[lit-ideas] And, speaking for the wingnuts
- From: "John McCreery" <john.mccreery@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 22:24:43 +0900
It's wonderful what you can find on the Internet these days. The
following is from TPM Cafe with a tip of the hat for the link to
Buzzflash.
------------------
Leaked Letter Reveals GOP Strategy: Talk About Anything But Escalation
By Greg Sargent | bio
So this explains a lot. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer's office has
obtained a letter that GOP Reps. John Shadegg and Peter Hoekstra sent
out to House GOP colleagues about escalation. The letter gives GOP
members pointers on how they should approach the battle over it on the
House floor this week.
Hoyer's office has now posted the letter on his Web site, and it lays
bare the GOP's strategy for dealing with debate over the House's
anti-escalation resolution and reveals just how worried party leaders
are about having a genuine discussion about the "surge." The letter
says:
We are writing to urge you not to debate the Democratic Iraq
resolution on their terms, but rather on ours.
Democrats want to force us to focus on defending the surge, making the
case that it will work and explaining why the President's new Iraq
policy is different from prior efforts and therefore justified.
We urge you to instead broaden the debate to the threat posed to
Americans, the world, and all "unbelievers" by radical Islamists. We
would further urge you to join us in educating the American people
about the views of radical Islamists and the consequences of not
defeating radical Islam in Iraq.
The debate should not be about the surge or its details. This debate
should not even be about the Iraq war to date, mistakes that have been
made, or whether we can, or cannot, win militarily. If we let
Democrats force us into a debate on the surge or the current situation
in Iraq, we lose.
Yep, so the advice here is this: GOPers shouldn't allow themselves to
be lured into a "debate" about the single most important policy
question facing us right now, because they might lose. Never mind how
all this might impact the troops who actually have to go to Iraq.
Healthy priorities, huh?
Also amusing is the letter's assertion that "Democrats want to force
us to focus on defending the surge." Now why on earth would Dems want
Republicans to justify a policy that will directly impact tens of
thousands of people and their families? How unreasonable!
Wouldn't you know it, but during the House debate today many GOPers
did indeed "broaden the debate" to the threat posed by "radical
Islamists." Say this for your House Republicans: They're good at
following orders.
--------------------------------------------
As long, that is, as it isn't their own sorry, wingnut asses in the
charge of the light brigade.
--
John McCreery
The Word Works, Ltd., Yokohama, JAPAN
Tel. +81-45-314-9324
http://www.wordworks.jp/
------------------------------------------------------------------
To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off,
digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html
Other related posts:
