Bravo! Sen. Biden: "The world is going to Hades in a handbasket... and the president wants to push a gay-marriage and flag-burning amendment."
Senator Joe Biden gave a remarkable and articulate demonstration of how Democrats used to sound: competent, knowledgeable, able to recite policy facts and figures from years past and months ago, and able to BLAST the failings and failures of a Republican administration.
The only thing that Senator Biden did not quite master is TURNING THE QUESTIONS BACK on Tim Russert, the host of "Meet the Press."
For example, Russert, in his usual Republican ___-kissing mode, said, "Using MORAL VALUES issues like flag-burning and gay marriage, Republicans have WON the past three elections."
Senator Biden could have TURNED THE QUESTION BACK on Tim Russert: "Tim, what is so moral about arresting, trying, convicting, and imprisoning people if they are under so much distress that they feel it is necessary to burn the nation's flag? In the Civil War, Confederates fired canons on Old Glory at Fort Sumter and in 1,000 other battles... we never felt it necessary to try them for treason."
Or, "The Vice President's daughter is a member of the GLBT community, and has a life-partnership with another woman in that community. WHAT IS SO "MORAL", Tim, ABOUT PREVENTING such "life partners" from coming to a hospital room if their partner has had a traumatic accident or disease; why should such partners be EXCLUDED from providing for each other's health care or taking care of children, (etc, etc, etc.)?"
In a calm, reasoned, yet forceful manner, Senator Biden answered another Russert's question "If this president were to appear before America and the world to make a case for military action in Iran or elsewhere in the Middle-east, would anyone believe him?"
Biden answered curtly and unequivically, "NO." Just in wording the question, Tim Russert KNEW the answer in advance - only the most sycophantic Republican Bush supporters would say anything other than "NO, the president can't help himself, he looks into the cameras and lies even when it does him no conceivable good to do so, even when there is irrefutable video evidence of him contradicting his own words from mere days previously."
A "Well Done" to Senator Biden - almost as smooth and commanding as (former Secretary of State and Bush family consigliere) James Baker. Now, if Democrats can just master the art of TURNING QUESTIONS BACK on Tim Russert, and getting him to answer or respond to his own absurd talking points.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10005066/
Biden: Rumsfeld Should Step Down
Sunday, June 4, 2006
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/06/04/haditha/index.html
Whadda ya know, CNN even deigns to give Biden's MTP appearance it's own web-news story!
However, this report SHORTCHANGES the actual forcefulness of Senator Biden's comments regarding Rumsfeld, Biden saying (paraphrasing), "OF COURSE Secretary Rumsfeld should step down re the Haditha killings.... look, I've been calling for Rumsfeld's resignation for two years now..."
CNN did include this portion of Senator Biden's comments:
<< Biden told NBC's "Meet the Press" that the accountability for Haditha and other alleged atrocities in Iraq should go all the way up to Rumsfeld. (Watch Rumsfeld's critics fueled by Haditha incident -- 2:17)
"We can't get rid of the president; he's there for two-and-a-half more years," Biden said. "There is a system of accountability. ... When you make serious mistakes, you step forward and you acknowledge them and you walk away.
"Presidents can't and shouldn't do that. Secretaries of defense can and should."
Biden said Rumsfeld "should be be gone; he shouldn't be in his office tomorrow morning."
A frequent critic of the Bush administration's policy in Iraq, Biden has previously called for Rumsfeld's resignation. >>
Meet the Press ('MTP') has posted the full transcript of the Biden interview here
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13085904/
Biden's forceful comments calling for Rumsfeld's resignation are on page 3 of the transcript:
<<
MR. RUSSERT: Let me ask you a last question on Iraq about Haditha and some of the other alleged atrocities. The fact is, our government knew about that for some time. How high up the chain, based on your information, do you think this goes?
SEN. BIDEN: The secretary of defense.
MR. RUSSERT: And what should be done?
SEN. BIDEN: HE SHOULD BE GONE. HE SHOULDN'T BE IN HIS OFFICE TOMORROW. And I’m so tired of saying this on your show. I’ve been saying this for two years.
MR. RUSSERT: Well, the president knew about it in March.
SEN. BIDEN: Well, we can’t get rid of the president. He’s there for two and a half more years. There is a system of accountability. The system of accountability is, it used to be a gentlemanly thing, as they say, when you make serious mistakes, you step forward and you acknowledge them and you walk away. Presidents can’t and shouldn’t do that. Secretaries of defense can and should.
MR. RUSSERT: There was a report out from the Department of Homeland Security which reduced anti-terrorism funds to Washington and New York by 40 percent. Your reaction?
SEN. BIDEN: Look, this is—the idea that they have us in a debate about how to spread out $740 million dollars to protect America is bizarre. We should be spending much more than that. The idea that we’re only spending a hundred--$740 million dollars—Tim, look, they sent—the, the 9/11 commission has flunked this administration and Congress on all the major initiatives relative to making our, our homeland more secure. If we were just to take one year of the tax cut for people making over a billion dollars, that would generate 53 billion in revenue. To implement the entire, the entirety of the 9/11 commission report is $42 billion dollars. As my dad would say—we were talking about our dads earlier—my dad would say, “If everything’s equally important to you, nothing’s important to you.” It’s priorities. >>
On page 2 of the transcript, Biden notes that North Korea has INCREASED THEIR NUCLEAR CAPABILITY FOUR-HUNDRED PERCENT since Mr. Bush became president:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13085904/page/2/
MR. RUSSERT: Whether you’re for or against military action, it’s quite interesting to hear the Iraqi prime minister talk about the United States and Iran.
SEN. BIDEN: Totally predictable, though, Tim. Totally, completely predictable. The notion that—remember, it was four years ago the president announced the axis of evil. He said there are these three countries—Iraq, Iran and Korea—and implied he had a plan how to deal with them by isolating them. Where are we now? Korea has 400 percent more nuclear capacity than it had when he announced the policy. Iran is—has eliminated the modulus at any democratic instincts: their parliament. There’s no democracy there in, you know, in waiting as there was four years ago. And now you have Iraq in a circumstance where the leaders of Iraq, who belong to two parties, the dominant parties, Dawa and SCIRI parties, who have relationships with Iran. So, I mean, so far for a policy that was going to make us safer—I mean, anybody who would think that there would be a welcome mat by the part of an Iranian—an Iraqi government to attack Iran doesn’t understand the region at all.
Also on page 2 of the MTP transcript, Biden notes that the administration's erstwhile "ally" governments in Iraq AND Afghanistan are now openly criticizing America's 'excessive' use of force in their respective countries; pretty outspoken comments for officials ENTIRELY DEPENDENT on American support for their positions of power in their own countries! (i.e. "client leaders of the United States', with the Bush admin. effectively weilding a 'VETO power' over any such leader.)
<< MR. RUSSERT: The prime minster of Iraq is criticizing the United States to shore up his political standing?
SEN. BIDEN: Absolutely. And by the way, guess what’s going on in Afghanistan? Same exact thing. Karzai. What’s Karzai doing?
MR. RUSSERT: Are these comments not encouraging hostility to U.S. troops?
SEN. BIDEN: Well, I think they do encourage hostility to U.S. troops, and I think what they do is they call for the administration to come up with a plan. Look, the president says, Tim, that it has been saying we’re going to stand down when the Iraqis stand up. But there’s no plan to help the Iraqis stand together. >>
The Iraqi Prime Minister also FLATLY REJECTS the use of Iraq as a launching base for ANY US ATTACK ON IRAN. A complete refutation of the Bush administration's latest bang-the-war-drums talking points.
And, finally, our final "edit-grab" from Senator Biden's MTP appearance, here is Senator Biden saying no one in the world believes our president any more:
<< MR. RUSSERT: ...do you believe if the president of the United States stood up before the world and our country and said, “Iran has this, therefore we have to undertake military action,” would he be believed?
SEN. BIDEN: NO. >>
Live video feed of Senator Biden's entire MTP appearance, and Hans Blix's discussion of weapons inspections in Iraq before the Bush administration ordered the inspectors out two days before attacking Iraq, at -
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10005066/
_____________________________________________
Rumsfeld Faces Renewed Criticism:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13119833/
<< “The alleged atrocity in Haditha, the national embarrassment of Abu Ghraib, the past three years of chaos in Iraq can all be traced right back to his war plan,” says retired Maj. Gen. John Batiste, one of several retired generals who have urged Rumsfeld’s ouster. “It was his war plan that that took us to war.”
Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., who has emerged as one of Rumsfeld’s most vocal critics, blames the killings in part on the tremendous strains felt by troops who have been deployed over and over, causing them to “crack” under pressure. He has called repeatedly for Rumsfeld’s resignation. >>
The only thing that Senator Biden did not quite master is TURNING THE QUESTIONS BACK on Tim Russert, the host of "Meet the Press."
For example, Russert, in his usual Republican ___-kissing mode, said, "Using MORAL VALUES issues like flag-burning and gay marriage, Republicans have WON the past three elections."
Senator Biden could have TURNED THE QUESTION BACK on Tim Russert: "Tim, what is so moral about arresting, trying, convicting, and imprisoning people if they are under so much distress that they feel it is necessary to burn the nation's flag? In the Civil War, Confederates fired canons on Old Glory at Fort Sumter and in 1,000 other battles... we never felt it necessary to try them for treason."
Or, "The Vice President's daughter is a member of the GLBT community, and has a life-partnership with another woman in that community. WHAT IS SO "MORAL", Tim, ABOUT PREVENTING such "life partners" from coming to a hospital room if their partner has had a traumatic accident or disease; why should such partners be EXCLUDED from providing for each other's health care or taking care of children, (etc, etc, etc.)?"
In a calm, reasoned, yet forceful manner, Senator Biden answered another Russert's question "If this president were to appear before America and the world to make a case for military action in Iran or elsewhere in the Middle-east, would anyone believe him?"
Biden answered curtly and unequivically, "NO." Just in wording the question, Tim Russert KNEW the answer in advance - only the most sycophantic Republican Bush supporters would say anything other than "NO, the president can't help himself, he looks into the cameras and lies even when it does him no conceivable good to do so, even when there is irrefutable video evidence of him contradicting his own words from mere days previously."
A "Well Done" to Senator Biden - almost as smooth and commanding as (former Secretary of State and Bush family consigliere) James Baker. Now, if Democrats can just master the art of TURNING QUESTIONS BACK on Tim Russert, and getting him to answer or respond to his own absurd talking points.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10005066/
Biden: Rumsfeld Should Step Down
Sunday, June 4, 2006
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/06/04/haditha/index.html
Whadda ya know, CNN even deigns to give Biden's MTP appearance it's own web-news story!
However, this report SHORTCHANGES the actual forcefulness of Senator Biden's comments regarding Rumsfeld, Biden saying (paraphrasing), "OF COURSE Secretary Rumsfeld should step down re the Haditha killings.... look, I've been calling for Rumsfeld's resignation for two years now..."
CNN did include this portion of Senator Biden's comments:
<< Biden told NBC's "Meet the Press" that the accountability for Haditha and other alleged atrocities in Iraq should go all the way up to Rumsfeld. (Watch Rumsfeld's critics fueled by Haditha incident -- 2:17)
"We can't get rid of the president; he's there for two-and-a-half more years," Biden said. "There is a system of accountability. ... When you make serious mistakes, you step forward and you acknowledge them and you walk away.
"Presidents can't and shouldn't do that. Secretaries of defense can and should."
Biden said Rumsfeld "should be be gone; he shouldn't be in his office tomorrow morning."
A frequent critic of the Bush administration's policy in Iraq, Biden has previously called for Rumsfeld's resignation. >>
Meet the Press ('MTP') has posted the full transcript of the Biden interview here
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13085904/
Biden's forceful comments calling for Rumsfeld's resignation are on page 3 of the transcript:
<<
MR. RUSSERT: Let me ask you a last question on Iraq about Haditha and some of the other alleged atrocities. The fact is, our government knew about that for some time. How high up the chain, based on your information, do you think this goes?
SEN. BIDEN: The secretary of defense.
MR. RUSSERT: And what should be done?
SEN. BIDEN: HE SHOULD BE GONE. HE SHOULDN'T BE IN HIS OFFICE TOMORROW. And I’m so tired of saying this on your show. I’ve been saying this for two years.
MR. RUSSERT: Well, the president knew about it in March.
SEN. BIDEN: Well, we can’t get rid of the president. He’s there for two and a half more years. There is a system of accountability. The system of accountability is, it used to be a gentlemanly thing, as they say, when you make serious mistakes, you step forward and you acknowledge them and you walk away. Presidents can’t and shouldn’t do that. Secretaries of defense can and should.
MR. RUSSERT: There was a report out from the Department of Homeland Security which reduced anti-terrorism funds to Washington and New York by 40 percent. Your reaction?
SEN. BIDEN: Look, this is—the idea that they have us in a debate about how to spread out $740 million dollars to protect America is bizarre. We should be spending much more than that. The idea that we’re only spending a hundred--$740 million dollars—Tim, look, they sent—the, the 9/11 commission has flunked this administration and Congress on all the major initiatives relative to making our, our homeland more secure. If we were just to take one year of the tax cut for people making over a billion dollars, that would generate 53 billion in revenue. To implement the entire, the entirety of the 9/11 commission report is $42 billion dollars. As my dad would say—we were talking about our dads earlier—my dad would say, “If everything’s equally important to you, nothing’s important to you.” It’s priorities. >>
On page 2 of the transcript, Biden notes that North Korea has INCREASED THEIR NUCLEAR CAPABILITY FOUR-HUNDRED PERCENT since Mr. Bush became president:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13085904/page/2/
MR. RUSSERT: Whether you’re for or against military action, it’s quite interesting to hear the Iraqi prime minister talk about the United States and Iran.
SEN. BIDEN: Totally predictable, though, Tim. Totally, completely predictable. The notion that—remember, it was four years ago the president announced the axis of evil. He said there are these three countries—Iraq, Iran and Korea—and implied he had a plan how to deal with them by isolating them. Where are we now? Korea has 400 percent more nuclear capacity than it had when he announced the policy. Iran is—has eliminated the modulus at any democratic instincts: their parliament. There’s no democracy there in, you know, in waiting as there was four years ago. And now you have Iraq in a circumstance where the leaders of Iraq, who belong to two parties, the dominant parties, Dawa and SCIRI parties, who have relationships with Iran. So, I mean, so far for a policy that was going to make us safer—I mean, anybody who would think that there would be a welcome mat by the part of an Iranian—an Iraqi government to attack Iran doesn’t understand the region at all.
Also on page 2 of the MTP transcript, Biden notes that the administration's erstwhile "ally" governments in Iraq AND Afghanistan are now openly criticizing America's 'excessive' use of force in their respective countries; pretty outspoken comments for officials ENTIRELY DEPENDENT on American support for their positions of power in their own countries! (i.e. "client leaders of the United States', with the Bush admin. effectively weilding a 'VETO power' over any such leader.)
<< MR. RUSSERT: The prime minster of Iraq is criticizing the United States to shore up his political standing?
SEN. BIDEN: Absolutely. And by the way, guess what’s going on in Afghanistan? Same exact thing. Karzai. What’s Karzai doing?
MR. RUSSERT: Are these comments not encouraging hostility to U.S. troops?
SEN. BIDEN: Well, I think they do encourage hostility to U.S. troops, and I think what they do is they call for the administration to come up with a plan. Look, the president says, Tim, that it has been saying we’re going to stand down when the Iraqis stand up. But there’s no plan to help the Iraqis stand together. >>
The Iraqi Prime Minister also FLATLY REJECTS the use of Iraq as a launching base for ANY US ATTACK ON IRAN. A complete refutation of the Bush administration's latest bang-the-war-drums talking points.
And, finally, our final "edit-grab" from Senator Biden's MTP appearance, here is Senator Biden saying no one in the world believes our president any more:
<< MR. RUSSERT: ...do you believe if the president of the United States stood up before the world and our country and said, “Iran has this, therefore we have to undertake military action,” would he be believed?
SEN. BIDEN: NO. >>
Live video feed of Senator Biden's entire MTP appearance, and Hans Blix's discussion of weapons inspections in Iraq before the Bush administration ordered the inspectors out two days before attacking Iraq, at -
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10005066/
_____________________________________________
Rumsfeld Faces Renewed Criticism:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13119833/
<< “The alleged atrocity in Haditha, the national embarrassment of Abu Ghraib, the past three years of chaos in Iraq can all be traced right back to his war plan,” says retired Maj. Gen. John Batiste, one of several retired generals who have urged Rumsfeld’s ouster. “It was his war plan that that took us to war.”
Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., who has emerged as one of Rumsfeld’s most vocal critics, blames the killings in part on the tremendous strains felt by troops who have been deployed over and over, causing them to “crack” under pressure. He has called repeatedly for Rumsfeld’s resignation. >>
posted by verifi at 9:25 PM
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