Congress to MoveOn: Don't Mess With My Kid

Let's say you're a dad. You have a couple of sons in their late teens who are smart enough, well mannered enough and ambitious enough, but at this stage they are also hormone-driven, ideological and rebellious. They constantly lie about their activities and make bad decisions that cost you money and peace. They cover each other's ass and conspire to conceal the truth from you. Their relationship with Mom is different. With the exception of the odd scolding for not keeping their room straight, they're the apples of Mom's eye and they treat each other like gold. But for you, the tension between father and adolescent son is at its peak.

Because they live under your roof and still depend on your income for everything, this often causes resentment. Against your better judgment, you're sometimes prone to verbal outbursts. Perhaps you've called them "idiot", "freeloader", "shit-for-brains" or other degrading terms, sometimes in front of others and sometimes out of self-satisfaction or revenge. But if a loudmouth neighbor, classmate or anyone else is heard uttering the same language, they're gonna get an earful, first from Mom and then you. Nobody talks that way about your kids. They're your kids and you're proud of them. Anyone who dares insult your children in front of you ought to be ashamed of themselves.

This is how our government feels about its institutions, and it's specifically how Congress feels about America's top military brass. A majority of senators and congressmen know General Petraeus lied through his teeth and covered Bush's ass to save his career. And they're willing to say so in public. But they'll be damned if anyone else starts dealing out the trash talk, be they other world leaders, celebrities or, worst of all, PACs. This is why Democrats were so quick to jump on the GOP's MoveOn-bashing bandwagon. The Republican reaction is knee-jerk, like Mom's, while the Democrats respond on general principle, regardless of MoveOn's broad public support or its efforts to help their cause.

This principle is limited only to certain parties, of course. If there's an election and the subject is a candidate, all bets are off. That's why they did nothing about Chambliss or the Swiftboaters. But apparently a different standard is applied to active duty generals in an off year. Sure, MoveOn may be right, but politicians like to think they reserve the right to say it themselves. If Chuck Hagel had used the term "Betray Us", we would've heard the same feigned outrage from Republicans, but the Dems would've had his or her back, and it's unlikely any resolution condemning such talk would have even reached the floor.

Comments

[skwan91607]

American Constitution is a chapter of shinning light in civilization, a doctrine of morality and equality for the society of humanity, a guiding teaching for a model government, and a hope for American to unite and move on.
In the last six years we witness tactics of subversion, misleading, and blindfolding public opinions by misrepresenting votes again and again in the republican controlled congress and the hypocritical Bush's presidency take down the mechanism of Checks and Balances built on the Constitution. American democracy is in crisis now.
The concept of building an empire today is stupid, sick in the mind, and irresponsible. No one, including you and me (may be Bush thinks he is an exception because god in his side or he has a perfect bunker to hide some place), will be survived after a nuclear warfare.
With American power we can easily be a leading force but not a dominating force. Be a peace keepers but not an invaders, be a show case of democracy but not a democracy giver with nuclear first strike threat to the world, be a guiding light to other nation to move on to the direction of democracy but not pushing for regime change, be a strong and united country but not Bush's perception of only a republican controlled nation under a Bush's dynasty.
Do Americans need to have some form of a kingdom today? If no, why do we move to take such nonsense to allow anyone, like Bush and his cronies, to build a form of kingdom in American society? If yes, then we must have another revolution before we can learn how to be a "YES" man to say "Yes, your majestic" all over again. The world will see more bomb trapping terroists that time, we believe>

[realitytrumpsbull]

Well, you can say it all in one word: "Impeach".­..


www.impeachbush.org

[Rescisco]

There is no excuse, no defense for supporting the idiotic motion to condem MoveOn. Those who are so uncomfortable or enraged by political free speech cannot be trusted to defend the constitution that guarantees it. What Congress is really saying is "we do not support the First Amendment for people who criticize generals etc. We object to freedom."

[swift goat pet for truth]

I agree.
I worked for Ken Salazar. I gave him money.
I'll be dammed if I am fooled again.

In fact, if Republican Larry "Admitted Pervert" Craig moved to Colorado and ran for Salazar's seat, I would vote for him, because at least I know that both have no morals, but Craig has guts.

[Laura Lee]

I have been teaching for 27 years. Every day I try to affect the minds of 150 8th graders who come into my class not giving a damn about American History or what's going on in Myanmar. My school is in an upper middle class area of town where many of the parents are college educated. Yet, when surveyed in class, the majority of these families don't watch the news---too busy with soccer, cheerleading practice,etc. I tell my parents at Open House that watching the news is required in my class---not opinion/ unsubstantiated dribble, but Real news. Every test has current events questions and there are daily questions for bonus points (motivation).
Even then, there are those who still don't participate. "You get the government you deserve." As I see our Constitutional rights being stripped from us, I understand why. These people are more interested in "O.J. All Day" than monks being murdered in another part of the world. I was an 18 year old Eugene McCarthy delegate, protested, and wanted to help make this country live up to its true meaning. They buy into sound bites because it's too much trouble to actually read and the news is unpleasant. Why am I still teaching?? Because these kids (and parents) need a member of Move On and a person who went to the streets when we still had the Constitution right to do so. And I still raise hell, in my own way, every day, about what a democracy is suppose to be.

[maddogbitesback]

MoveOn got a lot of attention. And that is what they paid for. All the talk simply highlighted the serious problems with Petaeus' speech. It also highlighted the fact that he had no idea whether the war in Iraq (actually the invasion for power and oil) would make America safer which is what Bush has been saying all along. So it proves yet again that Bush is a liar. MoveOn got a lot for the money it spent.

[ChaucerDaisy]

I agree. Isn't it curious how "redirection" works again and again?

Imagine your "sons" as toddlers instead of teens. One of the best ways to modify toddler behavior is by "redirecting" their attention. (Once when my son was having a meltdown due to being completely overtired, I surprised him during the heat of his angst by asking, "Want a popsicle?" It was all I could think of at the moment! He grinned and cheered up as we licked popsicles ~ I needed one too ~~ and started talking calmly about his upset.) Redirecting is a strategy that offers a shift in focus. It works for TODDLERS!

Redirection, however, is not recommended for adults unless they are at their wit's end. "Stay on task" is a strategy that works for adult development and understood by the adult brain. However, as most every adult I know is at their wit's end, adults may opt for redirecting their thoughts to the "pop princess, pop star, popsicle" of their choice just to get through the day.

Yet instead of Congress focusing on Petraeus's honest answer of "I don't know" when asked if this "war*" has made us safer and focusing on the implications of that transparent answer, the Congress huffs and puffs about an ad. (It also begs the question, "When did the military become royalty in a land of equals?")

I submit IF WORDS ARE SO IMPORTANT AND HAVE SUCH MEANING, Congress should listen to those of us BEGGING them to use precise words~~~~~There is NO "war." Congress authorized a "MILITARY INVASION TO FIND WMD'S IN IRAQ. That's it. That's all. We're done.

Now, WHO keeps "redirecting" by saying that we're there to "liberate Iraq," "kill Sadaam," "establish democracy in Iraq?" Popsicles for all who "believe" this illegal, immoral redirection ploy.

[RickO]

The point is they don't condemn free speech. They simply don't get to do that. Everyone of us should call their members of Congress and remind them of that. MoveOn is not som shadow organization like the Swiftboaters but is 3.2 million of us, you and me. Our congress doesn't get to condemn you and me. It's the other way around.

[hopeless277]

It doesn't matter that he lied. He could have come to congress and repeated 'purple turtles' over and over and over again and they would still worship at his feet. I'm just looking forward to the day when General P. is ordered to attack a group of protestors in D.C. and does. Then we'll all know the true extent of his patriotism.

[bobbo22]

Nice try, but it doesn't carry water. A vote to censure Move.on was a vote against the 1st Amendment. All Congresspeople have sworn an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States, and this vote does just the opposite. It was wrong-headed and shameful.

[scooperss]

Agreed.