Musings From My Quiet Porch: Swatting at flies to satisfy the Bob Kerreys of this nation

FreeRepublic ^ | 4/8/2004 | MHGinTN

[MHGinTN]

Musings From My Quiet Porch: Swatting at flies to satisfy the Bob Kerrys of this nation

My home is on a cattle farm. Flies visit my porch after hatching in the fields, and I tend to swat the more determine beasties that irritate. My swattings do nothing to end the proliferation of flies born from the dung out in the fields. Bob Kerry wanted to know from Dr. Rice ‘just what flies President Bush had tried to swat.’ It was, of course, a partisan hack attack aimed at casting doubt on this administration’s efforts to fight terrorism foreign and domestic. Let’s dissect the foolishness of Kerry’s assault, before the likes of Chris Mathews, Andrea Mitchell, Ambassador Holbrooke, Peter Jennings, and Dan Rather have the opportunity to make B2 bombers out of imaginary flies (yes, imaginary, since Kerry implied Rice alluded to actions taken, when she was in fact addressing the president’s desire for change in policy).

The 9/11 Commission is tasked with discovering ways to better coordinate American policy in combating current and future terrorist efforts against the U.S. and our allies. Discovering where the pre-9/11 policies failed to prevent a homicidal attack is precisely what Dr. Rice swore an oath today to address. Swatting foreign flies with cruise missiles didn’t work. The Clinton administration tried that swatter to no avail, and perhaps even aided in the birth of more flies as the dung was scattered. Could that administration have done a better job? Doubtful … but it is not the fault of the Clinton administration, per se. Why? … Because, as Dr. Rice admirably pointed out, our pre-9/11 domestic bureaucracy prevented adequate cooperation between FBI, CIA, and local law enforcement. The crucial difference now as opposed to ‘then’ has direct bearing on the foolish notion posed by Bob Kerry regarding fly swatting … different policy approaches set the course of the previous administration.

Kerry asked, quite foolishly, ‘what flies did Bush swat?’ The foolishness arises from the meaning of the President’s wording: rather than continue to swat at flies --as the Clinton administration did in their effort to respond tit-for-tat, to avoid a broader engagement on foreign soils with U.S. troops, the current administration took a profoundly different road in engaging the source of the flies. Allow me to illustrate with my porch problem. I could continue to swat the flies that visit my sanctuary, or I could go into the fields and treat the source of the flies. This administration has chosen (quite rightly, in this one man’s opinion) to go into the fields and address the fly problem, rather than continue the previous administrations policy of swatting once irritated.

The partisan Democrat hit-men, like Chris Mathews and company, will seek to focus the nation’s attention upon the title of a memorandum, a presidential document briefing paper, rather than have us look more closely at the content of the document and the broader picture. Why? … Because looking at the broader picture supports going into the fields to address the source of flies, and these partisan hacks want to promote the former approach as a means to support the notion that administration change is needed, that election of a Democrat president will ‘put US back on the right track in fighting terrorism. Nothing could be further from the truth. This nation lacks enough fly swatters to deal with the proliferation of menacing flies as they arrive to do their evil in our country. We must go to the sources and exterminate.

It is no secret that the Democrats in Congress want to generate a ‘Watergate-esque’ commission in this election year, to cast false doubts upon this administrations effectiveness in countering terrorism. There is a fundamental difference in philosophy between Democrat notions and this administration’s methods. Sadly, we have 9/11 to prove the Democrat’s approach is feckless. Even more sadly, it appears that with the concerted effort of hacks like Mathews and the networks wishing to impugn this administration, the effort to obfuscate the realities has a chance of succeeding … unless the fly swatting approach is decisively exposed as foolishness. Thanks to Bob Kerry, that may be possible now! Preemption is deterrence. Swatting flies is reaction after the catastrophic fact.

[MHGinTN]

Dr. Rice's testimony had a surreal appearance, as the partisan democrats chose to use her visit as an opportunity to play polics, while she was in fact trying to be open and aid in the future security of this nation.

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[MHGinTN]

That should read 'to play at politics' ... wow, am I mad as hell over this spectacle!

[MHGinTN]

ping-a-ling-a-ling

[Mr. Silverback]

You don't just write well, you write fast! Good job!

[MHGinTN]

ping

[MHGinTN]

Ah, but I only edit 'after the fact' ... which means I make silly mistakes that get posted! But thank you ...

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!

[cyncooper]

The partisan Democrat hit-men, like Chris Mathews and company, will seek to focus the nation’s attention upon the title of a memorandum, a presidential document briefing paper, rather than have us look more closely at the content of the document and the broader picture.

Matthews is completely enchanted with the title of the PDB.

He even said this morning that even though Rice characterized it as unspecific, that the fact that Ben Veniste wants it declassified makes him think there's "something more".

Keep dreaming, Chrissy. When will you learn that this administration is not deceitful and it's the Ben Venistes of this world that imply things that aren't so.

[William Martel]

Thanks for the ping, and here's a bttt. I enjoyed your commentary.

[floriduh voter]

Did ya happen to notice that most of the democrats on the Panel had SMIRKS on their faces while Condi was talking? I viewed c-span's split screen and I found that to be disrespectful and "yeah right." attitude. IMO, I am not certain there WILL BE A BI-PARTISAN FINDING when it's all said and done. Condi did great though, without referring to pages of notes and speaking her piece even though the dems tried to cut her off mid-sentence as if IT WAS A CRIMINAL JURY TRIAL.

[MHGinTN]

Did you happen to catch Lisa Myers' honest characterization of the memo when asked to expound by Chrissy?... Mathews broke away from her asap and the MSNBC partisans went to Andrea Mitchell, their sure-fire Bush hater.

[MHGinTN]

The question is, will the majority of the American people recognize the blatant partisan falsehoods that Benveniste (sp?), Roemer, et al tried to promote?

[cyncooper]

Yes, I was surfing so caught just a part, but she said something like "with all due respect, this was not a 'taping system in the WH' revelation".

LOL

Never mind. Matthews has the bit and he'll be running with this title for the foreseeable future.

And yes, I listened to Andrea very briefly mischaracterize what Rice said about the PDB. Andrea said Rice said the PDB cited no threat. That is false. Rice said it had unspecific threats. Even Ben Veniste acknowledged as she stated: No cities--not New York, not D.C. mentioned. No method, i.e. airplanes as missiles. No dates.

I'll probably watch Hardball later for the entertainment value for as long as I can stand it. Maybe not long. I had to get up early to watch this live and I'm not in my nicest mood.

:)

[MHGinTN]

My sympathies to you for getting up early to endure the bilge from the dnc hitmen/women.

[cyncooper]

And if I could make one more observation about Matthews' coverage with the widows.

I watched just a bit and I hope it's not just wishful thinking on my part that after Rice's masterful presentation, the 5 widows' complaints rang hollow and petty.

They seemed to be reeling a bit, IMO, from the specifics that had been broadcast. And Breitweiser I am sorry to say, seems deceitful--even as she says flat out that she thinks Cheney and Bush are appearing together to shore each other up and she doesn't think they'll be truthful--as she said they were "finally" hearing from Rice.

This very small group of widows "fought", so the story goes, for this commission, and if they have faith in the commission as they claim, then any honest person, Kristen, would acknowledge Rice's hours of private meetings with the commission.

I do not believe Breitweiser when she says she voted for Bush in 2000. To me, she is the one whose credibility is highly suspect and I do not respect her, even as I am sorry she lost her husband on that awful day.

[MHGinTN]

I wonder: how hard did MSNBC work to find these widows, and how many other widows did they turn aside because they weren't useful in the 'bludgeon Bush' effort so clearly displayed by the network?

[cyncooper]

No work. They are an organized little unit. Kristen Breitweiser is all over the place.

They have been in attendance at the hearings and applaud viciously every time a dem on the commission scores a point (they perceive) against the Bush administration.

Lest anyone think they're after facts and truth about what happened they are clearly not, I say without hesitation. They want to hold this administration responsible, period.

[freeperfromnj]

She makes me sick. Every time I pick up a Jersey paper there's little anti-Bush Kristen quoted again. I have zero sympathy for her. This panel thinks it answers only for the NJ widows. There were a lot of us in NY that day. In fact, the whole country was in NY that day. I wish there were some legal action that could be done to get Benveniste and Kerrey kicked off the panel. Keane was all over the media for the last week proclaiming that Rice's testimony would not be partisan and politically driven.

[MeekOneGOP]

Yes ! Condi did great !