I Have a Crazy Idea

How many times have we seen the right whip out the canard "Well so and so dem supported the war". How many times have we seen a news talk show host ask that very question of the democratic talking head and watch as the talking head sputtered and mumbled and danced clumsily away.

Seems to me like a defensible response would be the simple truth: I also initially supported the war. Why? Because I trusted that the freakin President of the United States that's why! I gave the President the very support he asked for, and which he misused to the tune of hundreds of billion of dollars and a stack of dead and maimed kids.

In retrospect I probably should have been more cynical, I should have been more skeptical, and so should the Democratic opposition. But then again, who in the world ever would have thought the WH would lie most foul about such a grave matter? What reason might we have to assume the WH would work vigorously to conceal the truth and present a pack of whoppers in its stead? How can I hold the dems responsible for making the same decision I probably would have made given the 'facts' the WH presented and the lack of dissenting opinion they permitted to be fairly brought to light? Normally, in the aftermath of the deadliest attack on the US mainland since the War of 1812, one would think the Commander-in-Chief would be earnest about protecting the nation. Tragically, we now know that implicit trust was grossly undeserved. Bottom line is we were all lied to and the fault for that lays with the <gasp> liars themselves.

The President asked for my trust, and even went so far as to say this was his call and his responsibility. The VP, the SecDef, and the NSA all went on talk shows for weeks and months, giving interviews left and right assuring us they knew what they were doing. Smugly assuring us that if we didn't trust them now, right now this very second, we just might get nuked.

Now that it's revealed that the WH lied, twisted the facts to bolster the case for war, and actively squelched anyone who attempted to convey a more accurate analysis, the WH and most of the GOP are trying to go back on that willingness to accept responsibility and blame it on everyone else who provided them exactly what they asked for. Yet another painful example that this WH and their apologists are not men and women of honor.

The best response to 'why did you agree with the President'? How about the truth? We trusted the President and his cabinet when they told us over and over again that Saddam had WMDs and that a 'mushroom cloud' could appear over American cities; and it turns out they all misled us terribly, inexcusably, and with intent.

Does that sound crazy to the democratic legislators who gave the President the authorization he practically begged for? Why it would be beyond their capacity to articulate, I have no idea. But here in everyday America, far from the big money, cushy salaries, sweet benefits, safe soundbites, and wishy-washy atmosphere of Beltway Politics, it seems to make one hell of a lot of sense to this reformed conservative.

Here's some political advice for the DLC Orthodoxy; Truth 'plays' well. Truth 'polls' well. Take a 'chance'; Tell the truth about why you gave the President authorization. Lord knows I'm no political strategist or game theorist. But geez, based on present polls regarding public perception of WH integrity and popular sentiment over Iraq, telling the truth here doesn't look like a big risk to one's career. It sure didn't hurt Paul Hackett.

You want to figure out where the people are and run in front to garner political support? Well we sure know where the majority of people are now, they think the WH lied and they're not happy about that or about being stuck in Iraq. And there is every sign that dynamic is going to get worse, much worse.

So here's my crazy idea: Maybe it would be a good move politically--not to mention, you know, ethically--to try doing something 'revolutionary', something every poll now shows the American electorate appears starved for: Instead of trying to dance around and away from the truth about Iraq and why so many dems bought into it, try actually telling it.