Kathy just wrote about the incredibly insensitive, stupid and, most of all, disingenuous comments RNC Chairman Michael Steele made about the war in Afghanistan and the Obama administration’s role in that war.
What is particularly tragic is that Steele made those remarks on the eve of our Independence Day celebration, when–at least this one day in the year–Americans should be united, thankful and respectful when it comes to the men and women who are fighting our wars.
Never mind all the other insults and inaccuracies in fact, in spirit and in history that Steele’s remarks contain. His “This was not something that the United States had actively prosecuted or wanted to engage in,” is a slap in the face to the hundreds of thousands of troops who have served in Afghanistan—too many of them killed and maimed there–believing that two presidents of the United States had sent them there because our country was so vilely attacked on 9/11; believing that in fact this war was being “actively prosecuted” by the government of the United States of America.
I am not a fan of William Kristol. In fact I have written several posts very critical of him.
However, I totally agree with the letter he wrote to Mr. Steele.
A letter in which Kristol sets Mr. Steele straight as to recent history and present reality:
Needless to say, the war in Afghanistan was not “a war of Obama’s choosing.” It has been prosecuted by the United States under Presidents Bush and Obama. Republicans have consistently supported the effort. Indeed, as the DNC Communications Director (of all people) has said, your statement “puts [you] at odds with about 100 percent of the Republican Party.”
A letter in which Kristol points to the embarrassment and affront Steele’s comments are “both to the honor of the Republican party and to the commitment of the soldiers fighting to accomplish the mission they’ve been asked to take on by our elected leaders.”
And a letter which Kristol starts by asking Mr. Steele to consider “over this July 4 weekend, doing an act of service for the country you love: Resign as chairman of the Republican party,” and concludes by telling Mr. Steele that “[t]here are, of course, those who think we should pull out of Afghanistan, and they’re certainly entitled to make their case. But one of them shouldn’t be the chairman of the Republican party.
Bravo, Mr. Kristol.
And now a personal comment.
I did not support our invasion and occupation of Iraq–and I still don’t
I did support President Bush’s retaliation against those who planned, financed, organized, directed and executed the dastardly attack against our country almost nine years ago.
During a lively discussion here at TMV on the Afghanistan war only a few days ago, I explained at length my reasons for supporting President Bush’s military action against Afghanistan–albeit I lamented the execution–and for continuing to support our military efforts in Afghanistan under a new president. I concluded with these comments:
As you can see, I don’t have set-in-concrete opinions, except for one:
I despise those who were gung-ho supporters of the Afghanistan war during the Bush years, but now are having “second thoughts,” for no other reason than because it’s now “Obama’s war,” and we know how badly we want “Obama to fail”
And, before you tear up those keyboards, I don’t know of any of our regular posters who fall into this category.
Well, I had no idea that within a few days a top ranking Republican would prove my point.
It is however, gratifying to see how Bill Kristol and “about 100 percent of the Republican Party” (well, let’s say 99.9 percent) have immediately stepped forward to repudiate or condemn Mr. Steele’s unfortunate remarks.
