Bush Uses Holy Land Pulpit to Launch Smear Campaign

George W. Bush is unworthy of the presidency. He is a disgrace to himself, our Nation, and the high office he holds.

In a speech to the Israeli Knesset on Thursday, Mr. Bush forfeited the last scraps of his moral authority, dishonoring himself by using one of the world's most important pulpits to launch a false and vicious political attack against Barack Obama.

I am such a strong supporter of Israel that when I worked in the White House some of my friends called me a "Likkud Democrat." It is especially appalling to supporters of Israel that Mr. Bush would stand on a hilltop in Jerusalem to invoke the Holocaust in order to make a cheap and deeply dishonest political point.

I am a person of faith, so it is especially galling that a man who calls himself a brother in faith would stand in the Holy Land and violate one of the Commandments God gave to Moses: "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor."

This is what Mr. Bush said, according to the text released by the White House:

"Some seem to believe we should negotiate with terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along. We have heard this foolish delusion before. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared: "Lord, if only I could have talked to Hitler, all of this might have been avoided." We have an obligation to call this what it is - the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history."

His attack was disgraceful, demeaning and dishonest. Bush's own government has repeatedly conducted negotiations with terrorists and radicals, including:

• Iran. Bush sent Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, then posted to Baghdad, to negotiate with Iran over security issues affecting Iraq. Bush's current Ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, told ABC News, "We are willing to sit down with Iran face to face for talks on Iraqi security at the invitation of the Iraqi government. We've had three rounds of those talks and we've told them we are ready to again."
• Libya. Although Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi was behind the December, 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie Scotland, which killed 270 people, most of them Americans, the Bush Administration conducted months of negotiations with the terrorists, culminating in a 2003 agreement to dismantle Libyan long-range missiles and weapons of mass destruction;
• North Korea. The Bush Administration, led by Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, has held numerous direct negotiations with the North Korean regime, a charter member of Mr. Bush's "axis of evil."

It should be noted that in each instance, the negotiations actually advanced America's security position. So even the Bush administration, by its actions, attests to the efficacy of negotiating with evildoers.

All this is to say George W. Bush is a hypocrite. So deep is his cynicism that he would go on foreign soil to invoke history's greatest crime to condemn conduct he himself has engaged in.

As an American I am ashamed that such a man represents me.

I say this as someone who has not supported Barack Obama in the Democratic primaries; someone who has reservations about Sen. Obama's plan to engage Iran in talks without any preconditions. But there comes a time when intra-party rivalries must yield, and all of us must stand together against the degradation of the Office of the Presidency.

Comments

[faith]

Excellent article Mr. Bagala. I loved the "thou shalt not bear false witness" very interesting argument. But, what is terrifying is that Mr. Bush is still empowered. He has his finger on the infamous red button, and he presently has Executive Powers and all rights thereof. Very scary. Would that congress would impeach him and Mr. Cheney. We could live with Nancy Pelosi, as Speaker of the House being president for the next few months. It might save our nation.

[returnofthejedi]

Was anyone here on the bloggoshere when Bush was first elected? There were many people saying how people are unpatriotic for not supporting this clown. You would be damned close to being brought up for treason if you dared to say these thugs were going to be America's worst nightmare.
Jesse Jackson told America to "stay out the Bushes" But because Jesse has been so demonized by
the Right Wing,nobody thought to take the warning seriously. Well I dont see those same people around anymore now that the veil has been lifted off of this group of traitors. Please for the sake of our children KEEP THESE NUTS AWAY FROM THE LEVERS OF POWER!.................PLEASE.

CARRY ON.

[mamacat]

When the Bush people tried to get Israel to invade Syria in 2006, they thought it was a crazy idea. Good to see that Bush isn't trying to correct any misconceptions..........

[ericmiami]

Let us count the days 'til this Bush nightmare is over! I'm a bitter old white guy, voting for Sen. Obama.

[Vernondelray]

246 days and counting...

[bacaja]

" George W. Bush is unworthy of the presidency. He is a disgrace to himself, our Nation, and the high office he holds. " The disheartening part is he doesn't even care.

[WilliamGossett]

Paul,

Are you complaining about McCain being deceiptful? Are you nuts?

That's what he is supposed to do

Whining does no good. Attacking back does.

[THEhillbilly]

"But there comes a time when intra-party rivalries must yield, and all of us must stand together against the degradation of the Office of the Presidency. "

Hilarious way to end an overwrought attempt to degrade the president through a compilation of some off-the-shelf party line cant. It's also pretty freakin' amusing that you saw the word "Obama" in Bush's remarks.

[boyd]

No need for anyone to "degrade the president." He is utterly self-degrading.

[gevan]

You just figured out that Bush is unworthy of the Presidency? Welcome to the party, Paul.

[freshnotbitter]

So Paul when do you put down the knitting needles and start swingin with the Obama band?

You must be getting pretty bored with the old nineties stuff by now. If you are against "talking without pre-conditions" then you are against talking and it is code for "frustrate them so they have no recourse but violence and then we can have war". You've been around long enough to know that, Paul. Why not come over where you really belong, which is where the people are now anyway?

[RichLiberal]

Are you referring to the "people" of West Virginia, for example, who voted for Hillary by a 41 point margin despite the fact that the media and the Democratic leadership are all beating their Obama drums (not racist metaphor, just normal expressive metaphor).

Or the people from Kentucky, who are favoring Hillary by double digits in recent polls? That is the very same Kentucky that will complete Hillary's contiguous sweep across the United States from Massachusetts to California. Obama, by comparison is isolate to Central Northwest and the Deep South.

It is only because of the unrepresentative manner in which the delegates are apportioned that Obama has a lead, which is misrepresentative of the "people" in the Democratic Party.

[freshnotbitter]

No, I was not refering to the "base" in West Virginia that voted for Hillary by a 40 point margin because I believe many of them do not understand what Hillary, McCain and Bush mean when they say they will not talk with foreign people who have grievances.

I was actually refering to the other percentage that understands that the policy of no talk espoused by Hillary probably has something to do with her vote for the Iraq war, the breakdown of the Oslo accords in 2000, the bombing of Belgrade, etc.

This greater percentage which comprises a large section of the independent vote will guarantee Obama's victory over McCain. And as the campaign between McCain and Obama proceeds, the good people of West Virginia will understand the importance of Obama's views on this subject.

[tiredoftheBS]

First there was the famous trademark Bush smirk. Has anyone else noticed Bush's new look, the flared nostril look? I've noticed it on the last two videos I've seen including the knesset speech. Noone looks like this, angry and hostile, during controlled occasions unless they don't care what people see. His body language does not depict the leader that this country needs and requires. First the smirk (disdain for the people) and now flared nostrils (hatred for those who don't understand him and have turned against him, unfairly). He now knows that we know who he is and that we don't like him and contrary to what he believes, he deserves what he earned.

[wm1066]

And he cocks his head to the side, and he doesn't stand straight.
Thats a spoiled brat that isn't getting his way.

[mystic]

He is still in charge and is very very vindictive. He will not go out quietly. I suspect an October "surprise", because the only card he has now is FEAR.

[freshnotbitter]

Before he died, as the russian army was closing in on his bunker in Berlin, Adolph Hitler declared that the German people did not deserve a leader as great as he, that the German people were unworthy.

[mediamarv]

Medal of Freedom Award to Dixie Chicks, now!!!

[littleblackcat]

Hear! Hear!

[JessWonderin]

Only if Tenet and Wolfie give THEIRS back!!!! Bush has made it a party favor instead of an "HONOR" . . . .

The Dixie's deserve a PRESIDENTIAL DECREE APOLOGY . . . . .

[SouthFloridaDem]

I swear, Bush looks goofier than ever these days. He's got to be drinking again. "Again" -- not sure he ever stopped. He's just got this snotty, smarmy, petulant look about him all the time. He acts like God's gift when he talks, as if people actually care what he says and respect him, when it couldn't be farther from that. It must be nice, whatever fantasy world he's living in. Hope he just happily stays there until his last day in office, which can't come soon enough for me.

[tiredoftheBS]

Yeah, I've noticed that he has flared nostrils now; He looks like a rabid dog. New look for the same crappy product. He seems to be crashing now.

[wmholt]

I agree. He also seems to have more trouble reading his speeches. Maybe he has stopped reading them ahead of time, so essentially what we are seeing is his first exposure to the words in the speech.

I think the drinking thing is very possible. Bush has, in recent years, has qualified that he no longer drinks hard liquor. I just notice that he can only read 4 or 5 words of his speech at a time. He then looks up questioningly, trying to soak in the meaning of the words that he just spoke. He also looks up to see if anyone is still there, then he goes back to reading the speech that is meaningless to him.

You can tell when he does finally understand the words of his speech. He leans over the podium, smiles proudly, and says, "In other words..." and proceeds to give an off-the-mark explanation to a bewildered audience.

[ama nesciri]

"...snotty, smarmy, petulant look about him all the time" These are words that fit.
.............................
Someone has dropped the strings on Mr. Bush.
I think it is time to let the poor man back into his case, and let him off the presidential stage.
Yeats said it earliest, (with apologies):

"Turning and turning...
The [puppet] cannot hear the [puppeteer];
Things fall apart; "

This puppet is not, never was, funny.

[3443649]

Thank you Mr. Begala. Well done!

[druidlady42]

Our own impotent, cowardly CONGRESS must also bear the blame for the shame brought upon the Unites States by this incompetent, evil, little man who has corrupted the Office of President!

WHY was he allowed to remain in office after 2003, when the evidence clearly showed that he and his entire administration LIED this country into an unnecessary war? Why was he not removed when he chose in vengence to expose the cover of one of our own counter-terrorism spies, who happened to be the wife of one of his critics,---then pardoned his own henchman? Why wasn't he removed when the NYT revealed his illegal domestic spy program, his use of rendition, his secret sanctioning of TORTURE, his corruption of the Justice Department, his arrogant abuse of executive power???

Had our representatives in Congress not repeatedly FAILED the last five years to uphold the Constitution and REMOVE him for these CLEAR ACTS OF TREASON, Bush would not have been in Israel this week, again embarrassing himself and our nation! Because of their failure, because of his abyssmal failures, because of his god-like self deception,----BUSH IS MORE DANGEROUS NOW THAN EVER BEFORE!!!

It is not too late, yet, for Congress to redeem itself and restore this nation's integrity in the eyes of its own citizens and the world!

[boyd]

Well and truly said.

[Chad53916]

How great it would be if our congress had the stones to impeach this fool. Instead, they're more interested in upholding their careers than our constitution. Would it be possible for enough Americans to demand term limits for both houses?

[veracity]

Mr. Begala, as fan of the "War Room" Clinton-Gore campaign from 1992, I applaud your backlash against President Bush's cheap, divisive, smear attack on Democratic presidential campaign frontrunner Senator Obama.

I hope you will also address Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee's even more disgraceful (if that is possible) comment at the NRA conference the other night, when upon hearing the crash of metal chairs falling somewhere beyond the conference room, Mr. Huckabee "joked" that Senator Obama must somewhere be flinching at the sound of a gunshot.... as in, assassination attempt.

(Sad to say, Gov. Huckabee is far from the first to think along these lines. Senator Clinton herself, in a televised comment about the _good_ reasons for her to stay in the primary while all but mathematically eliminated from the nomination, actually invoked the example of... Robert Kennedy's campaign in 1968 as a reason to stay in the race, that is, as a possible path to the nomination.)

Gov. Huckabee's crass "gunshot!" comment simply reflects the scorn & derision that the radical, reactionary right holds for those not part of the elite, white autocracy (which takes just as much advantage of poor whites, as minorities).
It further illustrates how Mr. Huckabee, despite being a preacher before he ran for office, sounds more like a Roman soldier gleefully prodding prisoners into the sadistic gladiator games, than he death even more brutal & prolonged than those dying in the colesium. sounds like Christ, who abstained from pursuit of wealth & political power, &

[veracity]

oops! cut/paste editing error, meant to say -

"Gov. Huckabee sounds more like a sadistic Roman soldier than he sounds like Christ, who abstained from pursuit of wealth & political power, and voluntarily suffered a death even more brutal, humiliating, & prolonged than those dying on the colesium floor in the gladiator spectacles."

Gov. Huckabee illustrates that many in the autocratic wings of the Republican Party (and some Democrats as well) sound more like Roman emperors concerned about wealth and power and privilege in _this_ world, than for the Kingdom of Heaven in the next.