The Blame Game – where the real problem lies .

MoveOn.Org had an interesting ad in several of the papers I read daily. It had a point to make and it made it simply. It gave notice to General Betray Us that Americans will not tolerate spin and an extension of the occupation of Iraq.

In response, the GOP leadership, led by U.S. Representative John Boehner (OH-8), called on all Democrat Party members to apologize for that ad. He blamed them for supporting an attack ad that puts our soldiers at risk.

A crazy, weird, and totally individualistic vagabond once said, “To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.” His name was Theodore Roosevelt. What Teddie said nearly 100 years ago, applies even more today.

Criticizing Betray Us, the hand-picked, media darling whose sole job is to sell the war to America, at least until the next voting cycle, is no different than criticizing President Bush. Both of them clearly deserve it, and in some cases for fairly similar reasons.

For seven years now, whenever any unusual event takes place, or when Democrats or their supporters try to take a stance, or make a statement, the GOP attack dogs come out with fangs dripping blood, ready to take no prisoners. They toss blame around like the Bears’ Rex Grossman handles a hike from center, or like the Israelis dropped anti-civilian US built cluster bombs throughout southern Lebanon.

Looking back to the last years of Clinton, I recall a couple of retired senators warning Clinton and America, that terrorism would be a major problem i our near future. We learned, since then, that the top National Security experts took great pains to advise and educate their Bush Admin counterparts. All for naught. We learned that people like Richard Clark, an expert on precisely these issues, was ignored, demoted, ignored again, and finally, when he and the head of the CIA tried to get the Bush Admin’s attention, ignored yet again.

We learned other things, some good, some bad, some not surprising. For example, we learned that Condi’s Russian language skills were highly overated. We learned that not just the devil wears Prada. We learned that Condi knew nothing about Al Qaida, bin Laden, different muslim sects, nor the real root causes of problems throughout the middle east. We learned that she ignored warnings, failed to educate herself, and worst of all, she failed to advise, educate, inform and to offer suggestions to the one person who needed to hear from her – President Bush.

When we look at the good Ohio Congresscritter’s critisism and complaints, and compare it the the real cause and horror, his position collapses like a house of cards when someone turns on the fan.

Who had the responsibility to search out, discover, learn about, and give advice to the president about all major threats to America? Condi Rice.
Who was given heads’ up, intelligence, warnings, briefings, and told in emergency meetings that there would be an attack on US in the near future? Condi Rice.
Who ignored the Middle East problems, egged the Israelis into an inane and self-destructive attack and invasion of Lebanon? Condi Rice.
Who advised the president to ignore the post 9-11 offer of help and assistance from Iran, (who thinks of Al Qaida as their enemy no less than we do)? Condi Rice.
Who was the most incompetent National Security Adviser since that position was first created? Condi Rice.

Every criticism of the Bush administration is our constitutionally protected right of free thought and free speach. The problem is that a really cold, hard look at why, when, where, who, and how we got to where we are has never really happened. Perhaps, historians will pick through the destroyed e-mails, the hidden archives, the “lost” documents that the Bush administration deliberately destroyed, and learn what some of us already know.

If there is anyone to be blamed, after the VP, the president, and several others, one person stands out, in her shiny Pradas, her tight buxom-encasing leather and steel stud Ambassadressy outfit, it is Condi Rice. Had she done her job, no, that is the wrong start. Had she had enough knowledge, wherewithall, understanding, or even had she looked into a mirror, realized that she was way out of her league, and asked for professional help, America would not be in an endless occupation, and close to even a more disasterous invasion of Iran.

Condi Rice – Pastor Agnostic’s nominee for the hollowed Saint of the Church of Ineffable Stupidity.