Will Sanity Return…
…to the Left after 2008 if the Democrats win the Presidency? The reason I ask this is this comment by Paul Begala (well actually this and others),
BEGALA: Yet, we sit back and allow George W. Bush and our Republican friends to pull out 9-11 like a cheap handgun in a bar fight. Okay? “9-11.” There’s a drought in the Midwest — “9-11.” The deficit’s up — “9-11.” You know?
But I think we need to fight them on that. I think, frankly, they did a piss-poor job of defending us, and their strategy was always, “We’ll fight them over there so we don’t fight them here.” Well, guess what? [Osama] bin Laden didn’t get the memo. He wants to fight us here as well, as we saw in London last week. And so, their theory is: We can’t really do everything to protect our country because we have to cut taxes for the rich.
And so, it — they want to kill us, particularly in this city and New York and some other places. I was driving past the Pentagon when that plane hit. I had friends on that plane, this is deadly serious to me — they want to kill me and my children if they can. But if they just kill me and not my children, they want my children to be comforted that while they didn’t protect me because they cut my taxes, my children won’t have to pay any money on the money they inherit. You know, that is bullshit national defense, and we should say that. Thanks to Media Matters for the link to the audio.
It seems pretty clear that Paul Begala is referring to Republicans when he is talking about “they want to kill us”. In reading that third paragraph I don’t see how it can be read any other way than Begala thinks Republicans want to kill him, his children and others like him.1 For me, the fourth sentence in the third paragraph. Begala’s they seems to refer to Republicans given that the terrorists cannot lower federal taxes. Lets remove the pronoun “they” in that sentence and replace it with “the terrorists”.
But if the terrorists just kill me and not my children, the terrorists want my children to be comforted that while the terrorists didn’t protect me because the terrorists cut my taxes, my children won’t have to pay any money on the money they inherit.
That doesn’t make any sense…ergo Paul Begala is insane. Now lets replace “they” with “the Republicans”.
But if the Republicans just kill me and not my children, the Republicans want my children to be comforted that while the Republicans didn’t protect me because the Republicans cut my taxes, my children won’t have to pay any money on the money they inherit.
This makes sense, but Paul Begala is still insane.
Now maybe what Begala meant was that the first “they” refers to the terrorists and the second and subsequent “they’s” refer to “the Republicans”, but Begala should come out and clear up this issue. If a Republican had something as nuts as this the Democrats, rightly, would be all over it to either retract it or clear up any confusion with sloppy pronoun use. And no, contrary to what Media Matters claims it is not at all clear from the context that the first “they” refers to the terrorists. Also, given that a good many people are convinced that Bush either new about 9/11 (LIHOP–Let It Happen On Purpose) or masterminded it (Made It Happen On Purpose)–note that there was a forum at Democratic Undergound that was titled LIHOP/MIHOP. Then there was Howard Dean’s floating of the LIHOP view point back during the run up to the 2004 election.
By the same token, I wonder if the Democrats do win will the Republicans become insane? Some of the bizzaro world theories that were floated about Clinton were just amazing (e.g. I vaguely remember one whacko theory about some Clinton conspiracy involving the deaths of some workers at Starbucks or some such–ahh here is the link–I’m tellin ya’ some whacky crazy stuff). Also, if the Republicans do win again will the notion that the Republicans are stealing elections get stronger (my guess is yes it will)?
Update: Further evidence of the Left’s problem with insanity.
When Roberts thanked his family, he mentioned his son, Jack…Roberts’ wife’s face fell. It was like a poker tell. I think we should research Jack.
The reference here is to Jack Roberts, John Roberts (Bush’s SCOTUS nominee). Jack Roberts from appearances is somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 years old (plus or minus). Why research him you ask?
He’s probably gay (1.60 / 5)
Of course, this is how ridiculous rumors get started, but extreme conservatives seem to have a lot of homosexual children…
Got that, these people want to research John Roberts’ 5 year old son to see if he is gay to use it against John Roberts. What a classy bunch over there at Kos. Sheesh.
Other OTB Links on this:
Leopold seems to be a bit more generous towards Begala, but I’m going to wait for a clarification…which will probably never happen.
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1I grant that perhaps Begala misspoke, but if that is the case he really, really should come out and clear up the issue. Right now, the only way I can read the third paragraph is that Republicans want to kill Democrats/Liberals like Begala.
James, I think you’ve gone off the deep end a bit on this. I’m pretty sure this is what he meant:
“And so, it — the terrorists want to kill us, particularly in this city and New York and some other places. I was driving past the Pentagon when that plane hit. I had friends on that plane, this is deadly serious to me — the terrorists want to kill me and my children if they can. But if they just kill me and not my children, the Republicans want my children to be comforted that while the Republicans didn’t protect me because the Republicans cut my taxes, my children won’t have to pay any money on the money they inherit”
Yes, I know you said that further down. But you’re really straining to say that Begala is saying the Republicans want to kill him. That said, even if he meant it the way I wrote it, it’s a pretty loony thing for Begala to say.
Hmmm sanity… I see the pentagon wants to raise the maximum age for military service. Our sane foray into Iraq is going really well, no? I mean we are just about to turn the corner there!
Al Queda has a whole country for a recruting station and we have an undermanned army. Sanity…
So much concern for the military and Iraq policy…
Why not join?
AH HA HA HAH AH
Even by Bush standards, I am a bit too old to go & fight in Iraq alongside all the war supporters like ljd. Oh wait, he is not fighting, he is just cheering while other guys get their asses shot off.
Steve Verdon authored this post. Not James.
And FWIW, I’m willing to give Begala the benefit of the doubt on this.
First off, I wrote the post, not James. Second of all you appear to contradict yourself by the end of your post.
I’d like to give Begala the benefit of the doubt, but given how kooky some of the Left have become I’m not.
Hey Anjin-san: kiss my @$$.
For what it’s worth, I read the statement as having an antecedent reference problem; he probably should clear it up, but “The Republicans want to kill us” is a nonsensical interpretation in context–it’s pretty clearly a reference to the previous discussion of bin Laden and 9-11.
Hey Steve, maybe if you put the poster’s name in red at the top of the post it will clear up the confusion.
Ron,
Well, you’ll have to take it up with James as I don’t have that much control over the blog.
Normally, I’d agree with you. But given how loony some on the Left has become (remember Dean floated the LIHOP view during his run at the Dem. nomination), I’ll wait to see if there is any clarification. If not, I’ll just regard Begala as I do Dean, a crackpot not to be taken seriously at all.
Please. It is pretty clear that Begala is talking about terrorists and not Republicans trying to kill him, and that he misspoke for part of the sentance.
But then again, maybe you have a point., Maybe there is something about being out of the White House, after all didn’t Republicans spend much of the 90’s trying to prove that Clinton killed his “enemies”?
Steve
Well, you’ll have to take it up with James as I don’t have that much control over the blog.
Was there a whooshing sound as that remark passed by, or have I been cooped up with an overactive imagination too long? Surely you remember how well those red names worked back at the home site.
Ron,
Yeah, I remember that. I just wasn’t going to take your bait. Take that!
SoloD,
Right. I have a link to Clinton’s enemies list. While the people on the list are indeed dead, the problem is linking them to Clinton through any means possible. I read about it in 1998 or something like that and rolled my eyes. I couldn’t believe anybody would go for it, but it can still be found on the net.
So, yes if the Republicans lose, especially to Hillary, it will probably engender a similar reaction from the Republicans. Loony goofy behavior.
Its at moments like these that I’m glad I’m a libertarian.