Rich Lowry Scolds Eleanor Clift: 'You Are Okay With' Iran 'Getting a Nuclear Weapon'
Newsweek's Eleanor Clift and National Review's Rich Lowry got into quite a heated debate on PBS's McLaughlin Group this weekend.
With the topic being President Obama's Middle East policy, after much back and forth, Lowry scolded, "If you’re honest about it, that is your bottom line. You are okay with [Iran] getting a nuclear weapon" (video follows with transcript and commentary):
ELEANOR CLIFT, NEWSWEEK: And that message was received. Netanyahu went back to Israel again to a divided public. They don't want to go ahead without American support. And you cannot, you can make the case…
RICH LOWRY, NATIONAL REVIEW: So what do you do?
CLIFT: Excuse me, it's my turn now. And rational people can make the case that there is nothing about the Iranian regime that suggests they are totally irrational players. They care about their own power and control, and you can't just assume that the minute they get a bomb they're going to attack.
LOWRY: So what do you? What do you do if sanctions fail? What do you do if sanctions fail? What do you do? Answer. Answer. I’m letting you talk. What do you do if sanctions fail?
CLIFT: I'm answering. You are operating on the one percent Cheney doctrine. How well did that work out in Iraq?
LOWRY: So you're okay with them getting a nuclear weapon? And at the end of the day…
CLIFT: I didn't say that!
LOWRY: …that is also, yes, did you! And at the end of the day, that’s the administration’s policy as well.
JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, HOST: Refresh us on this one percent doctrine. What’s, one percent of what?
CLIFT: If there’s a one percent possibility that Saddam Hussein has a nuclear weapon, you go in. Look how well that turned out for us. We are now going back into negotiations. There is time to be bought, and…
LOWRY: And you’re okay with them getting a nuclear weapon. That is your bottom line. If you’re honest about it, that is your bottom line. You are okay with them getting a nuclear weapon.
CLIFT: Would you please stop putting words in my mouth, Mr. Lowry.
LOWRY: Well, what are you going to do? If sanctions don’t work, what are you going to do?
CLIFT: Stop howling like a war dog.
LOWRY: I’m not howling like anything.
CLIFT: Yes you are, you certainly are.
MCLAUGHLIN: He’s a macho man here.
CLIFT: Right, all these macho men, it’s ridiculous.
No, actually what's ridiculous was Clift's position that was nicely exposed by Lowry.
If you're not for doing everything possible to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, then you are indeed okay with that nation possessing one.
How else can one read Clift's statement that "rational people can make the case that there is nothing about the Iranian regime that suggests they are totally irrational players...you can't just assume that the minute they get a bomb they're going to attack?"
So the totally insane proclamations by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and supreme leader Ali Khamenei regarding Israel suggest to Clift that these aren't "totally irrational players?"
Exactly what about this psychotic duo makes anyone on the Left believe they're rational?
And once you say "you can't just assume that the minute they get a bomb they're going to attack," you are clearly stating that it's okay with you that Iran is a nuclear power.
As such, rather than all the pretense, why can't media members like Clift just admit as Dr. Strangelove did that they've learned to stopped worrying and love the Iranian bomb?
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Comments
Part of the enemy within.
Submitted by fscarn on Sun, 03/11/2012 - 6:22pm.
Of course she's okay with the idea of a mullah-mad country having a nuclear bomb.
In the end she's for "the Cause," and anything that brings down a civilization built on Judeo-Christian principles is just fine with her.
Eleanor's still hanging on
Submitted by bkeyser on Sun, 03/11/2012 - 6:33pm.
to hope in the persuasive skills of Neville Chamberlain.
This is the worst time to have an anti-Israel President.
Submitted by Rush Fan on Sun, 03/11/2012 - 7:06pm.
President Obama is steeped in antisemitism and anti-Israel. The Leftist media have ignored his mentor and former pastor's anti-Semitic remarks such as:
The Leftist media have ignored his relationships with Anti-Israel activists, such as Ali Abunimah, who said:
Bottom line: If Israel attacks Iran before the November election, President Obama will be under pressure to support Israel, or lose the votes of those who truly support Israel. However, if Israel waits until after the election to attack Iran, and Obama is unfortunately reelected, Obama has little to lose in letting Israel hang out to dry on its own.
Additional reading: Barack Obama’s top ten insults against Israel
Barack Obama and Israel
Eleanor is a frail and withered Liberal.
Submitted by acaiguana on Sun, 03/11/2012 - 7:22pm.
And she still believes in Unicorns and Lolly Pops.
ACA
...
Quoted from: 'Acaiguana notes from the Underground' (Soon to be at theaters near you)
What a screeching shrew.
Submitted by NeoKong on Sun, 03/11/2012 - 7:39pm.
How anybody values her opinion is beyond the pale to me.
Typical libs. . . .
Submitted by rickbren on Sun, 03/11/2012 - 8:01pm.
When you and defend your position, attack the messengers character. . .
Ignoble Pandering Clift
Submitted by stratman on Sun, 03/11/2012 - 8:28pm.
Eleanor Clift was peachy-keen about Obama going into Libya to topple a submissive dictator of no threat to America, but she failed to chastise Obama for not doing the same thing with a virulently anti-American Iran when the Iranian people were crying out for our help in their time of abuse. Where is her zeal for Obama to go into Syria where the situation is as bad if not worse?
Iran and Syria continue to provide support and material for others to kill Americans. Libya appeared to have constrained itself since after the invasion of Iraq.
What is Clift's malfunction?
What's her malfunction?
Submitted by hbnolikeee on Sun, 03/11/2012 - 9:48pm.
She's a liberal.
Yes
Submitted by stratman on Sun, 03/11/2012 - 11:23pm.
The stupid is strong in that one.
She talks of acting 'macho'
Submitted by ant on Sun, 03/11/2012 - 8:39pm.
She talks of acting 'macho' and 'howling like a war dog' but she doesn't see any of that from the Islamic world. Unbelievable.
Liberals just like to pick on
Submitted by MrSnuggles on Sun, 03/11/2012 - 8:40pm.
Liberals just like to pick on those they know will not or cannot defend themselves. This is why they viciously attack Christians but not muslims. Its the same with Iran
Another example of Liberals tripping over the R-word
Submitted by needle on Sun, 03/11/2012 - 8:56pm.
Responsibility. Responsibility, Eleanor; take responsibility for what you say, and not only for what you say but for the direct implications for what you say.
Liberals are so used to hiding behind their PC cr@p and protecting one another from having to deal with the consequences of what they say and do, the concept of taking responsibility practically makes them break out with hives.
- Looking forward to the self-annihilation of the Manipulated Stories Machine.
Nothing demonstrates
Submitted by dscott on Sun, 03/11/2012 - 9:17pm.
Nothing demonstrates liberal's disconnect from reality more than their inability to tell the difference between the insane ravings of a cult and people who reject their (liberal) belief system. They are seen as all the same, people whom are to be tricked or sold into an agreement which furthers their agenda. The problem here is you can't negotiate a cult's belief system. The Iranian leaders believe in the 12th Imam, the Mahdi, to reject the Mahdi is to reject the means he is to be brought forth.
The Iranians believe the nuclear bomb is their means to bring forth the Mahdi, and that's not negotiable... As long as the Iranian regime is in power, that's their over riding number 1 goal .
I believe Obama has been advised regarding their belief system and he is trying to put off what needs to be done until after the November election. A confrontation with Iran is going to drive up the price of oil and tank the economy. He knows the economy is going to determine his re-election chances just as it did George HW Bush.
Clift
Submitted by mmilesll on Mon, 03/12/2012 - 12:11am.
My God, she is dumber than she looks.
Eleanor Clift's rant
Submitted by hughg on Mon, 03/12/2012 - 5:26am.
That old gal is suffering a spiritual and mental disease common among liberals-a reprobate mind. One attains this position by leaning to one's on understanding. By repeatedly lying, one eventually loses all sense of right and wrong. Thus first the mind goes, then the spirit. All that's left is a hollow shell without feeling or sane judgment. God help any one with this disease,for it is tragically fatal both in this world and the afterlife. No hope in now, and forever to be exiled with the father of lies-Satan.
No body is looking at other scenarios...
Submitted by c5then on Mon, 03/12/2012 - 9:23am.
Maybe the short term goal of Iran is not necessarily to create a "nuclear bomb". Maybe they are just trying to build up enough highly enriched Uranium to start using it in their rockets that they supply to Hamas and Hezbollah and the PLO... Imagine a 40 or 50 rocket bombardment of Israel with rockets that contain enriched Uranium. Even if the Iron Dome system "takes out" most of them, they still spread the radioctive material all over and contaminate very large areas.
Madison and Jefferson and Franklin built a Republic - Roberts killed it!
Clift is a part of the myth
Submitted by dscott on Mon, 03/12/2012 - 12:27pm.
Clift is a part of the myth making group of liberals. Instead of the usual liberal manufactured outrage, they are laying the groundwork for manufactured surprise to create a moral high ground when Iran follows through on it's goal of bringing forth the Mahdi. The liberal elites know what's coming, they just need the Iranians to act against Israel to justify what they know needs to be done. It sucks to be Israel.
There are two types of liberals, those who create the myths and those who believe them. Right now the latter group who have gullibly bought the idea that no war is justified even if preemptive from the last round of propaganda have to be suitably prepared for the proper reaction. Thus we see the groundwork for victim status by the obvious denial of reality concerning the Iranian's intentions. Obama must be the victim here otherwise he has no moral standing in liberal eyes to order the military to attack Iran. This is the same tactic (economic sanctions) used on Japan by FDR, another Democrat who successfully became president for life, literally, he died in office after four elections. The primary purpose of this game is to permanently keep the price of gas up in the $8 gallon range thus benefiting Obama's campaign contributors in the Green Industrial Complex.
Secretary Chu has all but admitted to the goal of $8/gallon gas. Connect the dots folks... This is why they insist on outsourcing our oil supplies as it makes us vulnerable to price hikes instead of allowing domestic production on federal lands and not challenging the fracking process which would employ millions and keep energy prices low. It's all a part of a greater plan.
Like to watch her
Submitted by egutopia44 on Mon, 03/12/2012 - 5:35pm.
I actually like watching Eleanor. Even though she is usually wrong and in this case she is it is still fun watching her put her foot in her mouth