Well. How odd is the right's making a big deal out of Obama's declaration that he would attack al Qaeda in Pakistan, if need be? A recent actual strike by the Bush administration didn't seem to mollify Obama's critics:
My response is that as much as I appreciate the idea of a dead terrorist, I don't like what we did in Pakistan, and I really don't like the fact that we're bragging about it, or that a presidential candidate would openly discuss it as an option. And if Obama hadn't recommended it in August in a bid to gain political credibility, then you wouldn't be defending it, either.
How bizarre is that?
Steve Benen:
It's truly bizarre. One gets the distinct impression that the right opposes Obama's counter-terrorism position, not because he's wrong, but because he's a Dem whose opinions must be reflexively rejected regardless of merit. If Obama wants to pursue top al Qaeda operatives into Pakistan, Republicans argue, then the right answer is to not pursue top al Qaeda operatives into Pakistan.
Dead on. Conservative political tactics require that no part of a Democratic candidate's platform or belief system should be abetted or left unchallenged, even if the policy is good. (Bill Kristol's notorious opposition to the first Clinton health-care plan is the perfect example. Health care reform should be opposed, because it might be successful!)
Yes, believe it or not, many liberals do want to crack down on al Qaeda! Yes, many of us favor strong measures against Islamic terrorists, especially balanced by a practical foreign policy that would encourage allies, not pit us against the world. Iraq, of course, is the antithesis of good, practical foreign policy, and the worst possible way to deal with Islamic terror.
Is that so hard to understand? Well, we do have to remember that most neoconservative ideologues are not practical thinkers. (Thus, Iraq.) This kind of thinking only reinforces their incompetence and should serve as a reminder why our current brand of Republicanism shouldn't be trusted with major political offices. |
