Dear
[entrenched Washington Post editorialist Richard Cohen ]:
Once again, you have
gotten it all wrong.
I'm sorry, but don't you listen to our current "I have the power on my own
during times of war to pretty much
legislate AND decide which laws of Congress
to violate; and do so
clandestinely; and remain
recalcitrant and
secretive about
why, who, and how afterwards, because the general media (including the
Washington Post) will gamely imply that there are two legitimate sides to this
story and that the Constitution really is written in secret French code, meaning
its fundamental separation of powers raison d'etre turns into Arabic poppycock
during troubled times" Commander in Chief?
Don't you
listen? Global
climate change needs more study. That's obvious. How do we know that life on
earth really is only possible because of the greenhouse effect, huh? No, it
doesn't need more study any more? You mean greenhouse gas concentrations --
since they capture infrared radiation (heat) -- somehow play a role in climate (and
that it's not just done by a wizard with a magical wand on mars?) and that their
concentrations have increased dramatically as a result of anthropomorphic activities? You mean those young kid's chemistry sets covering
pre science 101 really were right after all? (see
here). No way!
That's okay. See, "I believe in
environmental responsibility. I just don't
believe it is the responsibility of the federal government." See, it's not the
province of the federal government to have anything to do with the one true
thing that by its very nature we not only all share, but must share. It's the
province of the federal government to get involved in those other pesky things
which by their nature we don't all share or bear responsibility for.
Particularly private stuff.
This is clearly the wisest and best administration in history. And to think
that John Kerry almost defeated it in 2004! Good thing the media got it straight
on Kerry, making that vile reference to Mary Cheney when NO daughter's implicit
sexual orientation was mentioned (by referencing significant others), when she
was a very private figure and not the VPs campaign manager, when the Cheneys had
not talked openly two months earlier about the exact same thing. And good thing
that the President, had not just said a moment before on the exact same subject; "I
do know that we have to treat everybody with tolerance, dignity and respect."
Because we know that the rhetoric always matches the reality, and obviously it
does here as well. Kerry certainly showed us that.
Good thing that by making the President's point, the Bush campaign along with
the help of democrats was able to show that once again, this was obviously true,
as Mary Cheney was being treated with such tolerance, dignity and respect that
Kerry was politically vile enough for trying to suggest that this really was
true when, as you noted ,we know how uncomfortable we all are with gays but how
much "tolerance, dignity and respect" they nevertheless deserve, you know,
silently (how dare Kerry).
Because heaven forbid, what if the democrats actually had Kerry's back on this?
People might have been fooled into thinking that, awkward or not, he was trying
to make a point, and walk the walk the president had just talked, instead of
having America for an entire week right before the election focused on how
politically exploitative he was. Ouch. That would have been close. To misquote
the suddenly re-popular Who song, "good thing we didn't almost get fooled
again."
Good thing the Bush administration respected government processes, was not
secretive and closed,
listened to and encouraged other ideas and views, had such
a clear and comprehensive view of the world, particularly
before 9/11 (nice job
by the media and softy democrats on that one), and had such a gosh darn good
record to boot. And good thing it was not so extreme right wing, except -- and
go figure how they magically managed to accomplish this as well -- on those
issues where perhaps the right wing has a point. And good thing the
administration did not publicly tell the world how democracy was God's gift to
the world (the rest of the world, you know, could have seen this as a sign that
we were just like them, forcibly exporting our beliefs, if we had not made sure
to clarify this for them. Good thing knowing that we are right makes all the
difference in the world. Good thing that our enemies, and a good portion of the
rest of the world that misperceives America and believes otherwise, understand
this distinction.) And good thing that a real understanding of
just
what
democracy really is, has been such a gift to America, as well!
Good thing Kerry flip flopped on the
Iraq war, Gay marriage, the Patriot and No
Child Acts, what his favorite brand of ketchup is (and whether he tossed the
medal or ribbon as a 27 year old after fighting in battle for America while his
same age counterpart was doing..........) Good thing he was one of those pansy
environmentalists. Good thing he had a pre 9/11 mentality and was weak on
fighting terrorism. Good thing, too, he was a "liberal." He might have
survived just being called a bastard, instead. Can you imagine, he actually got
an extremely high rating from a "liberal" organization [which was
twisted into a nonstop campaign attack against him]. Thank God Bush didn't
even get high ratings from conservative organizations, or we might have missed
the boat on that one.
Those dastardly democrats (and democratic columnists) did such a good job making
these cases otherwise, and covering these stories, wow. They almost pulled
the wool over the eyes of the American public. whew.