Sunday, May 17, 2009

"Anti-War Activists" Quiet as Sheep... or Mice, Maybe More Like Rats?

Thanks to Real Clear Politics-
Salena Zito at Real Clear Politics observes the partisan pickle peace-nicks are in right now...

"Little evidence exists that any antiwar movement is alive, well and influencing policy in this country. Certainly no voice for it is coming from Barack Obama's White House. In fact, Obama has been pretty consistent in jerking-around antiwar crusaders, beginning with last summer's vote as a U.S. senator for a federal surveillance law and its provision shielding telecommunications companies that cooperated in warrantless wiretaps - a law he previously opposed."

Salena points out how the President used the antiwar crowd to get himself elected, then turned on the anti-war crowd for his own political gain...

"The president reinforced his dismissal of antiwar activists last week, when he performed an enormous flip and decided to halt the release of photographs of detainee abuse. He said that releasing the photos would put U.S. troops at risk and inflame anti-American opinion.

On April 23, the Obama administration had said the Pentagon would hand over 44 photos of detainee abuse in Afghanistan and Iraq under the Bush administration."

The once rabid anti-war bunch are now forced to sit on their hands and shut their mouths while the guy they elected does the opposite of what he promised them....

"Less than two years ago, the liberal public-policy group MoveOn.org ran its now-infamous "General Petraeus or General Betray Us?" ad, accusing the four-star of exaggerating the success of the troop surge in Iraq.

Go to MoveOn.org's website today, and ending the war is fourth behind health care, climate change and the economy in its goals for 2009, buried in a nondescript click on the site."

"Where is Code Pink" - another liberal activist group - "or Moveon.org today?" asks political strategist Alex Castellanos. "Is it all okay if Barack Obama does it?"
"Being against the war was something the left used to draw a bright line between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama," he says. "But there is no cause now, because there was no cause then."
"While President Obama gingerly takes ownership of the war in Afghanistan - pumping up troop levels, hand-picking his own commander, adding Pakistan as part of the solution and the problem - he is disowning antiwar activists who voted for him, expecting him to put an end all wars."

Unfortunately for them, they have nowhere else to go, Castellanos says,

"So the noise you will hear from them will be voiceless."

15 Comments:

Blogger Dave said...

One of our local, anti-war bloggers wrote a post a while back about why he regreted voting for Obama and it was all about not ending the war fast enough.

10:46 AM  
Blogger RD said...

I understand there are exceptions to the norm... and Brad is certainly one of them (if that's who you are referring to)... or maybe you are talking about yourself?

With apologies to Brad Neese if he was a "pro-war blogger"...
-red

BTW- Someone explain to me the best way to "end" a fight in which there is no referee or cops to call and the other "guy" is doing the punching and refuses to stop.

11:10 AM  
Blogger Dave said...

Actually I was refering to JMBzine.

11:12 AM  
Blogger RD said...

not surprising he would turn on Obama considering his profession... and Obama's reversal on issues related directly to his success.

Brad did do a piece regretting voting for the One didn't he... (perhaps not related to the war) or am I mistaken about that?

11:18 AM  
Blogger Dave said...

I'm not sure if Brad did or not. I'd have to go back and look.

11:23 AM  
Blogger RD said...

It seems like maybe he was bordering on wavering toward regretting his vote... but stopped short of going that far.

But buyers remorse aside, there is a tiny drop in the bucket of outrage over Obama's "Bush policies" than there was over Bush's "Bush policies". Not surprising though.

12:03 PM  
Blogger RD said...

Sorry Dave, of course you couldn't have been talking about yourself... duh.

3:28 PM  
Blogger Otter Limits said...

I think we probably would have been better off with McCain myself.

However....even though I think we would have been better off with him, I still do not regret my voting decision.

10:33 PM  
Blogger Dave said...

There are some people (like Glenn Beck) who think things would not be all that different under McCain. Who knows. I wish Nader had won though.

11:19 AM  
Blogger RD said...

Ralph Nader-
More pro abortion than Obama...
More anti-military than Obama...
Supports gay marriage...
Would have us driving bumpercars...
Weak on crime and is against death penalty...
Legalize drugs, put people in government rehab programs instead of jail...
Abandon testing in schools and focus on civil skills...
End drilling and use of oil without having any viable replacement...
Global warming, environment, tax you...
National speed limit of 55mph...
Anti 2nd amendment pro-gun control...
Use Canadian Heathcare debacle as model for US healthcare system...
Hold Bush accountable for illegal war and torture...
Against securing the border...
wow, I can't take any more of that...


From On The Issues.org

12:15 PM  
Blogger Dave said...

At least we know where he stands.

12:19 PM  
Blogger Dave said...

"Legalize drugs, put people in government rehab programs instead of jail..."

With the esception of violent criminals, I have NO problems with this.

12:20 PM  
Blogger RD said...

We know can know where every candidate stands if we take the time to look and what about the other 12 items/issues and rather radical stances listed there dave... You're okay with all that too?
Wait a minute...
you supported the war in Iraq and opposed pulling out and you're against holding Bush accountable for torture and for waging an "illegal war" but supported a candidate who was for immediate withdrawal from Iraq and wants to prosecute Bush and company for waging an "illegal war" and torture... and is for opening up abortion further, and for cutting the military virtually in half ...and (of all things) for implementing the failing Canadian nationalized healthcare system as a model for US healthcare... lol, I also didn't know you were supportive of strict gun control measures either, in fact I thought you were pro second amendment...

are you pulling my leg dave?

4:22 PM  
Blogger Dave said...

I'm not pulling anything Red. I happen to like Nader and think he would be better than the slick talker that we have in office now. Do I agree with everything he says? No, but I can still like the guy and admire his work and sincerity.

11:55 AM  
Blogger RD said...

okay okay, that's cool...

...but would you let me get away with voting for and supporting a candidate that i also disagreed with on so many issues, just because I like the guy and admire his "sincerity"?

Honestly, that sounds exactly why a lot of people voted for Obama... they actually disagree with him politically on a number of issues but like him and admire his sincerity.

How nice, but it seems an odd way to pick the leader of the free world to me.
But of course you have the right to pick your politicians based on any criteria you like.
I'm just sayin'...

3:09 PM  

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