Posted by
America Forever on Thursday, February 01, 2007 10:41:21 PM
Senate Republicans Put to the Test
There is only one Democrat in the U.S. Senate who has the courage to speak his mind on the war. He is, of course, the lonely Nutmegger Joe Lieberman. The rest of the Democrats are not worthy of being in the same room as Joe.
The sad counterpart of this story across the aisle is that so many of the Republicans in the U.S. Senate are totally worthy of being in the same room as all the other Democrats.
Ladies first, the Lumber State has given us two Republican women who make a mockery of Maine's nickname. They are dandelions both -- Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins. On social issues they are to the left of the New York Times. But, you used to be able to count on them when it came to issues of our national security. Not any more -- they will inevitably vote for the Warner resolution.
Which leads us to turncoat John Warner. Personally, I believe that he's just too old, a shadow of his former self. And, we all know that a shadow has no spine. All those years of hanging around the Hollywood elite when he was married to Elizabeth Taylor, has had its toll. It's a sad day when one asks the question: Warner-Levin, Levin-Warner, what's the difference?
That gets us to the former soldier, Chuck Hagel (we honor your service). Chuck wants to be your President and believes that he has to sound like a Democrat to be elected. There's something called the primaries and the nomination process that Chuck seems to forget about. Chuck couldn't get into double digits in too many Republican primary elections.
Another candidate for President is Sam Brownback who seems to have developed feet of jello on the war. Now, Sam is a man of integrity so I don't impugn political motives to his flipping sides. I attribute it to a lack of judgment and vision. Sorry, Mr. Brownback, that's probably just as damning.
Arlen Specter is one who I learned early on was not likely to get going when the going got tough. He was a Philadelphia District Attorney in the Vietnam days when he effectively joined ranks with Jane Fonda. Now, three decades later, he is exhibiting his true colors ("yellow") once again. The fanatics we're fighting in this war will get you before they come for me. You're not smart enough to understand the stakes, are you?
Disappointing is the best you can call the behavior of Cornyn, Coleman and Roberts. But they'll likely stand firm in the ranks. Well, most likely Cornyn and Roberts will.
Which gets us back to my home-stater Voinovich, who thwarted John Bolton's nomination for confirmation as the US Ambassador to the UN. To his credit, he reversed his position when Bolton came back to the Senate again. But this misguided opposition to a great diplomat sorely needed at a tough moment in our history is the mark of a man thinking of how to position himself politically in a state that has turned blue.
But, one has to come back to McCain and Lieberman for the last straw. They can determine the course of this war and, just as importantly, the larger war against the jihadists. Wilting in Iraq is no way to convince us that they will not wilt again and again!
Stand firm in the ranks ....