The Washington Monthly

February 8, 2010

LAYING DOWN THE MARKER.... Richard Clarke, the chief counterterrorism adviser on the U.S. National Security Council for Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, makes note today of what Republicans are doing to the public discourse related to national security.

Recent months have seen the party out of power picking fights over the conduct of our efforts against Al Qaeda, often with total disregard to the facts and frequently blowing issues totally out of proportion, while ignoring the more important challenges we face in defeating terrorists. [...]
It has been hard to escape the conclusion that the goal of these critics is to discredit the President's handling of terrorism for political advantage, whether or not the administration is actually doing a good job. Indeed, they seem to be posturing themselves simply so that if there is a successful terrorist attack on America, they can say "I told you Obama doesn't know how to fight Al Qaeda."

Clarke added that the Republican/Fox News attack dogs don't "bother to learn the facts" and are "wrong morally to attempt to make political gain on the damage inflicted by terrorism." If an attack occurs, "let us hope the American people will reject any attempt to make it a partisan issue. It is not conduct worthy of real patriots."

This is certainly true, and it's also been a political dynamic playing out for over a year.

Just 48 hours after President Obama's inauguration, Marc Thiessen, George W. Bush's former chief speechwriter, argued, "If Obama weakens any of the defenses Bush put in place and terrorists strike our country again, Americans will hold Obama responsible -- and the Democratic Party could find itself unelectable for a generation." Jason Zengerle noted at the time, "You almost get the sense guys like Thiessen are hoping for an attack so that they can blame Obama when it happens."

That was 13 months ago, and it's only gotten worse. In May, after a loathsome speech by Dick Cheney, Jeffrey Toobin explained:

Even worse than Cheney's distortions was the political agenda behind them. The speech was, as politicians say, a marker -- a warning to the new Administration.... Cheney's all but explicit message was that the blame for any new attack against American people or interests would be laid not on the terrorists, or on the worldwide climate of anti-Americanism created by the Bush-Cheney Administration, but on Barack Obama.
For many months after the 9/11 attacks, Democrats refrained from engaging in the blame game with the Bush Administration. Cheney's speech makes it clear that, should terrorists strike again, Republicans may not respond in kind.

This generally goes unsaid, but it's a key aspect of the Republican crusade -- if something horrible happens, we're not supposed to blame the team that left a mess for Obama to clean up, we're supposed to blame Obama himself. If only the president kept torturing people like Cheney wanted, we'd all remain safe indefinitely.

Should tragedy strike, a few too many on the right will want to tear this country apart, and they've been laying the groundwork for quite a while.

—Steve Benen 10:10 AM Permalink | Trackbacks | Comments (14)

Comments

If the Republicans don't belittle BHO at every opportunity, then the terrorists win.

Posted by: Al on February 8, 2010 at 10:24 AM | PERMALINK

For many months after the 9/11 attacks, Democrats refrained from engaging in the blame game with the Bush Administration. Cheney's speech makes it clear that, should terrorists strike again, Republicans may not respond in kind.

If 9/11 had happened under a Gore administration, the GOP would have impeached him over it. Seriously.

They're not a party, and they're not a loyal opposition. They are rabid authoritarians determined to get back power any way they can.

Posted by: jimBOB on February 8, 2010 at 10:26 AM | PERMALINK

There's no "if" about it. Actually, there have been a few successful terrorist attacks on America.

They did not occur under the Obama administration.

Two occurred under Clinton, WTC 1 and OK City. In both cases: tried, convicted, sentenced.

Two occurred under Bush 2, 9/11 and anthrax. In both cases: unresolved to this day.

Posted by: skimble on February 8, 2010 at 10:29 AM | PERMALINK

What jimBOB said. Obama's weak election victory notwithstanding, this country is in irreversible decline on every front except for movie-making.

Posted by: inkadu on February 8, 2010 at 10:37 AM | PERMALINK

"a few too many on the right will want to tear this country apart"

Steve, what do you envision this might mean?

Posted by: Ralph Kramden on February 8, 2010 at 10:38 AM | PERMALINK

"Republicans may not respond in kind"

Really? But they are SO NICE! And Fox Noise is so fair!

Posted by: Mark-NC on February 8, 2010 at 10:40 AM | PERMALINK

"Should tragedy strike, a few too many on the right will want to tear this country apart, and they've been laying the groundwork for quite a while."

Esp Sarah Palin with her call for an another "American Revolution" this weekend. Someone should ask her what she meant. Is she advocating the overthrow not only of the Democrats but of the entire constitutional system? Perhaps not, but that is not the impression she left. She and others need to learn that words matter.

meanwhile.

The stimulus worked, it prevented another Republican sponsored Great Depression (Hank Paulson said so on NBC on Sunday.). When the Republicans say it did not, they are lieing. They believe as Lenin believed, that "A lie told long enough becomes the truth."

Posted by: Kurt on February 8, 2010 at 10:49 AM | PERMALINK

As history as shown, in the absence of a real 'terrorist' attack, the Reichmark are not at all unwilling to facilitate one. And if the don't get their way, they'll do it again. Al Qaeda is a myth.

Posted by: Ten Bears on February 8, 2010 at 11:07 AM | PERMALINK

If there is an attack, the people of the United States will come together and they will support the President of the United States as he responds to the situation. If the attack occurs when Barack Obama is President, President Obama will be the beneficiary of that outpouring of goodwill and support. If the GOP takes that moment to attack Obama, they will be ones unelectable for a generation.

Posted by: Tom in Ma on February 8, 2010 at 11:08 AM | PERMALINK

Should tragedy strike, a few too many on the right will want to tear this country apart, and they've been laying the groundwork for quite a while.

Remember how these people insisted the nation give Bush a free pass for the incompetence that led to 9/11?

Posted by: Gregory on February 8, 2010 at 12:11 PM | PERMALINK

"Should tragedy strike, a few too many on the right will want to tear this country apart, and they've been laying the groundwork for quite a while."

Meaning that they are playing Al Qaeda's game? The Republican position is doubly cynical because they know Obama is hammering the militants in Pakistan, but can't talk about it because it is not supposed to be happening.

Posted by: bob h on February 8, 2010 at 12:13 PM | PERMALINK

Let's not forget that Rove was pushing the political benefits of the AUMF vote in 2002. Republicans don't care about national security, but they sure know how to get their wingnut base riled up about it.

Posted by: Racer X on February 8, 2010 at 4:02 PM | PERMALINK

As long as the Republicans continue to work to destroy Obama, they are working to destroy the country. You cannot undermine the leader of our country in the way that they have been doing (which I think is unprecedented) without undermining the country. If only the press would call them on this every day, perhaps, the behavior would change. But, since we no longer have a free-thinking, liberal press corps any more, I don't hold much hope for that.

Posted by: Bonnie on February 8, 2010 at 7:47 PM | PERMALINK

If only the president kept torturing people like Cheney wanted, we'd all remain safe indefinitely.

I don't have any confidence that Obama has stopped torture. He reserves the right to kill Americans without trial, why would we think he's doing any less than Bush did.

Posted by: Dale on February 8, 2010 at 9:43 PM | PERMALINK