Senate Clown Show

[helderheid]

By Jeff Cohen
September 22, 2007


This past week, the U.S. Senate put on a clown show.

With most Americans wanting troops out of Iraq, Democratic leaders in the Senate failed to get enough Republican votes to overcome GOP filibusters for fairly tepid change-course measures. They could get only six Republican votes even for a Jim Webb proposal simply requiring that U.S. troops spend as much time at home as they spend deployed in Iraq.

But thanks to 22 Democratic clowns joining a Republican circus, the Senate was able to break the partisan impasse by overwhelmingly passing one bold measure: A defense of Gen. David Petraeus against a MoveOn.org newspaper ad. The resolution expressed "full support" for the general and condemned "personal attacks on the honor and integrity of General Petraeus and all members of the United States Armed Forces."

Cable news networks that cheer-led our country into invading Iraq took a break from their latest all-O.J.-all-the-time binge to make an antiwar ad more controversial than the ongoing slaughter of Iraqis and Americans that the invasion predictably unleashed. And 22 Democrats were more desperate to distance themselves from the 3-million-member MoveOn than from less than 50 Republican dead-enders bent on prolonging the killing.

The 22 Democrats can be reached by dialing the Congressional switchboard: 202-224-3121. They are Baucus (MT), Bayh (IN), Cardin (MD), Carper (DE), Casey (PA), Conrad (ND), Dorgan (ND), Feinstein (CA), Johnson (SD), Klobuchar (MN), Kohl (WI), Landrieu (LA), Leahy (VT), Lincoln (AR), McCaskill (MO), Mikulski (MD), Nelson (FL), Nelson (NE), Pryor (AR), Salazar (CO), Tester (MT) and Webb (VA).

MoveOn's ad in the New York Times--headlined "General Petraeus or General Betray Us?"--questioned whether the extremely political Gen. Petraeus would betray the truth and the facts about Iraq, as he had previously in echoing Team Bush. The ad didn't question his patriotism.

Yet 22 Democrats (plus, of course, Joe Lieberman) backed the pro-Petraeus resolution after hearing its rightwing sponsor declare that the MoveOn ad had "crossed a historic line of decency."

Are these 22 Democrats amnesiacs? Have they forgotten the Republican ads calling war-wounded Sen. Max Cleland a liar unwilling to protect us from Osama bin Laden? There was no Senate resolution defending the Vietnam Vet against those ads.

Nor were there Senate resolutions aimed at Disney, Rupert Murdoch, General Electric or Clear Channel for broadcasting the screeds of the O'Reillys, Hannitys, Coulters, Savages and Becks in which Iraq War critics were routinely referred to as treasonous and traitors.

Nor a resolution after Rev. Pat Robertson declared that Democratic criticism of Bush during wartime "amounts to treason." Or one condemning Bill O'Reilly for declaring that Democratic-backer George Soros "ought to be hanged." Or one denouncing Glenn Beck for wishing on-air for the violent deaths of war critics, including a member of Congress.

The Petraeus/MoveOn resolution had one main purpose: To get Democratic Senators to run in fear from the party's antiwar base. President Bush basically admitted as much in rehearsed remarks at Thursday's news conference: "I was disappointed that not more leaders in the Democratic Party spoke out strongly against that kind of ad. And that leads me to come to this conclusion: that most Democrats are afraid of irritating a left-wing group like MoveOn.org - or more afraid of irritating them than they are of irritating the United States military."

And 22 Democrats fell for this Karl Rovian political ploy - a resolution that fraudulently purported to condemn "personal attacks" on "all members of the United States armed forces."

During the run-up to the Iraq invasion, http://www.truthout.org/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi/67/24702">I worked in cable news when these networks relentlessly questioned the integrity and patriotism of former Marine officer and Gulf War veteran Scott Ritter. As the U.N.'s top weapons inspector, Ritter had stood up to Saddam Hussein's government for years. But when he forcefully questioned the grounds for invading Iraq, corporate media called him an agent of Saddam. . .and worse. No Senate resolution has ever condemned the personal attacks on Ritter.

And unlike Petraeus--who penned a ridiculously over-optimistic http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A49283-2004Sep25.html">Washington Post column (datelined Baghdad) extolling Iraq's security forces, timed just weeks before the 2004 election--Ritter's accurate analysis was never tailored to please any White House.

There is a struggle for power going on in our country between forces for peace and international diplomacy and open debate and civil liberties and social justice on the one hand--and the forces of intimidation and militarism and corporatism on the other. The Democratic base is firmly in the first camp. But not all Democratic leaders are.

When the forces of intimidation and their allies in corporate media cook up one of these obviously phony controversies to bully or distract the public--whether targeting a MoveOn ad or a Michael Moore movie or a liberal politician's minor misstatement - how should we react to Democratic officeholders so quick to aid the other side? Think P.C. - primary challenge.

- -
http://www.jeffcohen.org/">Jeff Cohen is a media critic, author of http://www.amazon.com/Cable-News-Confidential-Misadventures-Corporate/dp/097606216X/sr=8-1/qid=1157854253/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-3269566-1435014?ie=UTF8&s=books">"Cable News Confidential" and an advisory board member of http://pdamerica.org/">Progressive Democrats of America.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

1. They're a pathetic bunch of flagwaving "Me Too'ers".

[robinlynne]

2. excellent article. please read this OP all DUErs!

[helderheid]

3. Jeff Cohen is brilliant.

[scarletwoman]

4. Hear! Hear! Excellent piece! Thank you for posting it. k&r and all that...

Jeff Cohen says it all, and says it so deftly I can't think of anything to add. I just hope this gets widely read.

Thanks again,
sw

[helderheid]

5. If you haven't already, join and donate to PDA.

www.pdamerica.org

[helderheid]

6. k

[kenfrequed]

7. I called Kloubachar's office

Since she is my Senator. I was at the convention in Rochester and wow was I disappointed. I actually had to write down how I was dissapointed. Unrehearsed I either suffer with a tongue fixed in mouth mouth from my passion or babble with a verbocity that dilutes and drowns my point.

Still I hope she listened and stops these stupid 'safe votes' like on the wiretap bill.

[mikehershdotcom]

8. it's time to be good friends to our Senators

A good friend tells you when you're wrong, and it's time to be good friends to our Senators. Any Senators who voted to "censure" MoveOn.org for an ad which raised legitimate concerns about the Bush Administration's politicization of the military simply blew it. They rubber-stamped the right wing's effort to paint sensible discourse as out-of-bounds while validating (by not censuring) extreme right wing abuses.

Here are just a few examples of outrages our Senators chose not to censure: Ann Coulter advocates executions to "intimidate liberals," writes books accusing Democrats of "Treason," and chides terrorists for not blowing up the NY Times Building. Rush Limbaugh claims liberals want people to get AIDS and openly advocates anti-gay bigotry and racism. Bush and Cheney warned that a vote for a Democrat would invite "mushroom clouds" over our cities. Republican TV spots morphed Democrats including then-Senator Max Cleland into bin Laden. Our Senators took no action. No resolutions condemning these attacks on our national character.

MoveOn deserves better treatment than the Senate gave Sen. Joe McCarthy! It can't be that MoveOn's Petraeus / Betray Us ad was less acceptable than Republican hate speech. MoveOn was far more generous than Petraeus' immediate boss Admiral William Fallon who called him an "ass kissing chickens***." It's self-defeating for Democrats to intimidate MoveOn. This vote is politically tone-deaf. It is dangerous for the U.S. government to attack citizens participating in legitimate discourse. The Senate voted to condemn Americans who have been correct about Iraq rather than the Bush Administration which lied us into war. Polls show Congress dropping toward a single digit.

James Carville wrote (seeking donations for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee):

Dear Mike,

I want to let you in on a not-so-secret secret: George Bush ain't the decider. Not anymore.

We're the deciders, and we don't need to wait until November 2008 to decide to strengthen our stick-thin majority in the Senate. Republicans have to defend Twenty two incumbents whose records are, frankly, indefensible. On top of that, there are three seats that are wide open. We've already got some amazing candidates, and Chuck Schumer is out there recruiting more each day.

It's our job - heck, it's our patriotic duty - to make sure those candidates have everything they need to get themselves elected to the Senate. As a dedicated Democrat, you know what an important time this is.



Come next November, we're going to reap what we sow. Like I said, we're the deciders. Let's decide now to plant the seeds for a big victory.

It's on,

James Carville



Dear Jim,

How many Democratic Senators supported Sen. Feingold's effort to censure Bush? Not many. "I'm amazed at Democrats ... cowering with this president's numbers so low," Feingold mused after the Republican leadership sought a vote on his measure to hold Bush accountable and Democrats blocked the vote. How many Democrats voted to censure MoveOn? Twenty Two. I agree with you, Jim, " Come next November, we're going to reap what we sow." That's what I'm afraid of!

Twenty Two Democrats can't read the results of the 2006 election which loudly and clearly said: END THIS DAMN WAR! What does that augur for 2008? Not any "big victory." Nothing good. Maybe these "Timid Twenty Two" Senators can't even read the Bill of Rights as far as the First Amendment. The entire planet wants this war to end now. That includes most Americans and most Iraqis. Support the troops? Most them want to come home.

I'm not donating anything to anyone who doesn't see it as their "patriotic duty" to defend legitimate criticism of anyone who lies to the American people or pushes Administration spin, such as Gen. Patraeus. MoveOn is correct. The American people are on this. Where's our Senate? Censuring MoveOn while falling for another Republican dirty trick. The Republicans tricked these Twenty two Senators. Again.

Twenty two Democratic Senators ignore astonishing abuse and hate speech from Bush and Cheney on down, but they've summoned enough courage to attack a moderate, measured voice representing millions of MoveOn members and the majority of voters. Twenty two timid Democratic Senators joined with the Bush Administration that claims a vote for a Democrat invites risk of a nuclear attack.

These Democrats rejected the vast majority of Americans to embrace the tiny, dwindling pro-war base and declared passionate, principled opposition to a war based on lies and deceit out of bounds: Baucus (D-MT) Bayh (D-IN) Cardin (D-MD) Carper (D-DE) Casey (D-PA) Conrad (D-ND) Dorgan (D-ND) Feinstein (D-CA) Johnson (D-SD) Klobuchar (D-MN) Kohl (D-WI) Landrieu (D-LA) Leahy (D-VT) McCaskill (D-MO) Mikulski (D-MD) Nelson (D-FL) Nelson (D-NE) Pryor (D-AR) Salazar (D-CO) Tester (D-MT) Webb (D-VA) Lincoln (D-AR)

If Democrats want to be the "deciders," we'd better learn to make better decisions and not obey Bush like docile lap dogs. Barking at MoveOn is not the way to "plant the seeds for a big victory." If we want to win, we have to start to stand for something. We have to stand up to an Administration that is running amok. We have to rise up against the right wing rhetoric and risk excoriation from FOX News and others. We have to show the voters that we take the name Democrat seriously. Write back when the DSCC is doing that. Until then, I'll donate my time and money with people who have the guts to fight for my values and principles.

Ann Coulter advocates executions to "intimidate liberals," writes books accusing Democrats of "Treason," and chides terrorists for not blowing up the NY Times Building. Rush Limbaugh claims liberals want people to get AIDS. Bush and Cheney warned that a vote for a Democrat would invite "mushroom clouds" over our cities. Republican TV spots morphed Democrats including then-Senator Max Cleland into bin Laden. Our Senators took no action. No resolutions condemning these attacks on our national character.

MoveOn was far more generous than Petraeus' immediate boss Admiral William Fallon who called him an "ass kissing chickens***." It's self-defeating, stupid, and downright un-American for the Senate to waste its time intimidating citizens from exercising their freedom of speech. The Americans who paid for this ad have been correct about Iraq while the Senate has repeatedly been wrong. The Senate's time would be better undoing the harm it is complicit in creating.

If the Senate is going to take offense - take offense at being lied into an illegal war and endless occupation. Take offense at being intimidated into sacrificing the civil liberties that provide the foundation of a free country and an antidote to tyranny. Take offense at the Neo-Con proto-fascist, imperialist fantasies that have set our economy back, destroyed our standing in the community of nations, and continue to take a tragic toll of human lives.

I am calling and faxing my Senators to express disgust over their votes, and demanding they vote to repeal this shameful resolution. They should condemn Bush's misuse of the military as PR stooges and the "cherry-picked" intelligence used to engineer this immoral war. Call your Senators. Faxes work. Don't send letters, they must be screened for anthrax. The sender(s) of the poison packages is still at large, so is bin Laden. Anyone for resolving to condemn someone for that?

Use the Op-Ed News Action Form to contact the Senators who caved in to the right wing by attacking MoveOn for accurate criticism of Bush and Gen. David Patraeus. Also, FAX a Spineless Citation to any Senators who voted to "censure" MoveOn.org for an ad which raised legitimate concerns about the Bush Administration's politicization of the military by sending Patraeus to Congress as a PR stooge. The Timid Twenty Two blew it. Tell them you know they screwed up: http://www.backbonecampaign.org/media/CitationtoFax.pdf

[helderheid]

9. Welcome to DU

:)

[libodem]

10. Bush

makes me sick:puke:

[OzarkDem]

11. k&r

[n2doc]

12. The key really is PC

Until some of these cowards lose their jobs they will ignore us. And the only way to do that is to strongly support primary challengers. We have to take back the party step by step.

[cali]

13. This article doesn't begin to explain

why Leahy voted for the resolution. He's one of the staunchest anti-war Senators; voting against the IWR and voting against funding for it. It is highly unlikely that Leahy voted this way out of fear.

And no, Mr. Cohen, I don't want to replace him despite this vote. And neither do the vast majority of very liberal Vermonters.

And no, I don't think Leahy's a clown, and if Mr. Cohen does, that's just sad- and ignorant.

[helderheid]

15. Leahy fell for the R's trap, simple as that. I still adore him but this was ridiculous.

[EFerrari]

14. Very well done. K&R

[helderheid]

16. mornin