Quotes du Jour on the Various Wars

On the suicide bombing in Afghanistan:

I guess this was the Taliban’s way of saying, "Go fuck yourself." . . .

But don’t tell that to Major William Mitchell, who insists, despite the Taliban saying otherwise, that the explosion that killed God knows how many people and wounded at least 20 others right outside the base where [Vice Presidnet] Cheney was staying was strictly a coincidence.

Now, this means one thing and no one can ignore this: The Taliban has come closer to killing one of our senior government officials than we ever came to killing bin Laden (Damn you, Sandy Berger, damn you to Hell!).

How the Bush administration can reconcile this with claims to be winning the war on terror requires a special lunacy that really shouldn't be trusted with nation-building or nation-leading.

-- JURASSICPORK

On the flummoxed Democratic majority in Congress:

It appears that the Democrats may have misinterpreted their mandate, and that they have finally discovered that they're on the brink of demanding surrender while at war. While a majority of Americans have serious doubts about the management of the war, most understand that pulling troops out of a fight means surrender and retreat, and they don't see how that makes America any more secure. In fact, a surrender to terrorists in Iraq will make this country a good deal less secure and embolden the terrorists to continue attacking our interests, and the Democrats seem to be the last to that realization -- or the realization that Americans understand these stakes.

-- CAPTAIN ED MORRISSEY

On the Joe Lieberman Phenomenon:

Not since Paris Hilton has there been a media figure who draws more attention for doing nothing. Barely a week passes without Lieberman flashing a little thigh (politically speaking), and hinting (in sorrow, of course) that if his Senate Democratic colleagues fail to bend to his will and support the Republican president’s demonstrably ruinous mission in Iraq, he might just decide to retaliate by partying forevermore with the GOP. And by doing so, he would presumably shift power in the closely-divided Senate over to the Republicans (which is inaccurate, although a lot of media outlets don’t seem to know this). Yet he always qualifies the defection threat by saying that he’s probably not serious – thereby clearing the decks for the next tease cycle. . . .

The last thing that Lieberman would want is to be relegated to six long years of minority status. Remember, this is a guy who today would be a heartbeat away from the presidency, if not for hanging chads, a butterfly ballot, and a 5-4 Supreme Court. A guy like that sees himself as a player.

Which is why his ongoing play for attention should be treated with the skepticism it deserves.

-- DICK POLMAN

On Laura Bush's appearance on Larry King Live:

In case you missed it, she said this: "I hope that they can build their government and reconcile with each other and build a country. This is their opportunity to seize the moment, to build a really good and stable country. And many parts of Iraq are stable now. But, of course, what we see on television is the one bombing a day this discourages everybody."

There is such enormous cluelessness there (and in much else of what she said) you'd think her husband was feeding her lines through a hidden earpiece. And, like her husband, her vacuous optimism seems to be based on nothing but hope. Apparently she knows nothing of Iraqi history, nor of the nature of Iraqi sectarianism, nor of present-day Iraqi reality.

-- MICHAEL J. W. STICKINGS

Hat tip to My Left Wing for the Cheney image