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Karl Rove’s red hot buzz phrase for this fall’s election is “cut-and-run Democrat.” It’s meant to be hurled with a derisive sneer at anyone who dares oppose George W’s war of lies and failure in Iraq. But wait – the obvious response to this is that the Bushites themselves cut and ran long ago.
When it comes to standing firm in Iraq, who is actually standing there? Not Bush’s two daughters or eight nieces and nephews. They’re all of prime enlistment age, but they chose to cut and run rather than sign up for their Daddy’s war. Not the loved ones of Cheney, Rummy, or any of the other ardent warmongers in Bush’s top circle – they cut and ran, too.
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Then there’s congress. A recent New York Times article practically wailed that Sen. Max Baucus’ nephew had been killed in Iraq, saying it “showed how death and grief can invade the halls on congress.” Indeed, this young man’s death is horrible, as are those of the 2,601 other Americans who have been sacrificed in this wretched war. But while feeling the pain of this one Senator, let’s not forget that congress continues to throw our young people, our public treasury, and our global reputation into the wasteland of Iraq – yet, of 535 members of congress, only six have close relatives whose lives have been put at risk there. The loved ones of the other 99.99 percent of lawmakers have chosen not to take a stand in Iraq.
The same is true of the right-wing media blatherers, the military contractors that are profiting from the war, the Wall Street financial powers, and the other elites who damned sure aren’t volunteering to have their kids become “boots on the ground.”
This is Jim Hightower saying… To stop this war in its tracks, require that all these cut-and-runners be a part of it. If Bush’s war is not worth putting their families at risk, it’s not worth the risk of any family. Rep. Charles Rangel has a bill that confronts the hypocrisy of these cut-and-runners. To learn about his Universal Service Act, call 202-225-4365.
Sources:
“Vennochi: Who’d back war if everyone’s kids had to go to Iraq?” The Boston Globe, July 2, 2006.
“Grief and Sacrifice Reach Into the Halls of Congress,” The New York Times, August 3, 2006.