Bush's Self-Indictment
by Ted
Lang, Associate Editor
December 17, 2002
"Either you're with us, or against us;" isn't that the underlying concept of
"The Bush Doctrine?" It equates to black activist-author James Baldwin's dictum:
"If you're not solving the problem, you are the problem." Both are simple yet
forceful statements of purpose. Both allow no wiggle room for shades of gray.
The advantage of lofty, highly visible political battlements of power is that it magnifies expressed thought for consumption by the many below. It is the power of the "bully pulpit." But just like any expressed thought, lofty or otherwise, any and all of it can be misinterpreted, deliberately or not, and used against its author and proponent. Another more important assessment of the nature of utterances from the bully pulpit, is what is chosen as the topic along with its timing.
The comment by Senator Trent Lott (R-MS) on the occasion of Senator Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday and retirement suggesting that Thurmond could have been a president who would have prevented the progression of today's political turmoil, cannot be even remotely construed as a racist remark. It is a ridiculous stretch to tie this statement to an era 54 years hence and proclaim it as a racist remark evidencing hatred over such an extended period of time.
Democrat Party flacks that couldn't get a rise out of the electorate after the midterm election debacle by promoting the outrageous lie that the media was in the pocket of the Republican Party instead of Democrats, are now seizing upon this innocent remark uttered merely for the purposes of elevating a very old man's spirits. They are equating these ill-chosen words on a basis comparable to the Holocaust in hopes of launching their own against Republicans. In instances such as these, employing one's elevated position to shout down evildoers is vital.
But such aggressive posturing to defend or criticize an unjustified stance can generate yet new criticism when initiated without thought to either timing or precedent. The remark Lott made that still sticks in my craw is: "You're not dumping this garbage on us Henry!" thereby shielding an impeached Bill Clinton. To my way of thinking, that was a way worse remark than the genuine racist remarks of Dan Rather calling black African-American males "Buckwheats," or Mike Wallace's comments referring to blacks as "…eating watermelons…."
And of course there was that session with former Ku Klux Klan member, Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) and his "white nigger" dissertation on FOX News Sunday a year or so ago. Remembering how agog I was over these ill-chosen words from a member of the United States Senate, this was a one-on-one interview with noted anchor Tony Snow - where was the outrage from trash masters Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton?
The President of the United States was goaded into commenting on this meaningless noise. Why? Is this yet another staged outrage by MC George Bush? Where is the outrage over the botched intelligence and bureaucratic bungling of the FBI and CIA that led to the deaths of 3,000 of our fellow, gun-controlled, over-taxed, politically corrected citizens? Where are the tendered resignations of Norman Mineta, FBI director Robert Mueller, and CIA Director George Tenant? Where is the rebuke of Louis Freeh? But for the sake of protecting Republican electoral prospects, Bush would have remained silent as he was in the prior cases.
Why have Treasury Secretary O'Neill and Economic Advisor Lindsey resigned? Obviously, because Bush asked them to. And distancing himself from Lott seems to me the appropriately cowardly thing to do. And all gun-owning citizens have now been relieved of their constitutional rights thanks to the Ninth Circuit Court's repeal of the Second Amendment? This is the same Court that rescinded "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance. Where is Bush's outrage concerning this latest left-liberal rape of our Constitution?
Seems to me that the bully pulpit has lost its "y" somewhere along the road to serfdom! ***
© 2002 Ted Lang Publications
In addition to his work at The American Partisan, Ted Lang is a government analyst and a political freelance writer. He has written for numerous websites such as USA Daily, where he is a columnist, The Patriotist, Sierra Times, as well as New Jersey newspapers. Lang holds a BA in political science and an MBA.
COPYRIGHT © 2002 BY THE AMERICAN PARTISAN. All writers retain rights to their work.