McClellan Calls Out Gore

From today's White House press conference: MR. McCLELLAN: Well, maybe he [Gore] has a misunderstanding of the kind of war that we're engaged in. Let me remind people: We were attacked on September 11th in New York and Washington, and some 3,000 innocent people lost their lives. This President's number one responsibility is the safety and security of the American people. He is going to do everything within his lawful power to protect Americans. If he wants to be the voice for Democrats on this debate over national security, we welcome it A clear mistake for the White House to keep Al Gore in the news and extend the debate. He's got the facts, the law and the integrity on his side. Gore understands the metaphorical War on Terror has done nothing punish the 9/11 murderers and everything to incite terrorism. He also knows that given a PDB with OBL's name in the title he would have done something. He bowed to the rule of law when SCOTUS installed Bush, accepting the process that cost him the presidency—one can only imagine his anger at seeing Bush's illegal conduct. McClellan is underestimating how formidable a critic the former Vice President can be.

WaPo Attacks Swiftboaters

In the midst of a disgustingly concerted effort to smear Rep. Murtha's reputation, E.J. Dionne of the Washington Post has taken the Swiftboat set to task. $Q: What's maddening here is the unblushing hypocrisy of the right wing and the way it circulates -- usually through Web sites or talk radio -- personal vilification to abort honest political debate. Murtha's views on withdrawing troops from Iraq are certainly the object of legitimate contention. Many in Murtha's party disagree with him. But Murtha's right-wing critics can't content themselves with going after his ideas. They have to try to discredit his service. They wouldn't have been able to make Kerry's service an issue in '04 had the MSM not been complicit in giving the 'story' legs. It's remarkable the press didn't understand the bottom line—one candidate went, the other didn't. Kudos to E.J. Dionne for stomping on the character assassins as they once again slither out from under the rocks.

Gore's Tour de Force

A powerful and dignified speech from Al Gore today, defending the principles of the founders against the abuses of the current White House. $Q: Is our Congress today in more danger than were their predecessors when the British army was marching on the Capitol? Is the world more dangerous than when we faced an ideological enemy with tens of thousands of missiles poised to be launched against us and annihilate our country at a moment's notice? Is America in more danger now than when we faced worldwide fascism on the march-when our fathers fought and won two World Wars simultaneously? It is simply an insult to those who came before us and sacrificed so much on our behalf to imply that we have more to be fearful of than they. Yet they faithfully protected our freedoms and now it is up to us to do the same.

First Hand Iraq Remembrance

From Baghdad Burning. A fascinating and touching portrait of a friend killed in the kidnapping of Jill Carroll. Sample: After the war, the area he had his shop in deteriorated. There were car bombs and shootings and the Badir people took over some of the houses there. People went to A'arasat less and less because it was too dangerous. His shop was closed up more than it was open. He shut it up permanently after getting death threats and a hand grenade through his shop window. His car was carjacked at some point and he was shot at so he started driving around in his fathers beaten-up old Toyota Cressida with a picture of Sistani on his back window, "To ward off the fanatics..." He winked and grinned.