Much to-do has been made this week of Sen. Joe Lieberman cozying up to the Bushies and Defense Department by reiterating his support for the war in Iraq. Is he angling for an appointment to replace Donald Rumsfeld? Is he positioning himself for a 2008 presidential run as a moderate-conservative Democrat? Whatever the reason, he doesn’t deserve the critical onslaught for disagreeing with other Democrats.

Lieberman has been solid in his position from the beginning. While I disagree with his linkage of fighting terrorism there or here, I support his right to say what he thinks. Texas Rep. Chet Edwards said it well in Todd Gillman’s weekly column on Texans in Congress in the DMN today: “Shame on any party, Democrat or Republican, that would try to make issues of war or peace a party loyalty test.”

Just as Lieberman should feel free to speak his mind, so should Republicans who disagree with the president on this paramount issue feel free to speak out against the war. Members of Congress shouldn’t have to march in lockstep with party leaders, whether Howard Dean or President Bush.

As for Lieberman, the country could do worse than him for defense secretary. But his chances of getting the Democratic nomination in 2008 are nil. If Lieberman couldn’t give Al Gore the boost he needed in 2000, he’s not going to convince Democrats he can run on his own and make it. It’s like, you had your chance, Joe.

Meanwhile, I do find his logic faulty, i.e. that if we don’t fight terrorists in Iraq they will be emboldened “to strike us directly again.” If that’s the case, why aren’t we at war in Saudi Arabia?

But even more objectionable to me are statements by Republican apologists who say that Bush and Cheney never made a connection between 9-11 and Iraq – as Lynn Cheney, the vice president’s wife, did recently on public radio’s Diane Rehm show. Like Lieberman, Bush and Cheney both have made repeated statements about the need to fight terrorists in Iraq or face them on our own soil. But Mrs. Cheney emphatically denied that either of them has linked 9-11 to the war in Iraq.

As for me, I side with those who say the longer we stay in Iraq the more the number of terrorists multiply. Let’s hope the Dec. 15 election is successful and we can begin the phased pullout.

Comments (0)

Comment	smaller | bigger
Name
Write the displayed characters
Subscribe via email (Registered users only) I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.
	Add Comment