Yesterday, Senator John Ensign demonstrated once again that he’s nothing more than the Bush administration’s echo-chamber. Well, his rantings didn’t go unanswered, as Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana hit right back (hat-tip to DownWithTyranny!).
You can watch the video at YouTube.
Here’s the official transcript as part of the Senate record:
Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I came to the floor to speak briefly about one of our outstanding superintendents in Louisiana and to pay tribute to an accomplishment that has been made on education. But in light of the rantings that went on for the last 30 minutes in the Chamber from my two colleagues on the other side, I would like to state for the record that America is not tired of fighting terrorism. America is tired of the wrong-headed and bone-headed leadership of the Republican Party that has sent $6.5 billion a month to Iraq, when the front line was Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia. America is tired of leadership which led this country to attack Saddam Hussein when we were attacked by Osama bin Laden, and which captured a man who did not attack the country and left loose a man who did.
Americans are tired of bone-headed Republican leadership that alienates our allies when we need them the most. And Americans are most certainly tired of leadership that, despite documented mistake after mistake after mistake after mistake after mistake–and even their own party admitting mistakes–never admits that they do anything wrong. That is the kind of leadership Americans are tired of.
I didn’t come to the Senate to have partisan rantings on the floor, but I most certainly am not going to sit here as a Democrat and let the Republican leadership come to the floor and talk about how Democrats are not making us safe. They are the ones who are in charge, and Osama bin Laden is still loose.
“Wrong-headed and bone-headed.” Well said, Senator!
I won’t waste too much precious space on this blog by quoting the ensignificant Senator in full. You can read it all here, if you so choose. I’d just like to point out a couple of his stupendous talking points:
The world has changed much since that horrific day. Unfortunately, the will to fight extremists who planned and executed September 11, and many other attacks around the globe, has wavered since then. The united resolve of many nations has softened dramatically.
First of all, that is just wrong! Many European nations, including my home country Germany, are on the ground in Afghanistan and are trying to keep the Taliban from resurging while the U.S. has largely abandoned Afghanistan and its fight against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban there in favor of overthrowing Saddam Hussein who had nothing to do with 9/11. In essence, Senator Ensign: weren’t it for the European troops the Taliban would probably already be back in power.
They challenged us many times over the years and received little more than empty rhetoric and a slap on the wrist for such atrocities as striking the USS Cole, the first World Trade Center bombings, destruction of the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia and the Marine barracks in Lebanon; and, of course, they attacked our Embassies in Africa.
“A slap on the wrists?” Is that your new talking point? What a brave distortion. It was Republicans who had nothing better to do than impeach President Clinton on quite ludicrous charges and it was Republicans who accused the President of trying to divert attention from his impeachment when he was trying to go after Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda.
We were at war, but we didn’t even know it. For too long we ignored the words of these terrorists. We attributed their declarations of hate as mere rantings of lunatics.
Yeah, you did. You were too busy going after President Clinton, remember?
We know Iraq is central to the war on terror because Osama bin Laden said it is. He said:
The most serious issue today for the whole world is this third world war that is raging in Iraq.
Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden’s deputy, described Iraq as “the place for the greatest battle of Islam in this era.”
Oh, that is just so sweet. You quoting Osama and all. Would you like to give us the dates of these quotes? Could it possibly be that they were uttered after your President decided it was a grand idea to invade Iraq instead of hunting down Osama and his friends? Is it possible that Osama could only utter these words because the US invaded Iraq?
Osama bin Laden has called the 9/11 attacks, in his words, “a great step toward the unity of Muslims and establishing the righteous caliphate.” There are reports that some of Osama bin Laden’s supporters believe that he is the Mahdi, the 12th Imam. The Mahdi will lead believers in Islam to victory over the infidels, ushering in an era of peace and justice.
Another Osama quote. Is it in any way possible that Osama is still on the loose so that you can quote him more often? After all you need a visible enemy when you’re fearmongering. But, hey, there’s another enemy just around the corner:
Even Iran’s President is on record as instructing America, in his words:
If you would like to have good relations with the Iranian nation in the future, bow down before the greatness of the Iranian nation and surrender. If you don’t accept to do this, the Iranian nation will force you to surrender and bow down.
Those are the Iranian President’s own words.
It is not farfetched to believe that with nuclear weapons in his possession, he would use them to usher in this cataclysmic confrontation that he seeks. We must take these threats seriously and act accordingly.
There’s has been a lot of chatter among Republicans about Iran recently. Is it in any way possible that you’re preparing to attack Iran next after not finishing your jobs in Afghanistan and Iraq? Just asking.
By sacrificing human life to serve their radical visions, by abandoning every value except power, they follow the path of fascism and Nazism and totalitarianism. They will follow that path all the way to where it ends: In history’s unmarked graves of discarded lies.
Oh, goody, another Bushy talking point! The Nazi’s are back! Who would have thought. Senator, I’d like to have a chat with you and just check if you have any knowledge of history whatsoever. Somehow I doubt it.
The war we fight today is more than a military conflict; it is the decisive ideological struggle of the 21st century. Make no mistake: this is an enemy we cannot appease; this is an enemy we must defeat.
Talking point number 1275: appeasment. Who appeases, Senator? Name names!
On September 11, 2001, and the days immediately following, this country stood united. We stood ready to protect all Americans.
You left out something, Senator: the world stood united. I remember it as if it were yesterday. Then your President decided he’d like to attack Iraq for some made up reason. And the sane part of the world said: hell, no! You and your Republican friends threw the world’s solidarity right out the window by attacking Iraq.
Mr. President, al-Qaida reads our newspapers and watches our television stations. They see the lack of resolve in some of our leaders and they seek to exploit it. This is the time to lead, a time to unite, and a time to defeat an enemy that wants to bring an end to freedom around the world. We must lay down our party labels as Republicans, Democrats, or Independents and become Americans. We must not tire. We must not falter. We cannot fail.
Good Lord! Is it in any way possible that an election is around the corner? And since when is “Americans” a synonym for Republicans? Must have missed that.
By the way, you faltered and you failed.
Senator, where the hell is Osama bin Laden? It’s been five years!
Help defeat the “bone-headed” Senator! Contribute to Jack Carter!
cross posted from my local blog Turn Tahoe Blue