Category: The Dish

Virtually the entire conservative movement is now disowning this administration and this Congress. I welcome every single one. Here’s the latest bunch of right-wingers urging a vote for the Democrats:

Faced on Sept. 11, 2001 with a great challenge, President Bush made little effort to understand who had attacked us and why—thus ignoring the prerequisite for crafting an effective response. He seemingly did not want to find out, and he had staffed his national-security team with people who either did not want to know or were committed to a prefabricated answer.

As a consequence, he rushed America into a war against Iraq, a war we are now losing and cannot win, one that has done far more to strengthen Islamist terrorists than anything they could possibly have done for themselves. Bush’s decision to seize Iraq will almost surely leave behind a broken state divided into warring ethnic enclaves, with hundreds of thousands killed and maimed and thousands more thirsting for revenge against the country that crossed the ocean to attack them. The invasion failed at every level: if securing Israel was part of the administration’s calculation‚Äîas the record suggests it was for several of his top aides‚Äîthe result is also clear: the strengthening of Iran‚Äôs hand in the Persian Gulf, with a reach up to Israel‚Äôs northern border, and the elimination of the most powerful Arab state that might stem Iranian regional hegemony.

The war will continue as long as Bush is in office, for no other reason than the feckless president can’t face the embarrassment of admitting defeat. The chain of events is not complete: Bush, having learned little from his mistakes, may yet seek to embroil America in new wars against Iran and Syria.

Meanwhile, America’s image in the world, its capacity to persuade others that its interests are common interests, is lower than it has been in memory.

Yes, there’s the usual anti-Semitic undertow here. It’s Buchanan’s posse. At the same time, on the simple facts on the ground, is any of this even debatable at this point? Republican or Democrat, conservative or liberal, we have to repudiate this administration’s disastrous incompetence, or face even greater perils than we have been exposed to already. Tomorrow’s the day. Do not be silent.

When rock met hip-hop. Aerosmith meets Run-DMC.

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Amazing listening, in retrospect. Money quote:

"Heavenly Father give us grace and mercy, help us this next week and a half as we go into national elections and Lord we pray for our country. Father we pray lies would be exposed and deception exposed. Father we pray that wisdom would come upon our electorate …"

Yep, his prayers were answered all right – but God works in mysterious ways. David Kuo comments here. The more you listen, the more uncanny it gets. It is as if Haggard saw this coming, and almost wanted it. If you have faith, pray for him, and especially for his family.

(Photo: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty.)

Ann Arbor, Michigan, 3 pm.

"There is part of my life that is so repulsive and dark that I’ve been warring against it all of my adult life," – pastor Ted Haggard, referring, I suppose, to his homosexual orientation.

For those who still – amazingly – believe that being gay is somehow a "choice," consider Haggard. If he could have chosen not to be gay, don’t you think he would have? Even though he apparently believes being gay is "repulsive and dark" (while it is, in fact, just another wonderful way to be human), he still cannot prevail against it. It is integral to him. It has been "all of [his] adult life".

One day, he may realize, and I pray he does, that the only dark and repulsive thing is the closet, the betrayal of his wife and children, the destruction of a church, and the demonization of others in the same boat – all as a function of his own inability to face the truth. What is dark and repulsive is dishonesty.

There is no commandment not to be gay. There is a commandment not to bear false witness. Haggard bore false witness – to himself, to his wife, to his traumatized kids, to his fellow gay men and women. repeatedly, pathologically, self-destructively. The right response for Christians is compassion and forgiveness. But also hope: hope that this will help spread the truth about what being gay actually is.

Face it, Ted. Face the truth. It will set you – and so many others – free.

The one to watch is Montana, where the GOP may be regaining momentum. Missouri is a nail-biter. Notice Webb’s momentum in Virginia. Analysis from Pollster.com here.

The NRO-Politburo attempt to get various comrades back on message, despite some neocons blurting out the truth of what they actually believe, makes for fascinating reading. Some – Eliot Cohen – come off fine. Frum is just beyond incoherent. But Perle is making an argument that does indeed get to the heart of what neoconservatism has become. Here’s Perle:

Vanity Fair has rushed to publish a few sound bites from a lengthy discussion with David Rose. Concerned that anything I might say could be used to influence the public debate on Iraq just prior to Tuesday’s election, I had been promised that my remarks would not be published before the election.

I should have known better than to trust the editors at Vanity Fair who lied to me and to others who spoke with Mr. Rose. Moreover, in condensing and characterizing my views for their own partisan political purposes, they have distorted my opinion about the situation in Iraq and what I believe to be in the best interest of our country.

He says he now believes that the Great Leader is essential to the next Glorious Five Year Plan for Iraq. He sounds like that dude shot in the face by Cheney, who subsequently apologized for getting in the way.

There’s one thing to say here. Perle says he is

concerned that anything I might say could be used to influence the public debate on Iraq just prior to Tuesday’s election.

Say what again? Perle is supposed to be a thinker, and a patriot. Why on earth would an intellectually honest person not make sure that their real views are aired on a critical matter before an election? Isn’t that the point? They were more disciplined in 2004. Almost all the neocons I knew conceded privately that Iraq was FUBAR. But most decided to attack Kerry rather than tell the truth.

An intellectual movement that has become this intellectually dishonest deserves to die.

There is a third way: spiritual and religious humility. Here’s my case for it, an excerpt/abridgment from "The Conservative Soul" in Time magazine. If you’re interested in reading this case made at greater length and depth, it’s the core argument of my new book.

A reader writes:

I wanted to share two short stories about Hard Core Republicans who are in the same boat as you.

1) My Aunt and Uncle are Bill and Lois Shepard. They are best known as the husband and wife team that ran for Governor and LT Governor in Maryland in 1992. Yes they lost but they did run as Republicans and long have they espoused the Conservative positions. She was a Reagan apointeee as Director of Museum Affairs, he was in the Foreign Service in the 70’s and 80’s as diplomat. She was even Chairwomen of Republicans Abroad. They consider the Cheneys to be close personal friends. So I see them a month ago at a family function and they are both so disgusted with the Republicans and Bush they are actually voting against Steele in Maryland! He has written several editorials and letters to the Harvard Law Alumni lambasting them for not taking a position against Bush’s policies that are clearly unconstitutional. To listen to them go on and on you would think they were my San Francisco cousins not my Washington ones.

2) My Stepfather is very rich. He has thank you letters from every Republican Presidential candidate since Goldwater thanking him for his donations. Huge Reagan man, he even has one of those letters from George W from 2000. He now has one from John Kerry. I was shocked when he showed it to me. He said he is still a true Republican and when the true Republicans show up again, he will start sending them money again. So don’t worry. You are certainly not the only Republican that wonders what the heck happened to there party!