Company Sheehan keeps and 6 Degrees Rowley style
--posted by Tony Garcia on 2/01/2006
When I saw this story I was shocked. Shocked at myself for not being surprised. Cindy Sheehan is hanging out with Hugo Chavez.
Hugo Chavez, an arm around Sheehan’s shoulders, told a group of activists that she had told him “she is going to put up her tent again in front of Mr. Danger’s ranch” in April.Hmm, does that sound like a battle cry from other people...like Al-Qaeda.
In some of his strongest recent comments aimed at Washington, Chavez condemned the Bush administration and said his audience should work toward ending U.S. dominance.
“Enough already with the imperialist aggression!” Chavez said, listing countries from Panama to Iraq where the U.S. military has intervened. “Down with the U.S. empire! It must be said, in the entire world: Down with the empire!”
Keep in mind what other types of people are in this circle of friends. Elma Beatriz Rosado. Who is she? Her husband was killed in a raid years ago.
...Elma Beatriz Rosado, the widow of slain Puerto Rican nationalist Filiberto Ojeda Rios. Holding back tears as she stood at Chavez’s side, Rosado accused the United States of killing her husband, a 72-year-old militant independence activist.So let's recap, shall we. Sheehan is hanging out with human rights violator Hugo Chavez and widow of a bank robber/militant. Hmm, good company. And their mantra matches that of the people responsible for 9/11. Hmm, good company.
Rios was slain in a September FBI raid on a Puerto Rican farmhouse where he was living in hiding while being wanted for the 1983 robbery of $7.2 million from a Wells Fargo armored truck depot in Connecticut — funds intended for the independence cause.
But wait, there is more to this game of Six Degrees.
Let's first review Coleen Rowley's standard of 'guilt by association'. She attacked John Kline for being associated with Tom DeLay who was indicted. That association, according to Rowley, meant that Kline was unfit for office.
Let's also take a trip back down memory lane...a certain trip that occurred at the outset of Rowley's campaign. Rowley decided to visit Sheehan at Camp Anti-America.
So, using the guilt by association standard that Rowley "ethically" applies to Kline we can say that Rowley is unfit for office as well, she is an ally of Hugo Chavez.
Two things...I hope Rowley's people retract the guilt by association references AND cease using them in the future. Her hands get more blood than her opponents under her own standard. Either retract and cease or expect to be held to the same standard.
Second, we (the country) need to understand that Cindy Sheehan is properly embraced by the anti-war movement. Her actions and associations are of no surprise. Why? Because the manner and reasons that they almost all oppose the War for are more antagonitic against the United States than they are for any real world peace. Alliances with thugs such Chavez prove that "peace" is not the motivator. The motivator is one of two things: (1) Hatred for allowing opposing views into the public light, which is 100% anti-American, or (2) Hatred for America.
It is not their conclusion that is the problem. Reasonable people can disagree on almost any position. It can be reasonably argued why not to be in Iraq, not to go into Iran, why not to go into Syria, etc. But the people making the reasonable arguments are few and far between. There is no fact and logic applied. There is no consistency or honesty applied. Most of the anti-war movement's very argument is devoid of these things and so they are unable to realize the necessary limits of their actions and rhetoric or the damage caused by exceeding those limits.
For THAT reason it is fair to say that while Sheehan and her kind believe they are fighting FOR America's interest they actually are acting very much like the useful idiots that Osama bin Laden and others need. They are acting AGAINST America's interests.
Engage in discussion. Provide facts. Apply logic. THAT is healthy for the country. The crap Sheehan and her followers/supporters do is purely unhealthy.
As is the unethical and dishonest name calling and associations.
2 Comments:
Actually, I believe your "guilt by association" argument is dishonest, and I expect that you know it.
Let's review Kline's associations with DeLay. For starters, Kline has accepted $31,000 in personal and PAC donations from DeLay. Second, in late 2004, Kline voted to change House ethics rules to allow DeLay to keep his leadership position even if indicted. Third, Kline continues to publicly proclaim DeLay's innocence, despite the fact that DeLay has effectively admitted to money laundering.
I don't believe these facts make Kline guilty of anything more than poor judgement, although the $31,000 of DeLay's money is a bit iffy.
Now let's review Rowley's association with Cindy Sheehan. Coleen Rowley went to Texas to support Cindy Sheehan's vigil protesting the war in Iraq, mostly because Rowley opposes the war. Since you're 'Always Right', I expect you count that as a mark against Rowley, which is just fine.
However, I know of no statement Rowley has made supporting Cindy Sheehan's decision to embrace Hugo Chavez or any of her other decisions. In fact, I believe Coleen Rowley's associations with Cindy Sheehan began and ended last summer.
If you choose to view Rowley's 2-day association with Cindy Sheehan to be equivalent to Kline's continued support of Tom DeLay, that's fine, but I think most folks will conclude that you're just desperate to come up with something to smear Rowley.
Where is your souce for "Kline continues to publicly proclaim DeLay's innocence"?
The bottom line is that the same rationale is being applied to Rowley...1 degree from DeLay and Rowley holds Kline responsible for DeLay's actions. 1 degree from Sheehan and Rowley shall be held responsible for Sheehan's actions.
Pick a standard and let's stick with it...or are you unable hold a principle?
Stop the rationalizing to fit political gains and get some principles.
Rowley provides enough material to go after her...as we have proven on our show as well (where audio clips of her are so damning of her). I don't have to "dig", she provides it. Her "ethics meter" is from the same cloth as Bill Clinton's.
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