RK diaries, Hurst Miss Point
The GOP has one amazing ally in this election campaign-the missed and mixed messages the Democrats are putting out.
Zipping around the blogosphere and MSM a couple of items came to my attention...
Virginia 10-Comparing Apples and Oranges
Some of the folks at RK are not happy the Washington Post gave a strong endorsement to Frank Wolf. One of the RK diarists wrote a sample letter to the editor to be used to complain about the endorsement.
KCinDC took issue with the praise for Wolf's human rights work as he voted for the Military Commissions Act, saying:
There is no doubt that we want a government that always conducts itself in a manner consistent with the high standards we demand from other countries. But the starving masses of Darfur, the victims of the conflict diamond regions, the oppressed of Nepal, and a score of other groups who suffer from government repression or ecological calamity are a lot different than those who pick up weapons, cry "jihad", and go out to kill US soldiers in the name of a theological movement that aspires to wipe us from the face of the earth.
KCinDC wonders what is Frank Wolf's commitment to human rights?
It would seem that Frank Wolf is much more concerned about people who are suffering due to oppression and through no fault of their own and cannot help themselves as opposed to people who are trying to kill US citizens.
I don't see where this type message is going to win more voters to the Democratic candidate.
Virginia 11-Are all these folks on the same team?
A quck survey of the Democratic or left leaning blogs in Virgina make it sound like Andrew Hurst will win a Truman-Dewey type upset victory over Tom Davis come election day. Then you read Andrew Hurst's comments in today's WaPo, and you have to wonder if he hasn't already given up the ghost.
Marc Fischer has his column in todays WaPo titled "Against Tom Davis, the Good Fight Seems Futile", and includes several quotes from Andrew Hurst.
Hurst is clearly feisty yet overwhelmed. First he says:
Later, Hurst laments those who will vote for Jim Webb and for Tom Davis:
It looks like someone forgot to tell Mr. Hurst he has to be careful what he says to the press...
Zipping around the blogosphere and MSM a couple of items came to my attention...
Virginia 10-Comparing Apples and Oranges
Some of the folks at RK are not happy the Washington Post gave a strong endorsement to Frank Wolf. One of the RK diarists wrote a sample letter to the editor to be used to complain about the endorsement.
KCinDC took issue with the praise for Wolf's human rights work as he voted for the Military Commissions Act, saying:
Seven House Republicans chose to break with the president and their party and oppose this shameful legislation because they cared about human rights and the principles the United States stands for. Rep. Wolf was not among them. What does that say about his commitment to human rights?
There is no doubt that we want a government that always conducts itself in a manner consistent with the high standards we demand from other countries. But the starving masses of Darfur, the victims of the conflict diamond regions, the oppressed of Nepal, and a score of other groups who suffer from government repression or ecological calamity are a lot different than those who pick up weapons, cry "jihad", and go out to kill US soldiers in the name of a theological movement that aspires to wipe us from the face of the earth.
KCinDC wonders what is Frank Wolf's commitment to human rights?
It would seem that Frank Wolf is much more concerned about people who are suffering due to oppression and through no fault of their own and cannot help themselves as opposed to people who are trying to kill US citizens.
I don't see where this type message is going to win more voters to the Democratic candidate.
Virginia 11-Are all these folks on the same team?
A quck survey of the Democratic or left leaning blogs in Virgina make it sound like Andrew Hurst will win a Truman-Dewey type upset victory over Tom Davis come election day. Then you read Andrew Hurst's comments in today's WaPo, and you have to wonder if he hasn't already given up the ghost.
Marc Fischer has his column in todays WaPo titled "Against Tom Davis, the Good Fight Seems Futile", and includes several quotes from Andrew Hurst.
Hurst is clearly feisty yet overwhelmed. First he says:
His [Davis] popularity is 70 percent in the district," says Hurst. "I was at a Democratic club at a huge seniors complex, and I had to convince a woman to stop voting for Tom Davis -- in a Democratic club!"
Later, Hurst laments those who will vote for Jim Webb and for Tom Davis:
"Those voters really don't want to hear from me," Hurst says with a grimace. "They've already settled this in their minds".
It looks like someone forgot to tell Mr. Hurst he has to be careful what he says to the press...
posted by Bwana | 8:50 AM
2 Comments:
Why isn't it possible to care about the human rights of those in Darfur and other oppressed areas as well as those being abused and denied fair processing in US custody, some of whom are out to kill US soldiers but some of whom are not?
I realize that the Republicans want us to believe that everyone the government claims is a dangerous jihadist actually is one and that the government never makes mistakes, but I don't believe that. Moreover, I don't believe that the government needs sweeping new powers that it didn't need during the far greater threat we faced during the Cold War.
I believe that the United States should not have weakened its commitment to human rights. I fear that you are correct that that belief will not win more voters in Virginia, especially when it is distorted by ignoring that many of the detainees are innocent, but it remains an important part of what America means to me nonetheless.
I hope that one day we all, including those who are now willing to compromise American principles out of fear or hate, will be able to look back at this period as one when the country made a serious mistake that it later corrected, and I hope that day comes soon.
KCinDC-I do not disagree with your sentiments, only its efficacy as an election strategy.
When Democratic House Leader Nancy Pelosi calls Frank Wolf "an unmatched leader in his commitment to human rights," I have to think that not even the DCCC-who apparently have written the Feder campaign plan-think he is vulnerable on this issue.
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