Democrats in Denial, Republicans Deal With Reality

Based on the following press releases, it's obvious that Democrats are in denial about the role the CIA played in preventing the terrorists' latest flight of destruction.

Here's Jean Francois Kerry's statement:

"We are all incredibly grateful and fortunate that British authorities were able to prevent these attacks before more innocent people could be killed by these ruthless murderers. This is a stark reminder that the war on terrorism is global, and extends far beyond Iraq to our very shores.

Terrorism is the biggest threat to Americans' security, and this event exposes the misleading myth that we are fighting them over there so we don't have to fight them here. In fact, the war in Iraq has become a dangerous distraction, and a profound drain on our financial and military resources.

"Nearly five years after the attacks of 9/11, we are not as safe as we can and must be. Osama bin Laden is still on the loose. The 9/11 Commission's recommendations to secure our most vulnerable infrastructure remain virtually ignored. And, homeland security funding has been cut for cities like Boston and New York.

Jean Francois, we're foiling plots. As a U.S. citizen, that's my only benchmark. You talk about 9/11 Commission's recommendations, some of which make sense, some that don't. You rail that bin Laden hasn't been caught. How would capturing bin Laden and al-Zawahiri have prevented this terrorist attack?

And what's with this "we're thankful that British authorities were able to prevent these attacks before more innocent people could be killed by these ruthless murderers"? Don't you want to acknowledge the FBI's and CIA's role in all this? They were part of this too. So was Pakistani intelligence.

Here's Howard Dean's statement:

"Today's events are a troubling reminder that we are living in dangerous and trying times. These are times that call for real leadership. Not posturing, or name calling. As Americans we must be unwavering in our commitment to fighting and winning the war on terror. We need a new direction in our national defense policies that's tough and smart. That means tracking down terrorists and providing our troops and agencies with the tools they need to stop future attacks , implementing the 9/11 Commission recommendations to close the gaps in our security, securing our ports and borders, chemical and nuclear power plants and properly equipping our first responders and our national guard."

This would be too funny if it weren't so important. Dean says that "We need a new direction in our national defense policies that's tough and smart. That means tracking down terrorists..." Mr. Dean, Why do you diminish the CIA's and FBI's roles in this bust?

• I don't recall you chastising Harry Reid when he bragged about killing the Patriot Act.
• I don't recall you coming out as being for the TSP.

Those were tools that our government are using to prevent attacks. In fact, the word is that a key part of putting this puzzle together was the TSP detecting part of the plot.

Are you that anxious to score cheap political points? Are you that willing to ignore their great efforts so that you might win one more election? Shame on you for that.

Here's Harry Reid's statement:

"I commend British authorities for defusing this terror plot and apprehending the suspects. Their actions protected the lives of innocent civilians, including many American citizens. Today's events are an important reminder that we need to renew our focus on the war on terror and to continue to work with our allies to protect Americans from terrorism."

Notice the pattern? I don't have a problem applauding the Brit's part in this but I've got a serious problem with Democrats not thanking the CIA, FBI and the Pakistani intelligence that were part of this operation.

The Iraq war has diverted our focus and more than $300 billion in resources from the war on terrorism and has created a rallying cry for international terrorists.

This statement is so stupid that I'd normally ignore it. It's too serious an issue though, to ignore it. Mr. Reid, If our focus was so diverted, how did we spoil their plot? The obvious answer is that we're able to do both simultaneously. Then again, that probably isn't nuanced enough for a liberal to understand.

To their credit, RNC Chairman Mehlman and Speaker Hastert didn't let those statements stand. Here's Mehlman's statement:

The following release was issued today by the Republican National Committee:

Earlier today, Senator Harry Reid and Senator John Kerry attacked the administration's efforts in the War on Terror. Below is a response from RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman.

"On a day when American authorities are working with our allies to stop a global terror plot, instead of focusing on political attacks, we should focus on the fact that we are at war and need every tool to win the War on Terror. If Harry Reid had his way and killed the Patriot Act and ended the Terrorist Surveillance Program, authorities would be less able to uncover terror plots.

If John Kerry had his way and we surrendered Iraq to the terrorists, Islamic jihadists would be strengthened and even more dangerous in the future. The main lesson of today is America needs to continue working with our allies and stay on the offense in the Global War on Terror."

Here's a portion of Hastert's statement:

"Every day is not an election day, but it seems for the Democrats it is. Today our British allies and U.S. intelligence services were able to identify, intercept, and impede a terrorist plot because we have given them the tools to fight this intelligence-driven Global War on Terror. Instead of humble gratitude, the Democratic Leadership suggested that increasing democracy in the Middle East is distracting us from homeland defense.

"This misses the point: the war on terror is a global war. The terrorists arrested today were aiming for our cities and innocent civilians, and we only know that because we had visibility into their planning and plotting. With the PATRIOT Act, FISA courts, and other intelligence programs, we can learn what the terrorists know and where they go, and then we have a chance to disrupt them. But it is those same tools that saved the day today that the Democratic Leadership have repeatedly tried to vote down, thereby weakening America's intelligence efforts and lowering our guard against terrorism.

" America cannot stop terrorists with blinders on. America cannot stop terrorists by simply hoping they won't take transatlantic flights to bring terror, once again, to our cities. We stop terrorists by watching them, following them, listening in on their plans, and then arresting them before they can strike.

Democrats want us to ignore the fact that we spoiled another terrorist plot. They want us to ignore Reid's bragging that he'd "killed the Patriot Act. They want us to ignore the fact that they're opposed to the TSP because they want to impose the highest burden on law enforcement possible. They've demanded that we have probable cause before getting a warrant instead of using the British standard of reasonable suspicion.

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Posted Friday, August 11, 2006 12:45 AM

July 2006 Posts

Comment 1 by ariadne at 11-Aug-06 12:17 PM

Um, helloooo, I know you're not part of the "Factinista," but ren't you forgetting something?

Isn't there anyone in the current administration or its "experts" who passed 10th grade chemistry and already knew that liquids and gels were more dangerous to have on planes than nail clippers?

Heckuva job, guys. Sheesh.