I would have said that invoking 9/11 has jumped the shark, but frankly, the term “jump the shark” has jumped the shark already.
That being said, once again and right on cue, President Bush used the swearing in of Mike McConnell as National Intelligence Director to show off his own lack of intelligence. In his “remarks”, Bush once again pulled out the “9/11 card”, not realizing that his mere mentioning of the worst attack on American soil either gets people angry at the blatant pandering and fearmongering, makes them shake their head in annoyance or reinforces the complete ineptitude of what is already known as the worst presidency ever.
Yet, here is our on-the-verge-of-public-meltdown President trying as hard as he can to not find a way not to remind us all of how his administration failed to heed every warning while reminding us that is if we don’t watch it, the terrorists will get us again.
Mike’s long experience gives him a unique understanding of the threats we face in this new century. He knows that the terrorists who struck America on September the 11th, 2001 are determined to strike our nation again. He understands that the enemy uses the tools of our modern economy — from rapid transportation, to instant communications, to global finance — to spread their extremist ideology, and facilitate new attacks.
Ugh….please. Spare me the histrionics (and to take a page out of Dear Leader’s book, that means “dramatic or hysterical behavior”). All that was missing was the revelation that Saddam and Osama watched the towers fall while enjoying a hearty lunch together.
And just as “9/11 changed everything” so did November 7. We all remember what happened on 9/11. And even if we forgot, we can’t watch one speech by either Bush or Cheney without being reminded – that is if we can even stomach watching another speech in general.
Americans woke up on November 7. Maybe not as much as some of us would have liked, but they woke up. And they are continuing to slowly wake from the 6 year trance that this country has been in. They feel less safe than five years ago. Nearly half knew back in 2003 that Iraq was making us less safe. Over half knew it by July 2005.
Americans haven’t trusted the administration on Iran for nearly a year now. They know that there was no link between Saddam and the 9/11 attacks. Americans are finding out that by the administration’s cutting and running from Afghanistan, it allowed al Qaeda to have a banner year in 2006, whether it was in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan or, well, everywhere else.
How overplayed is the “9/11 card”? Now, FauxNooz is downplaying the damage al Qaeda and a nuclear attack. Of course, it is in comparison to the millions of lives that would be destroyed by…….teachers unions. Yes, invoking the 9/11 attacks has even worn thin on foaming at the mouth talking meatsicks like Sean Hannity:
SEAN HANNITY: Alright, let me ask you. Because, you — when you said about the Department of Education — you want to abolish it — when you said that the teachers unions is more dangerous to this country in the long term –
NEAL BOORTZ: In the long term, yeah.
HANNITY: Than al Qaeda.
BOORTZ: Right. Look, Al Qaeda, they could bring in a nuke into this country and kill 100,000 people with a well-placed nuke somewhere. Ok. We would recover from that. It would be a terrible tragedy, but the teachers unions in this country can destroy a generation.
HANNITY: They are.
BOORTZ: Well, they are destroying a generation.
HANNITY: They are ruining our school system.
BOORTZ: They’re much more dangerous. We worry about al Qaeda and we should. But at the same time let’s not let the teachers union skate.
HANNITY: They destroyed our school system, and we don’t do anything. The parents — why there aren’t people rising up against it is unbelievable.
Congratulations, Preznit. You have managed to turn a national tragedy into a “SOTU drinking game”. Hell, when nearly 6 out of 10 just want you to pack up and go back to clearing fake brush on your fake ranch, it is time to stop to ponder your tremendous slide into irrelevancy from the days just after……you know, 9/11.
So, please. For the sake of us all – just stop invoking 9/11 every chance you get. We know it happened. On your watch. And we want a new direction in Iraq – out, not deeper in over our heads. Just like what the voters wanted with your policies when they voted on November 7. Out.
Just like your invoking 9/11, your administration is so pre-November 7.
