Sacrificing Our Troops on the Altar of Republican Politics

Leave it to the Porcine Draft Dodger–Karl Rove–to impugn the character of combat veterans. Can’t blame him for trotting out the same playbook that worked so well in 2004 against the candidacy of John Kerry. If it worked once it should work again.

Of course I am referring to Karl’s speech Tuesday night to Republicans in New Hampshire. According to a piece in Wednesday’s Washington Post:

In a speech to New Hampshire Republican officials here Monday night, the White House deputy chief of staff attacked Democrats who have criticized the U.S. war effort in Iraq, such as Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.) and Rep. John P. Murtha (Pa.), who he said advocate “cutting and running.”

“They may be with you for the first shots,” Rove said of such opponents. “But they’re not going . . . to be with you for the tough battles.”

Karl is a shameless bastard. Small wonder his mother killed herself. Once she discovered what a despicable soul she had spawned she apparently saw no other way out. It would be one thing if his vile tactics were simply mere smears of politicians like Kerry and Murtha. They are big boys and should be able to defend themselves quite ably against this turd. But Rove, like Josef Goebbels, has used fear and smear as his primary tools to keep George Bush in power. And to what end?

Let’s start with Karl’s participation in exposing the identity of an undercover CIA officer in order to divert attention from the fact that George Bush, over the repeated protests of the intelligence community, falsely claimed that Iraq was trying to get uranium from Niger. This was not just a human foible, a mistake. It was a bold lie used deliberately to incite fear and justify invading Iraq. They could not afford to admit their lie so they let George Tenet take the blame.

Rove did not stop there. Conflating Saddam with Bin Laden was part of his Fear Factor America campaign. He helped convince most American’s that Saddam was in bed with the man and the group who attacked us on 9-11. I give him credit for doing masterful deception operations, but I loathe what he did to America and its standing in the world. The fear of Bin Laden and the fear of nuclear Iraq were the key ingredients for the war fever Rove helped whip up.

Now, if fat Karl had been at the head of the line to enlist in the Army and help lead the invasion, I wouldn’t be so cranky. But he didn’t, and Cheney didn’t, and Wolfowitz didn’t, and Rummy didn’t and the Bush daughters were busy getting drunk in DC bars. What is it about Republican chickenhawks who played every angle during the Vietnam War to avoid going to war but have no hesistation to start a war in Iraq and send other peoples children into the fray?

We are now embroiled in a civil war in Iraq where we are busy killing Sunni insurgents while helping Shias with close ties to Iran consolidate power. Most Sunnis are convinced we want to exterminate them. As a result we will remain a main target for Sunni terrorism for at least a generation. Thanks Karl. At the same time, Karl is helping whip up new war fever against the new enemy in Iran. If you oppose invading Iran you hate freedom and are selling America’s freedom to an Islamic Adolf Hitler. At least that’s what Karl wants you to believe.

Karl and the Bush Administration have consistently used the threat of terror, the threat of Saddam, and the war in Iraq as a political club to destroy their opponents and to consolidate their power. Retired Marine General Mick Trainor, along with Michael Gordon, has chronicled this cynical policy in their book, COBRA II. This is no longer a matter of opinion, it is a documented record of fact.

When decorated war veterans like John Murtha and John Kerry dare to challenge the incompetence of the Administration in its prosecution of the war in Iraq and its wildly chaotic counter terrorism policy, Karl and many Republicans respond by accusing them of being soft on communism, oops, excuse me, I meant terrorism. I for one am fed up with these tactics and will fight back. Karl and his ilk are getting America’s sons and daughters killed in Iraq and in Afghanistan. He compounds the horror by wrapping himself in their blood and their sacrifice, claiming that only Republicans genuinely care about the troops. Yeah, the Republicans who sent our troops to Iraq with insufficient forces, with inadequate body armor, and with non-existent planning for the aftermath. And Rove has the balls to blame Democrats for this debacle? No dice fat boy.

The time has come to say enough. This is not about Democrat, or Independent, or Republican. This is a fight for the soul of this nation. Karl Rove may have cut a deal to stay out of jail and avoid prosecution, but that does not free him to attack the patriotism of Americans who care deeply about their country and its security. I will guarantee you one thing–Karl’s mom would not be proud.

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Larry C. Johnson is CEO and co-founder
of BERG Associates, LLC, an international business-consulting firm
that helps corporations and governments manage threats posed by
terrorism and money laundering. Mr. Johnson, who worked previously
with the Central Intelligence Agency and U.S. State Department’s
Office of Counter Terrorism (as a Deputy Director), is a recognized
expert in the fields of terrorism, aviation security, crisis and risk
management. Mr. Johnson has analyzed terrorist incidents for a variety
of media including the Jim Lehrer News Hour, National Public Radio,
ABC’s Nightline, NBC’s Today Show, the New York Times, CNN, Fox News,
and the BBC. Mr. Johnson has authored several articles for
publications, including Security Management Magazine, the New York
Times, and The Los Angeles Times. He has lectured on terrorism and
aviation security around the world. Further bio
details.