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It's official: Hypocrisy is annoying, but never fatal. A recent clinical trial in which George W. Bush blurted out the most hypocritical sentence ever uttered by a human being produced no ill effects to the subject. Rumor has it that hypocrites run a high risk of cerebral hemorrhage. Fortunately, there's no evidence that blood ever reaches the subject's brain. Yes, dear friends, just when you thought you heard every lie, distortion, and hypocritical statement in existence from Bush and his henchmen, last Tuesday saw an utterance leave Dubya's mouth that blew out the windows within a twenty block radius and rendered the White House uninhabitable for several months - but, luckily for Bush and company, the current condition of White House only presents a danger to mammals. And what was this statement that sent scientists around the world scrambling to recalibrate their hypocri-meters? It came in response to John Kerry's claim that some foreign leaders privately support his candidacy. On Tuesday during a news conference with the Netherlands' Prime Minister, Jan Peter Balkenende, Bush challenged Kerry to offer proof of this alleged support by detonating his own backpack: I think if you're gonna make an accusation in the course of a presidential campaign, you ought to back it up with facts. Of course, Kerry made an assertion, not an accusation, but both words begin with an "a," which is good enough for Bush. Is it possible to speak English as a second language if you don't have a first language? Let's examine Bush's statement from two angles. First, we'll look at the political strategy involved. Then, we'll put on our welding masks and discuss the hypocrisy.. I'll admit that I'm perplexed as to why Bush's people chose this issue as the one they wanted to challenge Kerry on, but the motivation is simple: Bush is looking for Kerry's "Internet" issue. In the 2000 election, much was made by Bush and Republicans in general about Al Gore's alleged statement that he invented the Internet. Nevermind that Gore really said that he took the initiative in creating the Internet, which anybody associated with its creation will tell you is absolutely true. Republicans took this statement, twisted it to make it sound like Gore said he actually designed the Internet in his basement, and proceeded to beat him over the head with it throughout the 2000 election. Man, what a nut that Gore is! He actually thinks he invented the Internet! I'd better vote for the alcoholic draft-dodger guy who can't pronounce "nuclear." And the rest is history. Four years later, with absolutely no issues to run on, Bush is attempting to produce an issue to make his new opponent look nutty. The problem with trying to convince us that no foreign leaders are closet Kerry fans is that nobody believes it, not even the Republicans. Here's a quick list of possible foreign Kerry supporters: 1. Spain's new prime minister-elect, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. Here's a quote: Gee, who could read that statement and believe that Zapatero wasn't solidly in the Bush camp? 2. Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski. His latest quote: Another staunch Bush fan sounds off. 3. The leaders of Russia, China, France, Greece, Germany, India, Indonesia, and every Middle Eastern nation except possibly Saudi Arabia. Read the link. 4. A majority of people in the civilized world. Link again. My fingers are getting tired. Anyway, you get the idea. Not only is Kerry's claim of private support from foreign leaders most likely true, but given the state of the world, Bush's implied counterclaim that he has the unwavering support of every foreign leader is absolutely ludicrous. If only Bush could figure out a way to cut the taxes of foreign leaders . . . Okay, now to hypocrisy. Let me repeat Bush's statement from Tuesday: I think if you're gonna make an accusation in the course of a presidential campaign, you ought to back it up with facts. I wonder if Saddam Hussein read this quote in the paper? I'm guessing he didn't, because I'm pretty sure I could have heard the sarcastic laughter even from half a world away. Here's a little refresher for those who may have been watching Fox News for the last couple of years. In the run-up to the Iraq War, the Bush administration accused Saddam Hussein of the following: 1. Hussein had weapons of mass
destruction. All three of these accusations were backed up with absolutely no facts. We now know that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction. We have always known that Saddam Hussein, the leader of secular Iraq, and al-Qaeda, who wanted a religious Iraqi state, were enemies. We also know that Saddam Hussein was no danger to anybody outside of his own country. Despite this, the Bush administration stood before the world and presented these baseless accusations as facts. The chain of events that followed is a matter of record: The United States has since lost 577 soldiers, with 2,868 soldiers wounded. It has killed untold thousands of Iraqi soldiers and civilians, with no accurate figure available because it refuses to count them. It has borrowed at least $107 billion from its children and grandchildren. It has pulled resources away from the fight against terror. The war has been used as a recruiting tool by terrorist groups, increasing their strength and making us less safe. And despite the complete absence of factual support, Bush continues to make the baseless assertion that the war in Iraq is a war on terrorism to this day. Even in the unlikely event that Kerry made up the statement that he has the private support of some foreign leaders, it doesn't even show up on the 'baseless accusation' radar screen, which is currently overwhelmed by Bush's accusations about Saddam Hussein. So, what does Bush believe should happen to a presidential candidate who makes accusations without facts to back him/her up? Should people stop supporting the candidate? Should that candidate drop out of the race? Should the candidate throw his/her support to the opponent? I really think Bush should clarify this right away. And when he's finished describing how any candidate who makes baseless accusations is not fit to be president, Bush could pass out Kerry buttons to his supporters. They could wear them on the inside of their lapels, where they can' t be seen. I hear that's where most of the world's leaders wear them. 3/20/04 Unless otherwise noted, all original content and headlines are © The Angry Liberal . Contact The Angry Liberal for reprint rights. |
