"By now it should be clear that decades of excusing and accommodating tyranny in the pursuit of stability have only led to injustice and instability and tragedy," Mr. Bush said on Tuesday. "It should be clear that the advance of democracy leads to peace, because governments that respect the rights of their people also respect the rights of their neighbors."
His two predecessors in the Oval Office, his father and Bill Clinton, both spoke of the latest signs of progress in an appearance at the White House. The first President Bush was restrained, pronouncing himself "very pleased," but cautioning that much work remained to be done.
Mr. Clinton was more ebullient, noting that the Iraqi elections "went better than anyone could have imagined." In Lebanon, he said, "the Syrians are going to have to get out of there and give the Lebanese their country back, and I think the fact that the Lebanese are in the street demanding it is wonderful."
Asked about huge demonstrations on Tuesday, sponsored by Hezbollah, that demanded just the opposite, Mr. Clinton said: "I find it inconceivable that most Lebanese wouldn't like it if they had their country back. You know, they want their country back and they ought to get it."
For his part, Mr. Bush himself again acknowledged that building democracy in the Middle East will require a "generational commitment." NYTimes 03/09
Posted by peter at March 9, 2005 04:37 AMAs, I think, Atrios points out, even the Free Republicans think this bill is crap! And let's face it, if Republicans spend the way Bush does, it's gonna affect them more than it affects us~
Posted by Alexandra at March 9, 2005 04:50 AMbrilliant analysis, peter; i'll have to seek out this New York Times which you so helpfully discovered for us.
why don't you defend this POS bankruptcy bill your hero is foisting on the american people? or are you more sympathetic to the poor embattled banks than those shiftless soldiers and sick people?
Posted by benjoya at March 9, 2005 06:44 AMPeter can't seem to make up his mind whether Bill Clinton is a rampant Islamist appeaser or a brilliant foreign policy sage.
He has however mastered the copy paste technique. Maybe He's really Jeff Gannon!
Posted by at March 9, 2005 06:51 AMGive peter a break; he makes a lot more sense this way. peter, you should copy-and-paste all your posts as far as I'm concerned.
I guess I better go bankrupt with a quickness, before this bill passes, while being bankrupt is still fun and cool. Woo-hoo!
Posted by Matt Davis at March 9, 2005 07:22 AMWhy rush? Bankruptcy will be far more fun and cool after this bill passes... That is if you are rich or an executive trying to skirt sarbannes... only average working americans, deployed soldiers and those with unfunded medical bills need to worry.
Posted by dry fly at March 9, 2005 07:31 AMI guess I better go bankrupt with a quickness,
I guess you didn't notice the Ex Post Facto clause.
Posted by phidipides at March 9, 2005 08:00 AMLast night I watched the story on Blogs and Bloggers. John Cosgrove appeared startled that his legislation was stopped by a Blogger. He felt that Maura should have discussed it with him first. Right John. You didn't have time to lay out your "lie plan" did you?
Here is what Tara Liloia on Blog for America had to say about last night's Nightline.
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Bloggers on Nightline
Tonight, our very own Maura Keaney (Maura*in*VA) was prominently featured on ABC's Nightline for a segment on blogging. She went into detail about her use of the Democracy for Virginia blog to read every bill going through the Virginia legislature.
Maura was able to mobilize citizens online and stop radical right-wing legislator John Cosgrove from pushing through a bill which would have required women to report a miscarriage to the police within 12 hours or face jail time. She said, "It was proof that ordinary citizens can make a difference in what our legislators do."
Rebecca MacKinnon, Fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet & Society, commented on the rise of blogs as a tool for organizing: "You're starting to see activist groups starting to use blogs as a way to develop communities..." We know a little about that here at Blog for America.
Maura has thoroughly consolidated and linked to all of the coverage. And, Nightline's "Closing Thoughts" featured several Blog for America commenters talking about the broadcast, like Andrew C. White, who said:
Yes, if journalists were doing their job and not being corrupted they wouldn't have to worry about bloggers doing their jobs for them.
Wake up Journalists! Take back your honor and profession!
On NPR they are reporting that a Senate committee
has handed Bush a defeat on his mis-named "Clear Skies Bill." Lincoln Chaffee did the right thing and crossed party lines to cause a tie vote, which under Senate rules counts as a defeat for the bill.