What is with Al Franken?

[Puglover]

Sometimes I just don't get him. He just had Tony Blankley on (asshole editor of the Washington Post) Blankley said something like "The majority of people/delegates here are antiwar" And Al falls all over himself trying to give his "if it's broke it's yours" metaphor. Why not just say "You're goddamn right the majority of folks here are against Bunnypants and his illegal wet dream in Iraq. I KNOW we probably can't just pull out but C'MON Al. Tell me I misunderstood this. I hope I did.

[Trajan]

1. There There ....

You will feel better soon ...

Hope springs eternal ....

[Puglover]

3. according to a very cool

vice presidential nominee "hope" is on the way.

[thebigidea]

2. I really hate that stupid metaphor.

Its so "white man's burden" - we do not own Iraq. We will NEVER own Iraq...

We didn't expect Japan to "fix" Manchuria, and I don't see the US playing a role in repairing the damage we caused.

Ya wanna fix it? Get the fuck out and take all those contractor fingers out of their pie. Let them "rebuild" their own country, they're not bone-in-the-nose cartoon savage stereotypes.

[indigobusiness]

5. We don't own Iraq, all right, we own the

chaos, disaster, and long term suffering.

[CatWoman]

19. oooooooo

I LOVE it when you talk dirty :D

[JHB]

4. Didn't hear it, but I know what you mean...

Al sometimes runs aground, and like a beached whale he flops around for a bit until he rolls back into deeper water and gets back to swimming normally.

[indigobusiness]

7. That it a remarkably articulate

and vividly descriptive opinion.

I have to agree and applaud you. Damn...that was good.

[JHB]

18. Thanks

I just call'em as i see'em.

[indigobusiness]

27. Yeah, but it's HOW you called 'em, this time,

that got me.

[playahata1]

6. CORRECTION:

Tony Blankley is with the Washington TIMES, not the Post.

[indigobusiness]

9. Important clarification.

Why was he ever at George Magazine?

[Puglover]

10. Thanks

I thought I might have that wrong!

[JerseygirlCT]

26. Didn't he used to work for Newt Gingrich, too?

[doctorbombeigh]

8. America BOUGHT Bunnypants' illegal war...

and it is NOT okay, imo, to bail irresponsibly after what we have done to the Iraqi people and to that nation.

Franken has it right. The fact that many of us were against this war before it started does not absolve us of our responsibilities as Americans, now that America has created this war. I believe that we have a GREATER responsibility since this is entirely our fault and we were totally wrong. Yes, we have to get out and we WILL get out, but we owe the Iraqis more than the hit and run destruction of their nation. We have to re-build it. Not W's notion of re-building it, where it's "what's the contract worth," as the mainstay of his policy. I mean re-build it for real.

Actually, imo, we ought to hire other people to re-build Iraq. We have done so much damage to these people that they will never trust us again, and I can't blame them for that.

[Puglover]

12. I totally agree

however that fact that I feel we OWE it to Iraq to clean up our shit doesn't make me pro-war.

[doctorbombeigh]

20. Yep. Me neither. I'm pro-reality. n/t

[thebigidea]

13. so what's wrong with paying Iraqi construction firms/etc to rebuild?

Get out and let the people do it. We're only going to prolong the misery with this absolutely wrongheaded idea that somehow occupation is going to lead to some vision out of "Rainbow Brite"

[Puglover]

16. Now that is an

idea that makes sense. But what would poor Halliburton say to it's stockholders?

[doctorbombeigh]

22. There's nothing wrong with it - and anyone who actually...

cared about Iraq and the Iraqis would have been doing exactly that. The fact that this is not the policy of the United States just illustrates what total creeps Bush&Co actually are.

[Cleita]

14. Thanks. I feel the same way.

I would say though that we kick out all contractors where Iraqis can do the job. The only ferriners, other than peace keeping troops, that should be allowed to remain are in those jobs where the Iraqis need to learn the expertise.

[thebigidea]

15. and what jobs would those be?

Its not Afghanistan.

[Cleita]

21. I don't know. I'm not there, however, if there are none,

then the contractors should all go. Okay! We still have to foot the bill 'cause we did the destroying. Now we must pay for the rebuilding or lose any credibility in the world that is left about us. Boosh has squandered sooo much of any goodwill that we had, it's going to be a really big and humiliating task (for us) to set things right again.

[thebigidea]

23. Pretty much my POV.

Iraq is full of companies and highly skilled people unemployed due to this travesty... they could do the work, and should.

It may have been more beneficial to folks like Halliburton to cut them out of the equation, but GEEEZ - what a short-sighted move, just like disbanding the army.

You may get a few bucks in the short term, but you can bet a lot of those pissed off people are picking up RPGs instead of arc welders.

[doctorbombeigh]

24. Yeah, I think the key to being viewed as "liberators" is to actually

BE liberators and NOT be a hostile, oppressive occupation. This is a crucial (and basic) concept that Bush&Co consistently fails to grasp.

[indigobusiness]

25. Right on, Bombeigh...welcome to DU

I look forward to more of your thoughts.

[never_get_over_it]

11. In Al's latest book Liars

he admits that in the beginning he was in favor of going to war in Iraq. He thought they were a threat etc etc etc - this absolutely shocked me after he had just spent all those pages explaining what liars these people are...so my question to Al: if they lie about everything else why oh why wouldn't they lie about Iraq being a threat - Al lost alot of credibility with me when I read that in the beginning he supported the war -

[CWebster]

17. It puts him in an awkward position everytime

Because Kerry-Edwards do not have a substantial response that
Franken can defend. Instead, the music get turned up.

[gasperc]

28. focus on the diasterous occupation

it's a mess, 68 dead yesterday of people waiting in line to get scarce jobs to be police officers!!!!!!!!!!!!

I mean at least have them pass through a secure checkpoint so NO line forms and set up a safe area for people to stand in line. FUCK!!!

[Selwynn]

29. Because Al is a centrist. I still like him, but he will never do that. :)