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Enemy of the Week
Private Diplomacy
As we saw yesterday, the Fairness Doctrine is now in force. Some might say it's merged with Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Here we have a major dinner at George Will's, starring the nation's acting president who next Tuesday makes it official and ten leading conservative pundits, some of whom didn't even vote the man. Yet not a word has been reported about what was said or even who was officially there. The Obama 10 are sworn to secrecy and the one man who has said anything at all about the event sounded as if he had just a private audience with the Pope. How unfortunate that Larry Kudlow is not a Republican senator. He could have given George Voinovich a run for his money.
That would have been at the Hillary Hearings, where the impressive next Secretary of State spent the better part of Tuesday holding court, suffering fools, and looking like she sure could use a drink. Without an endless campaign to keep her high and an Indiana speak-easy to keep her fueled, Senator Clinton permitted her eyes to sag even if her steel-trap mind never wandered. According to one reporter close to this investigation, Ms. Hillary in all likelihood spent late nights cramming for her big test, the last U.S. senator who still does her homework. We hope someday Sen. Caroline Schlossberg will follow in her path and face senatorial confirmation to serve as secretary of state in President Obama's fourth term, say.
But let's not jump ahead. For one thing, Senator Voinovich will be long gone by then. To be fair, his giddy performance vis-à-vis Hillary may have had something to do with his recent announcement that he will not run for re-election next year. There's no one happier in politics than a Republican who quits before he loses, and in the process can trash his own side in an (always futile) effort to curry favor with the other.
Thus we had George coming on to Hillary ("First of all, I want to thank you for the time we spent on the telephone and also for your receiving a very lengthy letter from me" -- luckily Bill's not the jealous type!) and then distancing himself from her (Republican) predecessor ("And we all know that our public diplomacy is at a low ebb. I think Secretary Rice has tried to do a good job…. But, you know, once the water goes over the dam, it's hard to bring it back up" -- Republicans, in other words, can't afford to waste good water) and finally putting in his application for a plum ambassadorship in Western Europe ("And I think that the Obama policy, 'smart power' -- I was in Europe this last month, and they're all excited about our new president"). He should have stopped while he was ahead. Alas, he also put in a good word for "Jim Jones" -- that would be retired General James Jones, the Obama operation's national security adviser. Last time a Democratic administration championed someone named Jim Jones, public diplomacy took a dreadful turn, at least in Guyana.
We wouldn't be so quick to make this Jimmy Carter connection had the nation's 39th president not participated in the recent presidential luncheon with four of his successors -- while at the same time keeping his distance from all four (or maybe it was the other way around). It's not easy being Jimmy Carter. Israel continues to ignore his interventions, homes he built for the poor are beyond dry rot -- at least they won't be repossessed, he could counter -- and now his economic achievement is about to be surpassed by an incoming administration that refuses to recognize him as the architect of its vision. But he's at peace with himself. So in a radical departure, we will not burden him with an EOW award. One Nobel Prize is enough for any man.
Unless his name is Paul Krugman. But we can return to him in due course, once economic recovery has been achieved -- in a trillion years, if you're willing to be optimistic.
Comments
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Dr Dre| 1.15.09 @ 9:50AM
As a former Ohioan I can be grateful for George Voinovich stepping up to the plate and taking on the Mayor of Cleveland job when Dennis Kucinich's two-yr term drove the city into default, among a number of other unpunished crimes against his city. Voinovich also served as Gov of Ohio, with so-so results and paved the way for disaster of Bob Taft enabling the Dems to sweep in 2006. What Sen Voinovich is ticked off about is that he had zip influence with President GWBush, whereas there was talk back in the early 90s that he was on GHW Bush's short list for Veep. So its Voinovich whose "diplomacy" has been at "low eb" with this administration and he's just giving Bush a little last-minute dig.
Anthony| 1.15.09 @ 10:51AM
Ah yes, our Republican leaders and media intelligencia!! Who needs enemies when we have feckless fools like these to evicerate the Republican Party. It appears we have unilateral surrender in the Senate, starting with McCain & Co. , whom we predicted during the campaign, would become an Obama lacky upon his loss. No maverick role with Obama as president, no thorn in the side as he was with Bush, no Gang of 14 either. This is both amazing and pathetic. Played like a violin by Obama and the MSM, McCain's ego and his addiction to adulation by his enemies, as well as his desire for player status, will hurt the cause of conservatives for decades to come. Of course, McCain never gave a whit about us, but it would be nice if he left us with a fighting chance going forward. But the good news is "Crying George" is slinking away on his own with a final sob or two, as his tenure gets relegated to the trash heap of inconsequential RINO losers. Did "Crying George" thank Hillary for all those jobs she was going to create in upstate N.Y., before moving on to the world stage? I suspect not. But back to those conservative intellectuals; did one actually say "if only Bush had done the same with the liberal press"? Give me a break!! If so, then Obama has indeed learned well from his mentor, Saul Alinsky; divide and disrupt your enemies, pamper their leaders with faint praise and evicerate their opposition to you. We'll see if our best and brightest fall for this ploy, in the mean time, watching McCain & friends finish off the Republican Party will hopefully cause some serious push back by conservatives. It is indeed going to be a bumpy ride.
Michael L. Hauschild| 1.15.09 @ 12:25PM
To paraphrase Kurt Vonnegut, “One of the few good things about the outgoing administration: If you squirm, suck up, and then horribly die during a televised committee hearing, you will not have died in vain. You will have entertained us.”
disruptive skeptic| 1.15.09 @ 1:46PM
" Crying George, " did vote for republican leadership in the Senate that was often more conservative than he was on many issues. Many democrats vote for Harry Reid as a leader, even though he is more liberal than they are on many issues. It all translates into massive power for the democrat party. They have learned to adapt to reality and be flexible. No more litmus tests on guns for them, or even abortion. Pro Life democrats vote Pelosi for leader. And she gets the power. Conservatives meanwhile attack crying George, and before him Mike Dewine. So now Ohio is a blue state, and conservatives insist that they lost because they were not conservative enough. Reality and evidence mean nothing to these true believers. They just tune in Rush and suck their thumbs. So run your true unabashed conservative in Ohio in 2010, and when he or she gets slaughtered like Santorum and Pearce your silence will be deafening ,especially at EIB.
ruth| 1.15.09 @ 2:02PM
Was John McCain a true, unabashed conservative? We tried to adapt to reality and be flexible: We nominated a moderate who sucks up to liberals, and we got slaughtered in the last election. Your silence is deafening.
Dai Alanye| 1.15.09 @ 3:20PM
Voinovich was a disaster as Governor, just another tax and spend pseudo-Dem. As Senator we've all seen what he's like. And this from the state of Mister Republican, the first Bob Taft. Taft's son and grandson have demolished true Republicanism in Ohio.
The pro-Voinovich argument that, "At least he could get elected," is pathetic. Ohio once was Conservative and could be again with proper leadership. But the Republican Party here has long taken the pragmatic approach, always ready to abandon ideology in favor of electability. It no longer works, if it ever did.
Ray| 1.15.09 @ 4:18PM
The downslide of the Republican Party began with the Wuss Bill Frisch as majoruty leader, ably assisted by J. McCain, Lindsey Graham, Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins and the rest if the RINO's, elected by a generation of people totally ignorant of why they have the priveledge of voting for such losers. Now, Mitch McConnel? LORD help this Country, these people can't!! (or wont!)
disruptive skeptic| 1.15.09 @ 6:10PM
Please explain slaughter of Cardinal Santorum and Pearce(that vote against SCHIP following the advice of super political mind El Rushbo really gave him a boost). You folks are a minority group. With some flexibility and listening you will find you do not have all the answers. The GOP must become a party of many big tents.You, in the conservative tent, will get seats at the GOP table, and get your share of the food. Now you get what ? Zip, Zero, Nada as the great one himself would say. Senator Heather Wilson sounds better than Senator Udall to me. Plus the party of war would have done well to have another veteran on the team, dontcha think so ? But, you'll run a candidate who will be against the minimum wage, and for tax cuts for the rich, and I am sure that will win the hearts and minds in the Buckeye state. Dai Ohio was a conservative state that voted for crying George and Mike Dewine. The last time it was really a conservative state Woody Hayes was head coach and 3 yards and a cloud of dust was considered a dazzling offense. The democrats have a high flying passing game, and we still just plow ahead blindly between the tackles. Ever notice Rush looks alot like Woody ? And Ruth, McCain was pro life, pro low taxes, pro gun, pro victory in Iraq. Compared to Obama he was quite conservative and look at his running mate. He even backed off on global warming extremism. The so called torture nonsense bugged me, but did that cost him the election? Really ? He was against the prescription drug deal, and had a better way to help poor seniors. He promised more judges like Alito and Roberts, and I believe he truly meant it. What did he lack ? It was the economy that killed him and his to tell the truth. The people did not believe conservatism was the answer on the economy. Why was that ? Maybe conservatism is not the 100 per cent solution. Yikes, take that blood pressure pill y'all. Had enough noise Ruth ? Grab the earmuffs or just put on the EIB full blast.
Quartermaster| 1.15.09 @ 7:22PM
Disruptive skeptic is truly a hoot. The conservatives never got their fair share of the benefits of delivering victory to the Reps. Sorry, a very small bone here and there are not acceptable.
He may believe that the McCainiacs were conservative, and I guess compared to George McGovern he was, but the man is a RINO through and through. There really is little difference between him and Obama domestically.
To say that McCain was pro anything except what a relatively conservative Democrat, which is somewhere between Fidel and Hugo, would accept is really hilarious. The main leadership of the Reps have been left of center for a very long time. The exception as President, in my life, has been Reagan, who was just slightly right of center, and Ron Paul, who is solidly conservative, but who drank some leftist kool aid on some things.
The Democrats have a very low bar, and are utterly shameless. All that matter is power. Doing anything truly good with it does not occur to them as long as they can line their own pockets while pretending to throw a bone to the little guy, who supposedly is their entire reason for existence. In the end, all they are doing is providing a philosophy of consolation while the west commits suicide. Skeptic wants us to become just like the Dems, speak loudly, and offer nothing except destruction.
If you want to see where this ends, read Gibbons. Rome went down the same road, and it didn't end well.
ruth| 1.15.09 @ 8:30PM
Disruptive, no worries here. Give the clown who just got elected a chance. With his boneheaded and dangerous liberal policies it won't take long before this country goes right--very right.
ruth| 1.15.09 @ 8:32PM
What's your creepy deal with Rush? Stalker.
disruptive skeptic| 1.15.09 @ 9:06PM
You need those Rinos QM, just like we needed Stalin and Russia in world war two. But are Rinos really so awful ? How come the democrats do not have Dinos ? As long as they put Madam Pelosi in power and Viscount Reid, they are grateful and happy. You hate Susan Collins and Olympia. Why ? Do you have a clue about the state of Maine ? You do not get the 41st Senator without those two, do you ? Do you have any idea how hard it is to win as a republican in New England. Sununu, such a smart, decent man was beat by a two bit lightweight. And you will say don't let the door hit you on the way out because he exhibited certain Rino tendencies a time or two. A political party is a team. Everybody on the team is not some perfect 1st round draft choice in the eyes of conservatives. But, you have a team that can compete, and win. You don't go into a game without a tight end because he's pro choice. You need numbers 11vs11. Mostly you folks need to admit you may not have all the answers. This need not mean liberals do . The answers may be otherwise, and demand openmindness in order to get to the truth. The late Michael Cricton said he was a political agnostic. He believed in always asking questions. Conservatives believe they have all the answers, but when did any of you really ask yourself if you need to rethink a thing or two ? The democrats did this. Now they defend the second amendment, and they've scored big time, like in Virginia. Why were the republicans dumped so fast by so many once the democrats shifted on an issue or two in red districts ? This is alarming. Does anyone have an answer ?
ruth| 1.15.09 @ 9:57PM
Disruptive, you sound like Interloper, Jeremiah, etc. Go home, be happy your guy won and hope to God we don't get hit by a terroist attack on his watch. If we do you can kiss liberalism good-bye. It's easy for a liberal like you to shift your positions--you don't believe in anything anyway.
Alan Brooks| 1.15.09 @ 10:19PM
be optimistic! politics takes time, shifting red to blue, blue to red, back and forth in the shuttle zone-- jes like life itself.
we all need to read Gingrich: space colonization! laundromats on the moon! honeymoons in space!
we cant even colonize the antarctic..
Alan Brooks| 1.15.09 @ 10:21PM
hush this cry of politricks till eight years have passed you by
Lu Dumak| 1.15.09 @ 11:37PM
Its easy for the Dems. to win. Just use class war fare. Promise we will give everything for free and all the gimmie people will lined up with their hands out. The Dems. have been very good at brain washing those with limited brain power to begin with. Conservativism is hard. It takes personal responsibility,hard work, moral values & respect for others. Standing there with your hands out waiting for someoneto give you everthing is easy.Rangel wants to give free health care to illeagls, isn't that just peachy. Say hello to Universal Death Care. Gays in the Military. Say Goodbye to National defense, hello terrorism. say hello to fake Global warming, say goodbye to Liberty. Global warming or Climate change,what ever the sound bite of the day is just other quest for control and power. Roosevelt started the road to socialism and the obamanation will end it with Communism. Thanks to all the ignorant young fools for voted for their own demise.
ruth| 1.16.09 @ 1:42AM
You're right Lu, Conservatism is hard, but it's worth it. At least I can look in my childrens' faces and not feel ashamed.
Michael L. Hauschild| 1.16.09 @ 7:11AM
My problem with McCain had nothing to do with the “relative” descriptor, conservative; it was due to his conniving, egotistical disrespect to his constituency. His “gang of X” and “gang of Y” approach wasted valuable administration tenure. It damaged the judiciary selection process by delaying the appointment of judges, it further slowed and circumvented the already snail like legislative processes (some good), but (most importantly) it squandered McCain’s “political capitol,” capital he sorely needed in convincing his cohorts to implement the “surge.” Look up the political genealogy of the term “gang” for a peek into his psych.
“Disruptive critic” has summed it up pretty well. The size of your tent is inversely proportional to the extent of your litmus test, and as the last elections attests, this is indeed a numbers game.
disruptive skeptic| 1.16.09 @ 9:00AM
My goodness Ruth, just because I say the conservatism that has become a rigid set of pat answers for everything needs revision and retooling you assume I am a liberal and voted for BHO ? We need to change some things in order to win. WE can fight with horse cavalary against their tanks and planes.That old time religion won't get the job done. I gave money to GOP and individual candidates, but I saw the waste it was with such a losing platform.Truth and reality matter. Knock off the magical thinking.
macdaddy| 1.16.09 @ 10:12AM
McCain's stand on abortion and the Iraq war were the ONLY things that got me to vote for him. The rest of the time he went out of his way to insult me. He picked Sarah Palin because he realized that he wasn't getting any Democrat or Independent votes and needed conservatives to win. In other words, his RINO views were a complete flop. Once he ditched his RINO views, people couldn't trust him. And to think that Obama, the enigma wrapped in a puzzle, was considered to be more trustworthy and steady. Why? Because people thought he was a consistent liberal. They thought they knew what they were getting.
Now that Obama has gotten elected, we still don't know how he is going to govern, but I do know this: McCain is going to continue to belittle conservatives and also vote for some very, very unconservative legislation.
ruth| 1.16.09 @ 3:17PM
Skeptic, we ran a RINO with poor leadership skills and we got beat. So what? What do you mean by retooling? I think strong leadership is paramount. Nothing magical about my thinking.
Ran| 1.18.09 @ 12:05AM
Ruth - I'm with you on the difficulty of being conservative. My poor kids are made to suffer conversations on personal responsibility and accountability and honor. They can look me in the face and see someone who believes in them.
ruth| 1.18.09 @ 12:29AM
Ran, you're cool! Your kids are lucky to have you, and they will always know that you were a force for good. Besides, after all the times my kids embarassed me when they were little I feel a little payback is in order:)!
AlgerHiss| 1.18.09 @ 11:54AM
I would suppose the category of "radical moderate" actually exists.
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