“Seven bombs have rocked Baghdad, killing at least 38 people, just hours after the Iraqi government met members of the international community in Brussels to seek reconstruction help,” reports Al-Jazeera. “Scores” have been injured.

See Catnip’s new diary on chickenhawk Karl Rove — “This Time Karl Rove Has Gone Too Far” (Jesus, Karl. Don’t get Catnip riled, you fool!) — and, below the fold, David Sirota’s blistering “Attention Chickenhawks: Enlist, or Shut Up.”

From David Sirota … and it’s ssssssssizzling hot:

There are a lot of pathetic political hacks running around these days talking tough about fighting wars – and most of them have never fought in a war, avoided fighting when they had the chance, and have no family members fighting in our current war.


When ultra-hawk Vice President Dick Cheney had the chance to fight in a war, he said he had “other priorities.” When George W. Bush had the chance, he used his dad’s name to get out of combat service. While Peter Beinart and the New Republic claim they truly believe in more hawkish policies, I don’t see him or the magazine’s writers lining up to enlist. And last I checked, the same Karl Rove who is attacking Democrats for questioning Bush’s management of the Iraq War, is the Karl Rove who has never served in the military in his life.

Now, as I wrote in a cover piece for the Nation magazine a while back, we shouldn’t be surprised that these chickenhawks have no problem talking tough about war, while running away from it in their own personal lives. Tough talk about war, and criticism of those who oppose it, makes these pathetic souls feel stronger than they actually are – and they have used it quite effectively in the political arena.


But Steve Gilliard today really puts these chickenhawks in their place:


“If you will not serve in Iraq, and no one you know will serve, stop expecting someone else to do what you will not. Therefore, it is time to stop calling for more troops, or the US to make Iraq safe. We cannot do this and even Americans are refusing to join the fight. It is time to look at your actions and realize, that despite your ideals, you oppose continuing this war. In practical terms, you have decided that this war is not worth your life or anyone you know. And million of Americans have joined you in this decision. So, with this fact evident, it is time to call for US troops to withdraw from Iraq. Not save it, not add more boots on the ground. You have already voted by your actions. It is time that you match it with your words.”


This is the way Democrats need to be talking about these issues – not cautiously asking for an “apology” from Rove. We don’t want “apologies” – we want a real debate about this. That means it is time to go for Democrats to finally go for the throat and make clear that if you are going to vehemently advocate sending more and more innocent Americans to die in Iraq, you better be prepared to back up that rhetoric with some sacrifice of your own.


And that goes especially for the inside-the-Beltway neocon crowd who makes decisions and spouts off opinions from the well-guarded confines of the D.C. cocktail party circuit, and thus never has to deal with the blood-and-guts ramifications of what they’re talking about. If you are willing to ask others for sacrifice but evaded such sacrifice when you had the chance, and aren’t willing to make any sacrifice yourself now – then sit down and shut up.


By the way, the Al-Jazeera site auto-updates its stories, I’ve noticed. The other day, as I wrote about one of its stories, I referred back only to see what the page had auto-refreshed, with the latest news up.