Josh Marshall and Noam Scheiber both lay into David Brooks over Bush’s economic record. Josh’s point is that the big Bush tax cut that probably did avert a full-scale depression in 2001 – 2002 should not be counted in the president’s favor. Why? Because Bush didn’t intend the cut to boost demand during a threat of worldwide deflation, and had crafted it years before, anticipating a surplus. Josh is surely factually right about intentions; but intentions aren’t everything in politics. Whatever Bush’s intentions, the effect of the tax cut was obviously the right thing at the right time, and may have prevented a global economic disaster. But of course, the conditions for the demand-boost have now abated, and the economy is growing again. Now is the time for serious spending cuts to match the tax relief – at least that would be my preference. Josh would surely be better off criticizing the Bush administration for its prospective fiscal policy rather than its past economic success.
CHENEY’S HAD ENOUGH: He finally walks out on the president:
According to the vice-president, the Cheney Administration would be much more streamlined and efficient than Bush’s administration has been. “Let me tell you this: It’d be a lot easier just to give a speech myself and do it right, rather than spending six hours trying to explain everything to the president-only to have him botch it anyway,” Cheney said. “That ‘I don’t know what you’re saying and I don’t care’ look in his eyes when I start talking policy drives me absolutely bonkers. And he wonders why the reporters are so hard on him.”
When he’s losing the veep, things have got to be bad. Of course, this was the Onion.
THE VIRGINIA LAW: I missed an enlightening exchange of views about the anti-gay Virginia statute that, on its face, appears to ban any private contractual arrangements between two people of the same gender. Here’s Ramesh Ponnuru’s defense of the law; here’s Wally Olsen’s response. Ponnuru’s defense of the law would be more persuasive if the law hadn’t passed the Virginia legislature after a virulently anti-gay debate. Ramesh’s friends on the social right in Virginia are not interested in nuance here. They are interested in doing whatever they can to stigmatize, marginalize and criminalize gay relationships for religious reasons. That’s the sad reality.
EMAILS OF THE DAY: Two diverging views on my post yesterday:
“If someone had said in February 2003 that in June 2004 there would be: 140,000 American troops in Iraq, just a smattering of foreign troops, heavy fighting leading to significant monthly causalties, debate over increasing the number of troops instead of decreasing them, thousands of troops diverted from Korea due to a troop shortage in Iraq, a lack of Arabic speaking and appropriately trained special forces in Afghanistan due to their necessity in Iraq, a significant presence of foreign fighters and terrorists, an increased capacity for terrorists worldwide to recruit new fighters due to increased worldwide hatred of America, a huge prisoner abuse scandal threatening the already troubled American image overseas and specifically in Iraq and the jobs of the Secretary of Defense and other top military leaders, no WMD’s, no progress in the Israeli-Palestenian conflict, no progress in relations with the rest of the axis of evil, oil prices over $42 a barrel, over $120 billion spent on the war, over 800 soldiers dead, over a hundred American civilians killed in Iraq, over 4000 casualties … well, I think you would come to the conclusion that the war had been an extraordinary … failure. And you’d be right. Yes, there have been enormous successes; and yes, so much less could have been achieved without vast steadfastness and the bravery of our soldiers and many Iraqis. But it’s worth acknowledging that, with a little perspective, our current back-patting is over-blown.”
Funny, I haven’t seen much back-patting. Here’s another:
You asked “If someone had said in February 2003, that by June 2004…”
Good question, but you forgot to add that, in addition to that amazing list of accomplishments, Libya essentially sued for peace with the US and Britain days before the invasion of Iraq and then completely capitulated to our demands a few days after Saddam was yanked out of that rat hole. Their capitulation consisted of surrendering their extensive WMD programs and revealing details of a frighteningly advanced clandestine nuclear program run out of Pakistan (one that is now shut down).
Changing the behavior of the other state sponsors of terror was always one of the most important reasons to topple the murderous tyrant in Iraq. Had we not invaded Iraq, we’d be blissfully unaware that nuclear weapons were secretly spreading to states like Libya that sponsor radical Islamic terror. But that frightening problem was revealed before it was too late, and the problem has been effectively addressed (which was the whole idea). Nuanced diplomacy, by itself, never would have achieved this.
Opponents of the war keep asking for an explanation of Bush’s strategy and complaining that he doesn’t have one. As they watch freedom unfold in Iraq and former state sponsors of terror throw in the towel, those opposed to the liberation of Iraq may wish to consider the possibility that it is they, themselves, who have a strategy problem. They don’t have one (unless speaking in broad, feel-good generalities is a strategy that will defeat al Qaeda), and they can’t see one when it is staring them in the face. Either that, or they just refuse to see it.
More feedback can be found on the Letters Page.
BLOGS IN BRITAIN: An essay asks why they haven’t taken off as they have in the U.S.
The Dish 