Disclosure: I worked for the Lamont campaign doing web design and production and some writing for the official blog (from 9/5/06 to 11/07/06).

Sunday, March 12, 2006

 

Joe Parrots Rove on Ports

Joe

Even for Joe, I don't understand it.

I don't understand how he can claim to care about security, yet be OK with a foreign government running American ports.

I don't understand how he can claim to be a representative of the people, yet be for a deal that the vast majority of the public as well political leaders across the country from both parties (Sen. Clinton, Sen. Schumer, Sen. Menendez, Rep. King, to name a few in the region) are so vehemently against.

I don't understand how he can claim to be a Democrat, yet literally recite Karl Rove talking points (video from WTIC), defending Bush on the first security issue in years on which Democrats are getting any traction. Compare and contrast:

Lieberman:

[The U.A.E.] have been not just allies but extraordinary allies, courageous allies, in the war against Islamist terrorism since 9/11. The port at Dubai, which is run by the same company, has more visits by U.S. Navy ships than any other port in the world, and they do it with a real sense of security.


Rove:

More U.S. Navy vessels dock at ports in the United Arab Emirates than dock at ports in anywhere outside the United States. We have used their air facilities, they have one of the most sophisticated air training facilities in the world that's located there that we use. They've been enormously supportive in Afghanistan and Iraq. I mean, the message would be, "Be a loyal ally to the United States, have a big target painted on your government by Al Qaida for cooperating so aggressively with the United States in fighting the war on terror, and what you'll get is a slap from the United States in return.


Lieberman:

Without giving them the opportunity over the 45 days they have under law to present their case, it will look to a lot of the Arab world like we're just doing it for reasons of discrimination.


Rove:

And it's also important that the message be that - within - we're not going to win the war on terror by ourselves. We need - we need to win the hearts and minds of moderate Muslim governments and Muslims around the world. And this just sends a very bad signal that a partner of the United States would be ill-treated, unfairly treated, particularly when the concerns, from our perspective, are not justified.


Most infuriatingly, I don't understand how the man who now claims to be so concerned about the U.S. image in the Arab world can be the same man who spewed these disgusting words to the Arab world after Abu Ghraib broke:

I cannot help but say, however, that those who were responsible for killing 3,000 Americans on September 11th, 2001, never apologized. Those who have killed hundreds of Americans in uniform in Iraq working to liberate Iraq and protect our security have never apologized.

And those who murdered and burned and humiliated four Americans in Fallujah a while ago never received an apology from anybody.


I just don't understand how anyone with this sad record can be taken seriously on matters of national security.
Comments:
So Mr Lieberman is on the official meme list from Karl Rove. That's reassuring.
 
Lieberman is a disgusting sellout.

I always liked the "Jerry Falwell with a yarmulke" description.
 
1. THOSE NAVY SHIPS ARE ARMED TO THE TEETH.

2. EVERYTHING PUT ON THOSE NAVY SHIPS IS INSPECTED.

IS JOE-MENTUM SUGGESTING SUCH WOULD BE THE CASE IN U.S. PORTS?

OR IS HE CASUALLY GLOSSING OVER THE FACTS IN ORDER TO BE IN LOCKSTEP WITH THE BUSHIES?
 
Joe probably wakes up everyday and gets briefed on the day's GOP talking points so he can find a word or two to alter. Usually a "the" or "and"...
 
Lieberman is a study in the dangers of steroidal muscularity, becoming an outlier in his own party. (He has edged to the right as his running mate in the 2000 election, Al Gore, has moved leftward.) His fate was sealed with a kiss, planted on his cheek by Bush, just after the President delivered his State of the Union address. "That may have been the last straw for some of the people in Connecticut, the blogger types," Lieberman told me. But he is unapologetic about his defense of Bush's Iraq policy, saying, "Bottom line, I think Bush has it right." When I asked if he was becoming a neoconservative, Lieberman smiled and said, "No, but some of my best friends are neocons."

http://www.truthout.org/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi/38/9766/printer
 
That may have been the last straw for some of the people in Connecticut, the blogger types,"
OK, I just had a Joe moment. Furious, mad. It is different reasons for different people. He is rude to brush us aside as *extreme,* which is what he is implies. Some of us "little women" had our last straw moment with the Alito filibuster.
On UAE, another Joe moment. Check out lieberman.senate.gov. i think he wants to make it look like he was leading the charge against the deal. It is misleading to say the least.
While the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a recognized partner in the war against terrorism, it is located in a highly sensitive region of the world for terrorist activity. Some of the 9/11 hijackers traveled to the United States from the UAE, where they were engaged in operational planning for the attacks. Much of the financing for the attacks was transferred through the UAE banking system.
My thoughts? Save all Joe statements, because I think his staff will do some scrubbing here and there. I deleted my filibuster response in anger unfortunately, but there are plenty others who saved theirs.
 
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