Here is General Tommy Franks last night: “Now, I’ll tell you, I don’t know Senator Kerry’s plan for victory. I don’t know what it is. I don’t know what it is, but I do know — but I do know that his criticism of military conduct of our global war on terrorism denigrates, disrespects our troops.” Where has Kerry criticized the troops? Nowhere. Is Franks saying that any criticism of military policy is now out of bounds? Is he saying it is illegitimate to criticize his war-plan because it has failed so patently to do what it was supposed to do – prevent Saddam’s weaponry from getting into the hands of terrorists? Slowly, the bar for dissent is ratcheted up, isn’t it? I’m sad that we bungled this important liberation so badly. But I’m angry at the administration’s response: they reflexively accuse critics of blaming the troops. But for the past few months, Bush has blamed the commanders and generals and troops for any and all military miscalculations in the war. If we don’t hold him responsible next Tuesday, will we ever have another chance?
GERMANS FOR BUSH: The biggest newspaper in Germany supports Bush’s re-election. No kidding.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Although it clearly would be a huge psychological defeat, a Bush loss could also be a liberating moment. Conservatism has thrived when it was in opposition – ‘standing athwart history yelling stop!’ as the founder of the National Review put it. In the past decade since the Republicans took Congressional power, however, countless one-time conservative revolutionaries have merely become shills for corporate power. Note how tepid and ineffective the conservative opposition was to the big government and coporatist Medicare drug bill. Today, the lefties are as robust as the right once was. A Bush loss will allow conservatives to once again revel in the joy of being the besieged and aggrieved opposition. And the last time we had divided government, we enjoyed restrained spending, tax cuts and genuine entitlement reform. Sure, conservative big-shots will miss their visits to the West Wing following a Bush loss. But the movement might find that it is the best thing that could happen. ” – Marshall Wittmann, on his revived blog, Bull Moose. Yes, a Bush defeat would be a boon for conservatism. A Bush victory will result in its continued decline.
The Dish 