn't care. And he especially doesn't care what Bush does or doesn't do, as long as he can criticize a non-Rat Administration

[maica]

Who wants to live that way? Let's make a deal: We won't criticize the administration for not anticipating 9/11 if it won't terrorize the country by now predicting every possible nightmare scenario, but no specific ones, post-9/11.

Evil is as evil writes. Using the words "terrorize the country" as an action of our government is not coincidental. Professional writers choose their words carefully.

[techcor]

And think of all the times since 9/11 that D.Rather has described this administration as being hammered on policies (such as the environment or foreign policy). Then contrast that with Rather saying all the news media is being "soft" on this administration.

Then see how the same group say how tough they were on the Clinton administration. Yet they all out and out lied concerning his testimony under oath about whether he was offered over a million dollars in "donations" in the back of a limo. (He testified that he didn't "remember" whether that had happened or not. The "unbiased" news media reported that he had testified that he hadn't been offered the "donation".)
Not the same thing.