Clinton And Kerry Stood Fast When Republicans Wanted To Cut ‘N Run

by tristero.

Hoo, boy, lots going on today, what with Dems holding hearing on the conduct of the war today and so many other things.

But let’s not forget a recent story, the Clinton/Wallace confrontation where Clinton showed the kind of brilliance and anger towards the rightwing that we can only hope all politicians opposed to Bushism and modern Republicanism will show in the next month or so.

Wallace accused Clinton of providing aid and comfort to bin Laden by withdrawing from Somalia after Blackhawk Down. You may not remember the Somalia story too well or you may be too young to remember. But the standard line propogated for years by the rightwing, and recycled by Wallace in his question to Clinton, is that Clinton cut and ran; therefore bin Laden took from that ignominious flight the lesson that Americans are cowards. The implications are:

1. Clinton behaved like a coward who wouldn’t stay the course and he emboldened the terrorists by leaving.

2. By extension, all Democrats cannot be trusted with foreign policy and national security.

It’s a complete lie. Let Glenn Greenwald tell you who really wanted to cut and run from the terrorists. It was Republicans including St. John McCain.

More importantly, let Greenwald show you who fully understood the implications of withdrawing from Somalia precipitously after Blackhawk Down. It was Clinton and Kerry who got it exactly right and understood the situation.

Knowing the truth of what happened regarding the fight over staying or leaving in Somalia, we can apply the “logic” of the rightwing to historical reality. And the implications are very clear:

1. Republicans, including McCain, behaved like cowards who wouldn’t stay the course. They emboldened the terrorists by calling for the US to leave.

2. By extension, all Republicans, including McCain, cannot be trusted with foreign policy and national security.

Note to rightwingers and others who have cognitive difficulties understanding English prose: I do NOT agree with the “logic” of the rightwing. I dislike McCain intensely, but his Vietnam record, like Kerry’s, demonstrates he is no coward. I believe the real implications of this inexcusable piece of historical revisionism are:

1. Republicans, including McCain, were fools for failing to gauge the effects of a precipitous withdrawal. They emboldened future terrorists by their panic in hysterically calling for the US to leave.

2. By extension, all modern Republicans, including McCain, have demonstrated they do not have the judgment or character to conduct competent and robust foreign policy in a sober manner. They can, and they have, made the US far less safe when they are in power than when Democrats have been.

One more note. There are very few parallels between the Somalia situation back then and what is going on in Iraq today. It is utterly fallacious to compare the Republican fools immediately after Blackhawk Down with a majority of the world calling for a US withdrawal more than three years after an illegal invasion.

And for the record, back in 0’3 it was not only liberals horrified that Bush had invaded Iraq in the first place who urged a rapid withdrawal from Iraq. Deluded neoconservatives who were the instigators of the war did as well, confident that the mission was codpieced, I mean accomplished, the only piece missing being the installation of Chalabi as Emperor of Ir…I mean president.

Truly incredible, the extent of the right’s projection and lying. and that they are allowed to get away with it. As Greenwald writes, “As always, no matter how many times it occurs, it is truly disturbing how there seems to be no limit on the false propaganda and rank historical revisionism which can be disseminated by this administration and its followers and uncorrected by our national media. “