The frantic spinning and denial of the magnitude of Saddam's capture by the Left is, in fact, dizzying. For months, I have been predicting a massive split in the Democratic party as the Classic Democrats -- people like Joe Lieberman and Zell Miller -- finally throw off the yoke of the Leftist Democrats -- people like Howard Dean and Hillary Clinton. It looked as though this would happen after their defeat in the 2004 election, but the shocking statements by prominent Democrats may help to accelerate the process.
In an interview Monday with a Seattle radio station, [Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash)] said the U.S. military could have found the former Iraqi dictator "a long time ago if they wanted."
Asked if he thought the weekend capture was timed to help Bush, McDermott chuckled and said, "Yeah. Oh, yeah."
McDermott went on to say, "There's too much by happenstance for it to be just a coincidental thing."
When interviewer Dave Ross asked again if he meant to imply the Bush administration timed the capture for political reasons, McDermott said: "I don't know that it was definitely planned on this weekend, but I know they've been in contact with people all along who knew basically where he was. It was just a matter of time till they'd find him.
"It's funny," McDermott added, "when they're having all this trouble, suddenly they have to roll out something."
Howard Dean, darling of the Left, has decided to completely ignore all the evidence -- some old, some recently uncovered -- which points to Saddam's long-running support for terrorists and terrorist networks, including al-Qaeda. He, and those like him, want to pretend that the capture of Saddam -- which they have been attacking President Bush for not accomplishing from the outset of the war in Iraq -- now means nothing.
"The capture of Saddam is a good thing which I hope very much will help keep our soldiers safer. But the capture of Saddam has not made America safer."
What might be funny, if war itself weren't so tragic, is that most Democrats were calling for the removal of Saddam all these years to ensure the security of America... right up until it looked as if something might finally be done about it. Remember, Clinton signed the Iraq Liberation Act of 1998, which stated in part, "It should be the policy of the United States to support efforts to remove the regime headed by Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq and to promote the emergence of a democratic government to replace that regime". (It passed both houses of Congress easily, by 360-38 vote in the House, and unanimously in the Senate.) As late as the beginning of 2003, most Democrats were hollering about the threat of Saddam's WMDs... until it seemed President Bush was about to heed their warnings. Their policy is clear... whatever GWB does is wrong, no matter what, even if he does what they demand.
Even if it's good for the United States, or the world. Maybe especially if. If you wonder what I mean by that, read some of the posts at the Liberal website Democratic Underground regarding the capture of Saddam (under the topic How Do You Feel About the News of Saddam's Capture?) and what it means to them. Some of the best quotes have been collected at Right Wing News. Here's a few of my favorites. Are these twisted rants in any way different from the hate-Bush drivel coming out of the candidates the democrats want to put in office?
But I think in cold, crass political terms. I think it's good for Bush so I think it's bad for me. So I'm not happy, and I don't care if it's politically incorrect to say so.
- Magic Rat
By what authority do we invade and occupy another country and arrest its citizens?
- leftofthedial
but it still doesn't justify the war. Thats how I feel. They can gloat all they want. Our soldiers will continue to die over there. This war is hardly over.
The whole future of a nation hangs in the balance and we just removed the one man all Iraqi's feared.
- braden
I'm tired of the Bush sideshows, and I don't like what America has become. This is a very temporary coup for Bush, but once they keep showing the weary and pathetic-looking Saddam complicently being taken into custody, I think it's going to backfire. They should have cleaned him up, gave him some PCP, waited until it kicked in good and hard, and then arrested him. But hell, I'm not going to tell Rove how to do his job.
- liberalmuse
The capture of Saddam is all fine and good, but does how does this help someone facing a bleak Christmas because they lost their job? How does this help someone with an illness who just lost their insurance coverage? How does this help someone who's underemployed, working several jobs and struggling to pay the mortgage? It just don't make me any money.
- bushwentawol
That last is the "best" one. "It just doesn't make me any money." And the Liberals call Conservatives cold-hearted, greedy and grasping. When did Conservatives and Liberals switch brains?
Or maybe it's just the hearts.
