Senator Eugene J. McCarthy, on 5-9-65:

[H2O Man]

"Some forty years ago G.K. Chesterton wrote that every time the world was in trouble the demand went up for a practical man. Unfortunately, he said, each time the demand went up there was a practical man available. As he pointed out then, usually what was needed to deal with an impractical muddle was a theorist or philosopher."

[Toby109]

1. LBJ vs. Bush?

Two straight talking Texans who got us into wars of choice. I'm not sure Bush is as practical, if at all.

[bemildred]

2. Straight talking my ass.

LBJ was elected on a "get us out of VietNam" platform.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

3. Now neither major party wants us out of Iraq.

Now both are calling on us to "stay the course".

[bemildred]

4. You are absolutely correct.

We will leave Iraq under one of two circumstances:
a.) The Iraqis finish kicking us out.
b.) The threat of a grass-roots/third-party movement forces
the US ruling elites to withdraw or lose power.

[Toby109]

5. I meant as a public perception

or as Karl Rove and Karen Hughes have desperately tried to portray Shrub. In the line of the mythology produced by Hollywood about shoot first-ask questions later, straight-talking, Remember the Alamo!, sheriffs from Texas cleaning up frontier towns. Ya know, Rove's wet dream.

And it was Nixon that was elected on a "get us out of Vietnam" platform.

[bemildred]

6. I had no intent to attack you, Sir.

I am somewhat bitter about LBJ, though. Nixon certainly was
elected on a "get us out of VietNam" platform, but so was LBJ.
He came up with some blather about not wanting American boys
to be dying in a cause that Vietnamese boys ought to be fighting
for.

He chucked all that and started the buildup as soon as he got
re-elected. The fact is that in 64, 68, and 72 all of the
successful Presidential candidates were elected by convincing
the Rubes they wanted to get us out of that mess, when in fact
their actions show they had no such intent.

The notion of a "straight-talking" politician is an oxymoron,
and people who believe that sort of drivel are prey to be
exploited.

[Toby109]

7. No offense taken

Just having a friendly discussion. :-)

[emc]

8. I knew him personally

I knew him personally---Eugene McCarthy---and he lived on a different planet---even his own wife thougth so----Abigale
I liked the guy, but his wasnt of this world---