The
Water’s Edge
by Robert Yoho, Columnist and Senior Editor
"Eye on Conservatism"
There is an old saying in political circles that says, “Politics stops at the
water’s edge.”
It is a political tradition that you do not criticize the President of the United States when he is overseas. Nor do you go to another country to denounce America or its leadership.
However, that old tradition quickly evaporated with the inauguration of President George W. Bush. On several of his overseas trips, particularly those prior to 9/11, Democrats and their loyal lap dogs in the media were extremely critical of President Bush.
On Bush’s first trip to Europe, Democrats and the media soundly criticized his policies on building a missile defense system and his opposition to the Kyoto treaty. Now they are doing the same on Bush’s demand that Iraq unconditionally comply with the conditions of the treaty they signed.
And then you had Bush’s predecessor, Bill Clinton, giving a speech to delegates in Blackpool, England. He praised the good and peace-loving Prime Minister Tony Blair for restraining the evil intentions of warmonger President George W. Bush
Poor little Billy just cannot help himself. As a young college student at Oxford during the Vietnam War, Clinton was active in anti-war, anti-president, and anti-American demonstrations. Because of the unpopularity of the war, perhaps there are some who may excuse him for his actions. The same considerations cannot and should not be given to the man now!
As an ex-president, Clinton’s recent theatrics are not only classless; they are downright un-American and arguably treasonous! It is one thing for a former president to disagree with his successor on foreign policy. There is certainly nothing wrong with honest dissent and disagreement regarding President Bush’s policies on dealing with Iraq and Saddam Hussein. However in a post 9/11 America, it is repugnant that an ex-president would willingly choose to voice those partisan objections from the shores of another country!
That should only give you further insight into what the Democratic Party has become. Largely gone are the patriots and true statesmen of a once proud party! If that wasn’t bad enough, then we had three gullible Democrat congressmen go to Iraq supposedly in an attempt to learn the truth from a murdering cutthroat. Standing on the foreign soil of a country dedicated to our utter annihilation, Rep. Jim McDermott accused the president of being a liar. Then the highest-ranking Democrat in the House, David Bonior proceeded to criticize the president and suggested that we needed to be “fair” with the Butcher of Baghdad.
“We’ve got to move forward in a way that’s fair and impartial,” Bonior said. “That means not having the United States dictate the rules to these inspections.”
I find it appalling that a member of the House of Representatives actually thinks America shouldn’t dictate the rules following a decisive military victory. Thanks heavens he wasn’t around following World War II! He might have suggested that America should have acted impartially there, and let the Germans and Japanese fully dictate the terms of their surrender.
What is even more pathetic is the fact that McDermott and Bonior are both military veterans of Vietnam. These men who risked their lives to serve their country are more than willing to risk your lives to undermine their own country’s security. They fought to stop the spread of Communism; they will not act to stop the proliferation of terrorism!
With the recent actions of the buffoon Al Gore, Baghdad Bonior, and Bill “I am sorry to be an American” Clinton, not only is the Democratic Party becoming the Anti-War Party; they are also becoming the Anti-American Party. With the exception of House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, Democrats have been slow to support the president or even to clearly stake out a position.
Some of them are only now beginning to rally around the president’s cause because of Bush’s overwhelming popularity and public trust. Conspicuously absent from the group has been Senate Leader Tom Daschle, who is still seeking a creative and seemingly courageous way to oppose the war, but still to take credit for any eventual success.
These are the worst kind of partisans, people who will endanger the country to serve their narrow and selfish political interests. Politic should stop at the water’s edge. With liberal Democrats, the water’s edge is only the beginning. ***
© 2002 Robert Yoho
COPYRIGHT © 2002 BY THE AMERICAN PARTISAN. All writers retain rights to their work.
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