Press & Argus Column Suggests Dems Won't Fight Terror

A nasty lie is lurking in Dan Meisler's column in the Livingston Press & Argus from Friday (July 6, 2007) titled, "Some Things I'd Like to See."

The lie is phrased innocently, making it all the more dangerous because people accept its premise without really thinking about it and without Meisler having to state it outright. It's slander, nevertheless.

In the column, Meisler lists several things he'd like to see, such as an explanation for why it's all right to spend huge amounts of money in political campaigns and an explanation for why people should tolerate intolerance. And then comes this:

"I'd like to see a Democratic presidential candidate — after reciting the requisite criticisms of Bush's foreign policy, and the pledges to work more closely with our allies, and to go to war only as a last resort, and to respect human rights, etc. etc. — look into the camera, point his or her finger and say, 'But remember this: If you're a terrorist, we're coming after you.'"

Meisler has packed a lot into that statement, which probably had a lot of Livingston County people muttering, "Damn right," without stopping to think that George Bush has made plenty of such statements without carrying them out. In what jail is Osama bin Laden sitting right now, for example?

Furthermore, Meisler's statement assumes, without providing any proof, that Democrats only criticize Bush, have no plans of their own for fighting terrorism, and worst of all, somehow don't want to stop terrorists.

Meisler needs to pay closer attention to what Democratic candidates are saying.

As Sen. Hillary Clinton has been saying since at least 2005, in a statement here

"Criticism of this Administration's policies should not in any way be confused with softness against terrorists, inadequate support for democracy or lack of patriotism. I am grateful to the men and women of our armed forces and have been honored to meet them twice in Iraq. They honor our country every day with their courage, selfless dedication, and success in battle. I am also grateful to the thousands of unknown men and women in our security forces and around the world who have been fighting the larger war against terrorism, finding terrorists’ cells, arresting them and working to prevent future attacks. And I applaud the brave people who have been risking their lives every day to bring democracy and peace to Afghanistan and Iraq.

"I recently returned from visiting Israel and Jordan, seeing first hand the tragedy of spreading terrorism. As a New York Senator, I believe New York has a special bond with the victims of such terrorism, and we understand both the need to fight terrorism and the need for a clear plan in Iraq so that we can focus our resources in the right ways to prevent it from again reaching our shores.

"America has a big job to do now. We must set reasonable goals to finish what we started and successfully turn over Iraqi security to Iraqis. We must deny terrorists the prize they are now seeking in Iraq. We must repair the damage done to our reputation. We must reform our intelligence system so we never go to war on false premises again. We must repair the breach with the Muslim world. And we must continue to fight terrorism wherever it exists."

Let me repeat that, "And we must continue to fight terrorism wherever it exists."

More recently, a statement on her presidential campaign website says:

"Senator Clinton takes very seriously the threats we face from terrorism. She believes President Bush's singular focus on Iraq has distracted him from waging the war on terror effectively and emboldened our enemies. As president, she will be tough and smart in combating terrorism."

Sen. Barack Obama is not giving terrorists a free pass, either. In a statement on his campaign website lays out his position, which is:

"Under his leadership America will lead in five specific ways: First, we will bring a responsible end to the war in Iraq and refocus on the critical challenges in the broader region. Second, we will rebuild and transform the military to meet 21st-century threats. Third, we will marshal a global effort to secure, destroy, and stop the spread of weapons of mass destruction. Fourth, we will renew the alliances and partnerships necessary to meet common challenges, such as terrorism and climate change. And fifth, we will strengthen impoverished, weak and ungoverned countries that have become the most fertile breeding grounds for transnational threats like terror and pandemic disease and the smuggling of deadly weapons."

Meisler seems to think that the best strategy is to sit around and wait for children around the world to grow up in poverty and disillusionment, surrounded by hatred for Americans, and then be recruited and trained by terrorist organizations. Obama would rather try to stop the spread of terrorist ideas, as he lays out in an April 23, 2007 speech.

And those are the ideas from only two of the Democratic candidates. (Feel free to add more links to other candidates below.)

The point is that Democrats are offering plenty of ideas for fighting terrorists. Meisler does them a disservice by promoting the idea that they have done nothing but criticize Bush.

Lord knows, there's plenty of need to do that, too.