A Straight Shot of Politics

A blog from a gentleman of the Liberal political persuasion dedicated to right reason, clear thinking, cogent argument, and the public good.

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Location: Columbus, Ohio, United States

I have returned from darkness and quiet. I used to style myself as "Joe Claus", Santa Claus’ younger brother because that is what I still look like. I wrote my heart out about liberal politics until June of 2006, when all that could be said had been said. I wrote until I could write no more and I wrote what I best liked to read when I was young and hopeful: the short familiar essays in Engish and American periodicals of 50 to 100 years ago. The archetype of them were those of G.K. Chesterton, written in newspapers and gathered into numerous small books. I am ready to write them again. I am ready to write about life as seen by the impoverished, by the mentally ill, by the thirty years and more of American Buddhist converts, and by the sharp eyed people [so few now in number] with the watcher's disease, the people who watch and watch and watch. I am all of these.

Friday, October 01, 2004

Like Any Ventriloquist, George Does Better WITH His Dummy

In the aftermath of John Kerry's Presidential Debate victory, this can be presented virtually without comment:

"Report on U.S. Role in Allawi Speech Stirs Complaint
Thu Sep 30, 2004 06:59 PM ET


"WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush came under fire from a senior Senate Democrat on Thursday after the Washington Post said the U.S. government and a representative of Bush's reelection campaign helped draft Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's speech to Congress last week.

"Democratic Sen. Diane Feinstein of California said in a Sept. 30 letter to Bush that the newspaper report raised doubts about Allawi's optimistic assertions on Iraqi reconstruction efforts and the prospect for elections.

'To learn that this was not an independent view, but one that was massaged by your campaign operatives, jaundices the speech and reduces the credibility of his remarks," Feinstein said. "I hope that you'll let me know whether these claims are accurate.'

"The White House had no immediate comment on Feinstein's letter or the Post article, which was published on Thursday as Bush and Democratic rival John Kerry prepared to argue about Iraq in the first of three presidential debates.....

"But many of his remarks on Iraq employed the same themes, and sometimes the same terms, as statements by Bush and other administration officials. On Thursday, the Post quoted unnamed administration officials as saying Allawi had been coached and aided by the U.S. government, its allies and friends of the administration.

"It specifically cited former Coalition Provisional Authority spokesman Dan Senor for sending Allawi recommended phrases and helping him rehearse. The newspaper said Senor represents the Bush campaign in media appearances. Senor could not be reached for comment....

"But Bush-Cheney spokesman Scott Stanzel said Senor did not work for the campaign, though he acknowledged that campaign staff direct media outlets to Senor for interviews...."

Well, let's play the guessing game, Does Dan Senor work for Bush-Cheney or not? And does Iyad Allawi speak for Iraq? Or for the President of the United States?

This is, after all, an issue which is even more important in Iraq than it is here.

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