----- Original Message ----- From: "Julia Thompson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Killer Bs Discussion" <brin-l@mccmedia.com> Sent: Tuesday, December 20, 2005 1:47 PM Subject: Re: The ReichliKlan Scandal Cycle
> The Fool wrote: > > <<http://daoureport.salon.com/synopsis.aspx?synopsisId=a6da2e05-c808-4f7e-9 ab2-3d2a01a82a15>> > [snip] > > 8. Reporters and media outlets obfuscate and equivocate, pretending to > > ask tough questions but essentially pushing the same narratives they've > > developed and perfected over the past five years, namely, some > > variation of "Bush firm, Dems soft." A range of Bush-protecting tactics > > are put into play, one being to ask ridiculously misleading questions > > such as "Should Bush have the right to protect Americans or should he > > cave in to Democratic political pressure?" All the while, the right > > assaults the "liberal" media for daring to tell anything resembling the > > truth. > > I read this just after reading Fred Clark's latest blog entry, > http://slacktivist.typepad.com/slacktivist/2005/12/god_save_the_ki.html > if you want to read the whole thing > > The meat of that post, to me, was this: > > <quote> > The White House's claim, essentially, is this: The president may do > whatever he sees fit in order to keep the country safe. For some, those > last seven words justify and legitimize the unlimited powergrab of the > first eight. But many of us cannot accept the beginning of that sentence > -- "the president may do whatever he sees fit" -- regardless of what > follows. > <end quote> > > That is the heart of the disagreement, I think. I read the argument a bit differently. The pro-Bush argument is that, in the aftermath of Watergate and Viet Nam, we have had a government with a weak executive....relative to the power of the presidency before 1973. Bush has restored the balance, to where it was from FDR through the first term of Nixon. In times like these, especially, restoring that balance is absolutely essential for our national security. Now, I differ with this view, mind you, but this is at least the public argument that is being made. Second hand stories about what was said secretly needs secret tapes, I think, for verification. If those exist, we'll get all but 18 minutes lost do to a liberal computer virus. :-) Dan M. _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
