The improving situation in Iraq is driving certain congressmen and congresswomen to rhetorical depths I don't recall ever seeing.
Though there have almost surely been other instances of offensive excess on the House Floor over the Iraq War, we've recently been treated to at least the following:
- Pete Stark (D-CA), October -- "You don't have money to fund the war or children,'' Stark said. "But you're going to spend it to blow up innocent people if we can get enough kids to grow old enough for you to send to Iraq to get their heads blown off for the president's amusement." Stark, under intense pressure from Nancy Pelosi, later tearfully apologized.
- David Obey (D-WI), November -- Insurgents “are running out of people to kill,” and “There are fewer targets of opportunity.” I do not believe that Obey has backed off of his remarks.
- Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), December -- "They (Republicans) like this war. They want this war to continue." Pelosi later "clarified," saying she meant to say "support" instead of "like."
The latest example, courtesy of Virginia Congressman Jim Moran on Wednesday, may, despite the strong competition noted, take the prize for greatest smear of our president, his administration, and/or our troops -- ever.
It all depends on what the definition of "we" is (link is to "full" YouTube video; HT Weapons of Mass Discussion, which has a 13-second clip).
Here is a transcript of the short clip:
..... good schoolgirls having to go to school wearing their veils? A repressive society, what will become a Shiite theocracy?
Sure, there's less violence, but that's because we've ethnically cleansed most of Baghdad.
As to who "we" is, I would suggest, in the context of the full video, that the answer is "all of the above."
Vets For Freedom (vetsforfreedom.org) has responded, apparently via e-mail. Here are the opening paragraphs (the full text is at Weapons of Mass Discussion; bolds are mine):
(Washington, DC) Vets for Freedom condemns the recent comments by Congressman Jim Moran (D-VA) on the floor of the House of Representatives in which he stated that American troops “ethnically cleansed Baghdad.” The United Nations, along with the rest of the civilized world, commonly refers to ethnic cleansing as genocide.
“Once again, Congressman Moran demonstrates how far from reality he has fallen,” said Executive Director of Vets for Freedom and Iraq Army veteran, Pete Hegseth. “Jim Moran has a long history of putting his foot in his mouth, but this time he has gone too far. The men and women who make up our nation’s military are decent and honorable citizens who bravely serve to fight our enemies who threaten our national security. Insinuating that they are war criminals is outright despicable.”
Old Media coverage is nil. This Google News search on "Moran ethnically" (not in quotes) has one item, a blog post at Michelle Malkin's Hot Air.
The fact that these outrageous insults continue to spew forth from Congress, and continue to go either unreported or underreported, tells you all you need to know about where Old Media's sympathies lie.
Cross-posted at BizzyBlog.com.
