Carol Platt Liebau: The Left Wing Exploiters

Saturday, August 20, 2005

The Left Wing Exploiters

Here is a must-read, as The Weekly Standard's Noemie Emery eviscerates the shameless grief-based politics of the left.

Another group exploited by Democrats is the soldiers in Iraq. Today, listening to Max Cleland's response to the President's weekly radio address, I was dumbstruck (I can't find a transcript -- if you are able to do so, please email me the link at CarolLiebau@CarolLiebau.com or else please leave it as a comment). . .

The response was nothing more than a jumble of bitter accusations toward the President, toward the conduct of the war in Iraq, and about the supposed mistreatment of American soldiers by the Bush Administration. If it had been designed as a deliberate attack on the wartime morale of the American people, it couldn't have been more perfect.

Most distasteful was Cleland's purported "concern" about the "psychological" well-being of the troops in Iraq, as though they are weak people who are about to crack -- perpetuating the Vietnam-era increasingly-discredited myth of the deranged combat vet. (And if they were, in fact, psychologically vulnerable, wouldn't Cleland's attack on their mission only exacerbate the problem?)

Max Cleland is to be honored for his service in Vietnam. But whatever his valor in those days, they don't immunize him from criticism -- whether of his legislative decisions when he was in office, his over-the-top condemnation of the war and the Administration, or his (and his party's) abject failure to offer a single constructive idea (as I noted here).

And certainly the Democrats should stop exploiting the grief stricken, the embittered and the military in their unceasing concern with nothing more than their own political fortunes.

4 Comments:

Blogger Anonymous said...

Max Cleland has a lot more right to talk about the psychology of war than you, Ms. Armchair General. You're talking about a man who lost limbs fighting for people like you. Do you have a batphone to the frontlines that you know personally what the morale is like over there? You think this man loves his country any less than you? What have YOU sacraficed for this country? Show some respect or at least a little bit more originality. You're website is nothing but warmed-over Republican "talking points". People are dying so that spoiled, lazy Americans like you can drive gas guzzling Hummers. You call that patriotic. I call it disgusting.

5:34 PM  
Blogger Anonymous said...

And another thing Ms. Lier-whatever-your-name-is...you dismiss Max Clelland getting his limbs blown off with your quip "whatever he did in those days, don't immune him from criticism." Whatever he did??? are you kidding me? Frankly, I think his actions come pretty darn close to making him immune from criticism. Especially from conservadroids like you who wrote the book on exploitation (remember Jessica Lynch?)
So let's see, you've attacked a vietnam vet and a gold star mom. Why don't you make it a hat trick and beat up a few old lady's at bingo night?

8:26 PM  
Blogger Matt Brinkman said...

Hi Carol,

Per your request, here is a transcript of former Senator Max Cleland's radio address from 8/20/2005.


Good morning.

I'm former Senator Max Cleland.

My fellow Americans, my friends, I'm a veteran of the Vietnam War. Having left three limbs on that battlefield, I've seen the toll that war can take on our troops and on our country. We are now engaged in another war -- a war in Iraq. However, the Bush Administration's plan for victory is not working.

There is no strategy to win. The President disregarded the advice of top military brass who said that at least 500,000 troops were needed to secure Iraq. The President committed only one-fifth of that force to the war. Consequently, our military is completely overextended. Many servicemen and women are returning to Iraq for their third tour. The all-volunteer force is suffering -- not only in the active force, but also in the Guard and Reserves.

Iraq is still not secure and we don't have the forces there to make it secure.

Furthermore, Osama Bin Laden and his terrorist cadre who did attack our country on September 11, 2001 are still on the loose.

We are running out of time. We need a strategy to win in Iraq or an exit strategy to leave. The present course will lead us to disaster. More of the same just means more precious blood spilled in the desert.

The war is well into its third year. Early on the President said Mission Accomplished and major combat was over. This judgment was wrong. Major combat is not over. The cost has been extremely bloody for this nation.

Almost 2,000 servicemen and women are dead. More than 15,000 have been wounded. A quarter of a million American servicemen and women have returned to our country to face an uncertain future. They bring with them the horrors and pain of a war with no end.

The result of this war has left a multitude of military families looking to their government for help. Yet, the Administration's budget for them is woefully inadequate. At least $3.5 billion dollars more is needed. We should be expanding VA health care -- especially counseling for veterans and their families dealing with the emotional aftermath of war.

The toll on the serviceman and women in a war where a distinct majority of the casualties are due to explosive devices is especially devastating.

The Bush Administration needs to step up the plate. It's time to face the truth. It's time for a strategy to win in Iraq or a strategy to get out.

I learned in Vietnam that the best way to support out troops is to either give them the forces and equipment needed to win or bring them home so we can care for those who have borne the battle.

I'm Max Cleland.

Thanks for listening.

2:38 PM  
Blogger Matt Brinkman said...

Carol,

Having posted Max Cleland's radio address up above, I will let others judge whether or not it has been "designed as a deliberate attack on the wartime morale of the American people" or not.

Can you point out the part from this speech that you find "most distasteful." I thought, because you had quoted the word psychological that maybe Max Cleleand had actually used that word. Turns out he didn't. Looking through the speech I can't even determine where psychological effects are even alluded to. If there is no such mention, then you have mislead your readers and you owe them an apology.

I think the heart of the address is found near the bottom, where Senator Cleland said,

The Bush Administration needs to step up the plate. It's time to face the truth. It's time for a strategy to win in Iraq or a strategy to get out.

I learned in Vietnam that the best way to support out troops is to either give them the forces and equipment needed to win or bring them home so we can care for those who have borne the battle.


I don't understand how asking the Bush Administration to either give our troops in Iraq a plan to win the war or to get them out, is exploitation.

2:54 PM  

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