Thank Goodness
That those terrorists were arrested. We all hope and pray they catch the other suspects soon. Every decent person in the world condemns a plot that would purposely kill innocents from many countries for no reason imaginable in a sane world.
And would any decent person see this laudable police action as a chance to create personal political gain, at the expense of truth-telling? Sadly, the question answers itself. Democrats then must leap to the right conclusion: this Administration, including its incumbent allies on the Hill, has not made the United States and its residents safer. We need a change. We need that change to start with the Senators who oversee DHS, and to stretch to the White House. Let people who know how to run things, how to make wise decisions, how to tell the truth, how to seek peace and not perpetual war, let those people take the responsibility of governing.
This must be Ned Lamont's principal theme from today until November. In this respect he has to show the way for the Democrats and the nation. He faces tremendous opposition from a very fierce and well-financed foe. The odds are against him. But his right message is clear.
What we need is hard reporting on whether the White House actually coordinated it's latest "vote for Joe and us or the terrorists will kill you" media campaign with the London bombing arrests.
Ron Byers
August 11, 2006 6:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
Seems to me it wasn't Bush that made us safer, but the Brits.
According to GOP "logic" we ought to all become Tories and beg them to make us a colony again.
If Dems are smart, they'll point out that terrorism plots are foiled by good policing, not violent military intervention. The events speak for themselves.
CSPAN junkies visit http://spannerbackup.ipbhost.com
August 11, 2006 6:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
this Administration, including its incumbent allies on the Hill, has not made the United States and its residents safer....
... Ned Lamont... has to show the way for the Democrats and the nation.
Ned Lamont has to show Democrats the way? I think most Democrats already get this, with one notable and delusional exception (who is no longer a Democrat) and a couple of his sad little hangers-on (Salazar, etc). I think rather it is up to more senior, more Established Democrats to take on the Administration's allies in the media. Not the active ones at Fox News, they're a lost cause, and their dwindling, aging audience will never accept inconvenient facts, but the passive, lazy cowed ones at the other networks and the major papers who before Cheney even stirred to speak were affirming that the arrests of Pakistani-British terrorists in a plot uncovered by intelligence and police work were somehow proof that Bush's militaristic adventurism in Iraq was saving us from Terra-ists.
August 11, 2006 6:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
I look forward to Lamont blasting Joe.
In the context of the Connecticut race, he needs to nail Lieberman for his support of Bush's failures. And if Lieberman attacks his patriotism he needs to attack Lieberman's character, HARD.
August 11, 2006 6:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
NEWS ITEM
Aircraft Bomb Plot Thwarted in Britain
The Associated Press
Authorities say they thwarted a terrorist plot to blow up several aircraft mid-flight between the U.S. and Britain using explosives smuggled in hand luggage.
COMMENT
Good thing that we invaded and occupied Iraq, attacking the terrorists over there so that they won't attack us here.
Homer Hewitt
www.altara.blogspot.com
August 11, 2006 7:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
Perfect. This should be a key Democratic talking point.
Ah, if only Kerry had something like this back in 2004. Oh wait: he did. It fell on deaf ears, of course. But I think the American public is now ready to hear this message.
August 11, 2006 7:02 AM | Reply | Permalink
That moment is seared into my memory -- Kerry in one of the debates comparing the struggle against terrorists to being a DA working continually against murderers, rapists, etc. You try to minimize the problem, even though you recognize that you won't eliminate it.
It made very good sense, and it was like a breath of fresh air.
And then Bush demogogued it, and Kerry let him. Kerry ended up hurting himself by asking the American public to think like adults.
It's not enough to tell the truth. You also have to be ready to handle the lies that will be slung around in reply.
What Democratic candidate in 2008 has the political talent to do this?
August 11, 2006 7:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think this may be a exceptional tactic. It could possibly be the basis of a knockout theme in support of Lamont...Lieberman supports the war, but what has he done to keep us safe AT HOME?
Lieberman is the Senator on the DHS, right? What is the record on that. What has he done in that role. Has that group been effective in setting policies to make us 'safer from terrorism'??
This may just be the achilles heel and answer to the accusation of being 'soft on terror' from the GOP-lite Lieberman camp.
Focus on Liebermans track record of service and what he did.
Make it clear how botched of a job DHS has done...Brownie is well known...put Liebermans face on all those security fiascos as well, especially the lack of a secure network for the different agencies five years after 9/11...
August 11, 2006 7:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yes indeed, and those Brits were responsible for those 16 words in the State of the Union address, as well no? Those Brits come in real handy. Blair and W were probably former frat boys the way they work in tandem like frick and frat on national security and Iraq issues.
August 11, 2006 7:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
My radar for White House and GOP cynicism may be overly sensitive, but I met the UK terrorist news with deep skepticism. And the media doesn't seem to be asking very many pertinent questions. The obvious question is WHY jump on the alleged perps NOW? What is the nature of the evidence against them? How far along was the alleged plot? How credible a plan was it? Doesn't this demonstrate that the Iraq policy has been misguided as a response to terror from the very get-go? Without this and similar info, how can the media jump on the story so credulously, and to the exclusion of virtually everything else?
The NYTimes front page today has an interesting story about how this plays politically in favor of a GOP that has been up against the wall lately. Does this mean it just happened this way, or that the investigation and the manner of announcing it were calculated to work this way? I'm withholding my judgement until I hear more. For all I know, this is just an extravagent version of the Miami "plot" and the plethora of terror alerts that preceded the 2004 election.
Is the White House-GOP machine above dramatically exaggerating the threat and using such an investigation to stanch the flow of blood from Connecticut? I'm glad these guys were busted, so long as there is evidence against. But I'm not buying it, yet. Does anyone else get the sense that Cheney and Rove must think we are all still bruised and dusty from that turnip truck we just fell off of?
Pantheon
August 11, 2006 8:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, yes, yes....all I can say is
Welcome to Miiiamiiii
August 11, 2006 9:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
He is senior democratic member on the Security Committee. He's 4th ranking on armed services.
And I think Senator Reid should have a talk with him about retaining those positions, since has left the party and is clearly not supporting the party caucus on security issues.
August 11, 2006 9:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks for that info.
Instead of asking him to step off the committees, why not exploit what a poor job he has done as a person who is 'tough on terror'. Highlight how ineffectual the oversight of DHS has been...talk about what he has failed to do as a committee member of the Armed Svcs. Didn't they jsut have Rumsfeld up there to answer questions. What did Lieberman have to say...did he pat Rummy on the back and say 'job, well done' like the Decider told Brownie about Katrina?
Let's use the record against him...we can even say that as Democrats we want people who are going to hold folks accountable ...which Joe refuses to do ...having been kissed...he just stays the course...and it is a disaster by any measure you use.
Couldn't we say something like we aren't 'soft on terror' but Lieberman is...Dems want accountability and effective policies.. then list things like protect our ports, improve communication between agencies, etc and then say but .Joe he just wants more of the same.
If you want change...vote Lamont
August 11, 2006 10:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
The GOP and Lieberman hate U.S. patriots who oppose their war in Iraq. With an assist from advance knowledge of the latest terror plot, the GOP has been catapulting the propaganda that opposition to the Iraq war equals treason.
Yet, a growing majority of U.S. citizens want the U.S. out of Iraq, and soon. Time to turn the tables on the GOP and Lieberman.
Make it beyond obvious to the growing majority opposed to the Iraq war that the GOP thinks they are traitors.
Pound the GOP with its own cudgel. Send out the message: "If you want our troops home from Iraq, Republicans think you support Al Qaeda." Hoist Lieberman on this petard, as well.
The reason they are pounding this theme so relentlessly right now is that they are scared spitless by their multiple failures and the prospect of being held accountable for them. Their failures should be one of our major strengths right now, and their m.o. is to attack the opponent's strength. Right now is the time to turn it back on them and make them pay.
August 11, 2006 12:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Again I say:
The Republicans are dancing on the rooftops.
Five years of war have done nothing to make us safer from terrorism - they've only expanded the field of recruits. All indications are that these British Muslim terrorists joined up BECAUSE of the UK's participation in the Iraq war.
The tips that led to the bust, meanwhile, had nothing to do with invading Iraq, covert arrests, warrantless wiretapping, or "stress positions". They came from cooperating with Pakistani intelligence. Imagine how many more busts we'd be making if we were cooperating with Syrian intelligence, or Iranian.
Five year since 9/11, we still have to fear for our lives every time we board an airplane. And the Republicans are dancing on the rooftops over it.
"All governments lie, but disaster lies in wait for countries whose officials smoke the same hashish they give out." - I.F. Stone
August 11, 2006 8:36 PM | Reply | Permalink