The Moose Intelligence Service retrieves a diary entry from a former high Republican official. "Sponsors of Thursday night's tribute say DeLay is the most effective GOP legislator in Congress, and they can't afford to lose him. "The reason why conservatives are sticking with DeLay is that he has always been for them on issues," says Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, a sponsor. "Other sponsors include David Keene of the American Conservative Union (ACU), Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, Ed Feulner of the Heritage Foundation, Paul Weyrich of the Free Congress Foundation, Gary Bauer of American Values, and Emmett Tyrrell, Jr., of the American Spectator - key contacts for conservatives aspiring to higher office."
Dear Diary,
The ingratitude of it all! I help them maintain their majority. I hooked them up with donors and corporate flights home. I fed them. I cared for them. I promoted their wacky causes. I carried the POTUS' water.
And now, I am eliminated like a cockroach in an infested kitchen!
Woe is me. I guess it's true - If you want a friend in Washington, get an Abramoff... I mean a dog.
They think they're better than me, but I know better. If I am "corrupt", what do my "esteemed colleagues" think they are? My fellow Republicans were hardly ethical virgins enrolled in a congressional "Just Say No" abstinence program.
When I introduced Casino Jack to them, they liked his money as much as I. It's not as if they were strangers to the Abramoff sky box perk bordello. And more importantly, they adored my construction of the K Street apparatus which filled their coffers with corporate largesse.
And now, these Judasas have the chutzpah (I learned that term from the Jackster during one of our Scottish golfing junkets) to claim they are better than me! Perhaps, I shall have a few background chats with reporters to take the bloom off their rose. Blunt and Boehner are no different in substance than me. Brother Trent Lott is my role model. After I stealthily tell the scribblers of the intrigues of my colleagues, they will not be smelling to good!
And what of the righteous right? They clearly leave their wounded on the battlefield. In my despair, I did a Google search for "Delay, conservative tribute" and came up with this from the May 12th Christian Science Monitor,
The one betrayer I understand is Newt. I suppose revenge truly is a dish best served cold. I did him in and now he is returning the favor. Alas, we now have the phenomena of the "new Newts", young Members who are emulating the ways of the Newster in order to sweep out the old guard.
The one consolation that I now enjoy as the result of my travails is that I get to return to my true legislative love - appropriating. As a Member of the Appropriations Committee , I am able to once again earmark and pork barrel - the sensuous indulgence of a big government conservative.
Dear diary, I am far from vanquished. If I can escape the prosecutor's persecution, I shall be back. Sugar Land is not my Waterloo, it is my Elba.
But, just in case, I am getting up to speed on renewing my exterminator's license. As we say in the business - Away with all pests!
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The Moose welcomes a healthy debate in the DLC Zoo. This was far from "scofflaw behavior". Rather, it was laudatory of the Administration to decisively employ technology to detect what the Jihadists were up to. Should there be improvements and reforms in our intelligence operations? Of course. However, we should not cripple electronic intelligence in a partisan pique the way we hobbled human intelligence in the 1970's. Moreover, had the Administration failed to implement the eavesdropping program and another attack occurred, undoubtedly the Bushies would have been faulted for negligence. The critics want to have it both ways. Some context is desperately in order. Lest we forget, less than five years ago, Al Qaeda slaughtered thousands of Americans on our own soil. We then monitored the communications of those individuals who were contacted by Al Qaeda. And the problem is? In the fevered imagination of Bush haters this was the equivalent of Watergate or Teapot Dome, but the Moose is not persuaded. Finally, the Moose praises the New Donkey for his reasoned and gentlemanly rejoinder.
The always erudite and eloquent New Donkey differs with the Moose on the NSA eavesdropping matter. Without belaboring the matter, the Moose continues to believe that the President had authority both under Article II of the Constitution and the Authorization for the Use of Force passed by Congress to conduct the interception of enemy communications.
One can question the legal rationale that was employed by President, but there is absolutely no evidence that he was attempting to do anything else but protect
Checks and balances are important but so is the separation of powers in the conduct of war. The Moose is open to a modification of FISA. However, it is not exactly clear what changes could be made without making it merely a rubber stamp for executive action. And we can have a reasoned debate about this issue without impugning the motives of a Commander in Chief who was attempting to defend the nation.
Monday, January 09, 2006
The Moose continues to believe that the NSA eavesdropping program was just swell. "There is also evidence, according to U.S. intelligence officials, that since the New York Times broke the story, the terrorists have modified their behavior, hampering our efforts to keep track of them—but also, on the plus side, hampering their ability to communicate with one another." Klein trenchantly concludes, "In fact, liberal Democrats are about as far from the American mainstream on these issues as Republicans were when they invaded the privacy of Terri Schiavo's family in the right-to-die case last year. "But there is a difference. National security is a far more important issue, and until the Democrats make clear that they will err on the side of aggressiveness in the war against al-Qaeda, they will probably not regain the majority in Congress or the country." If there is evidence that the NSA program was a Nixonian dirty tricks operation, everything would change. But, absent that revelation, the Moose is pleased that the Administration was doing everything possible to thwart another attack. Facile comparisons with Nixon are silly and inappropriate when there is absolutely no proof of a domestic political spy scheme. There will never be a Democratic President until the American people believe that the donkey will be as or more forceful than the Republicans in combating the Jihadists. And when that arrives, a Democratic President may rue the day when his party sought to tie the hands of the Chief Executive. Some Democratic Senators who aspire to that office should keep that in mind as they grill Sam Alito over the next couple of weeks. The Moose is a Hamiltonian mammal and is comforted that there was energy in the Executive on this one.
After hearing the various arguments pro and con on the controversial program, the Moose only wishes President Bush and other Presidents had earlier ignored FISA and had extensively and aggressively tapped into electronic data of terrorist suspects' communications to the United States. Of course, prior to 9/11 there was no great imperative to sidestep FISA.
It is interesting that no prominent opponent of the program has called for its elimination. Some objectors are playing with the "I" word, but even they are not suggesting that we shut down this nefarious threat to our freedoms.
There is an entirely valid point that we should update our laws to monitor this type of eavesdropping. That is a difficult task, but it is worth exploring. We are in for the long haul in this war against Jihadism, and we must think anew. There may be a better way to implement checks and balances in light of this new threat.
But, we should be grateful to the President and General Hayden, rather than outraged that they refused to be hampered by FISA and implemented the interception of vital military intelligence from the enemy. Any President, Republican or Democrat, worth his salt would have done the same. No President is above the law nor immune from the responsibility from defending the citizens of the United States.
A dangerous and frightening complacency has fallen upon the land. There is little concern about the continuing terrorist threat. The Senate delays passing an extension of the Patriot Act while civil liberties attorneys bicker about dotting the i's and crossing the t's. In some quarters, the Jihadist threat has been replaced by the Bushie threat.
The word has gone out - a CNN reporter might have been eavesdropped upon! Why should we be all that concerned about a dirty bomb or Iranians with nukes when a warrantless NSA might have detected enemies' call to the States! The Constitution is being shredded! If this crowd had been around during the Civil War or WWII,, surely they would have submitted the articles of impeachment on Lincoln and FDR for their manifold Constitutional transgressions.
Joe Klein's column in this week's Time Magazine is must reading particularly for all Democrats.
He writes,
"For too many liberals, all secret intelligence activities are "fruit," and bitter fruit at that. The government is presumed guilty of illegal electronic eavesdropping until proven innocent. This sort of civil-liberties fetishism is a hangover from the Vietnam era, when the Nixon Administration wildly exceeded all bounds of legality—spying on antiwar protesters and civil rights leaders...
"At the very least, the Administration should have acted, with alacrity, to update the federal intelligence laws to include the powerful new technologies developed by the NSA. But these concerns pale before the importance of the program. It would have been a scandal if the NSA had not been using these tools to track down the bad guys. There is evidence that the information harvested helped foil several plots and disrupt al-Qaeda operations...
Friday, January 06, 2006
The Moose extols the political value of non-partisanship.
The always thoughtful and perceptive editor of the New Republic, Peter Beinart, has written a thought provoking piece on lefty rage against Senator Lieberman
Explaining Lieberman hatred, Beinart writes,
"But, politically, rhetorical differences matter. In fact, they are at the heart of Lieberman-hatred. Lieberman's heresy isn't ideological; it's temperamental. He loathes confrontation, he exudes goodwill toward all; he takes it as an article of faith that what binds us together as Americans is more important than what divides us, always. He is chronically happy with American life. During the 2004 campaign, he wanted to be liked by Al Sharpton, and he was. Today, he wants to be liked by George W. Bush, and he is."
It is a commentary on American politics that a politician who "exudes goodwill" excites hate from a faction of his own party. This is exactly why more and more Americans don't identify with either party and abhor the current state of politics. However, increasingly politicians from both parties pander to the haters and the activists loathe the uniters. Undoubtedly, the fair-minded Beinart will earn the enraged opprobrium of the left wing fever swamp with his balanced piece.
Beinart, goes on to criticize Senator Lieberman for shunning partisanship,
"Behind Lieberman's obsession with national unity is his deep conviction that the United States is at war--not just in Iraq, but around the world. The war on terrorism is his prism for viewing Bush. And it drains away his anger at the president's misdeeds, because they always pale in comparison to those of America's true enemy...
"What both Lieberman and the Lieberman-haters have lost is what the great social democratic critic Irving Howe called "two-sided politics." Liberals are engaged in two different struggles--one against illiberalism at home, the other against an even more profound illiberalism abroad. Both must be fought with passion. Neither can be subsumed. Each must be sometimes compromised for the sake of the other. It is that moral tension--more than Bush-hatred, and more than wartime unity--that defines the liberal spirit. Let's hope both Lieberman and his critics recapture it in the days ahead."
The Moose, however, rejects the moral equivalence argument between Lieberman and his critics. Partisan politicians are a dime a dozen - there are plenty of voices to excoriate the Bushies. What is rare is a courageous statesman like Joe Lieberman who "obsessively" puts country before party. We need more of them. In fact, the Moose's prime critique of President Bush is that he failed to forge a new politics of national unity after 9/11. With the continuing threats in the world, America desperately needs more politicians like Lieberman who focus on unity rather than division.
Actually, it would be healthy for the Democratic Party to be seen as occasionally playing the role of "non-partisan" partisans. While Republican popularity is plummeting, the American people don't exactly perceive the Democrats as a day at the beach.
It appears to the Moose that the Democrats of '06 are a mirror image of the Republicans of '98. The elephants of '98 were obsessed with Clinton rage just as the donkeys of '06 are inflamed by Bush rage. And to the surprise of the GOP, they were not rewarded at the polls in '98 for their hatred. Clinton rage then was as unlovely as Bush hatred is now.
So, perhaps the Democrats could benefit from a little "non-partisan partisanship." Democrats - help make the American people believe that you always put country before party. It may earn you political rewards.
And let us praise Joe Lieberman for exuding goodwill.
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Thursday, January 05, 2006
Abramoff Returns Accepted Here
The Moose offers a service to recipients of Jack Abramoff's largesse.
The Moose is a constructive mammal. That is why he is now accepting stained campaign contributions from Casino Jack to politicians ranging from the President of the United States to the Governor of Maryland.
It's easy and simple. Just have your Campaign Treasurer click the "Support the Bull Moose" link on the right. You might even receive a personalized "thank you" note and autographed photo from the Moose.
The Moose always seeks to help those in need.
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The Moose condemns bi-partisan comity.
Well, not exactly. As Mooseketeers know, this mammal is generally strongly supportive of Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives coming together in constructive dialog. We need more de-polarization across party and ideological lines.
With one exception.
Yesterday, Al Gore made a presentation at Grover Norquist's infamous Wednesday Breakfast group. The Moose applauds Vice President Gore for his visionary work on global warming. And he is impressed that he is reaching out to potentially hostile conservative audiences with his message.
However, it is unfortunate that the Vice President would give legitimacy to Grover's group. The Moose has a little history with that function. He vividly recalls in the mid-nineties when Abramoff's clients would display their wares at the Wednesday confab. It was at that place where the conservative movement was distorted with the convergence of money and power. It reflects the worst combination of K Street and DeLayism.
For the record, Grover's meeting is the perhaps the most over-rated event in the nation's capital. It is primarily a right wing and K Street show and tell noshfest for lobbyists and functionaries. Little is done or accomplished other than contributing to global warming with hot air and the deforestation of America with the distribution of endless right wing broadsides.
On a related matter, the Moose is deeply disturbed that some of the conservative faithful are abandoning the Bug Man at his time of need. It was only a few short months ago, that the right wing rallied in a massive dinner saluting Tom DeLay as their leader. Now, they are headed for
for the tall grass when it is getting hot for Casino Jack's golfing buddy. Deeply distressing!
With the forthcoming Abramoff confession, maybe the next major cause of conservatism will soon be the Prison Ministry. Perhaps, Charles Colson will be a staple at future Grover Wednesday confabs. As a convenience, future Wednesday get-togethers could be held in the waiting room at the Federal Court House.
There are plenty of fine conservative venues at which the Vice President could have brought his message. Grover's place is not one of them.
Now, back to bi-partisan harmony...
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The Moose congratulates the University of Texas - NCAA Football National Champions.
It just goes to show, don't believe the hype. The Eyes of Texas are certainly upon you! The Moose is kvelling over Vince Young who delivered the most storied and heroic perfomance in the history of the college game. Sam Houston must be proud of his progeny.
And he will even be prouder when the Lone Star State elects U of T alum Kinky as her new Governor!
The Longhorns and Kinky - perfect together!
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Wednesday, January 04, 2006
In a "Swiftian" spirit, the Moose urges politicians to completely ignore the blogosphere.
The blogs are sometimes informative, usually entertaining and almost always - with a few exceptions - predictable partisan bile. As a blogger himself, the Moose has a vested interest in the medium, but he does not worship at the altar of his mouse.
The Moose previously wrote,
"... it is a delusion to believe that the blogosphere is representative of anything but the hundreds of thousands of scribblers that join in this marvelous medium and the few millions of good folks who read it. The Moose is always struck by how few people actually read a blog or even are familiar with their existence - even those who are politically active.
...The blogosphere is generally an ideological hothouse that does not reflect the everyday thoughts of Americans. In that way, it is much like talk radio."
Politicians should only pay attention to the bloggers with the understanding that they usually represent the most fevered and extreme elements of their base. Particularly Democratic politicians should largely ignore them. Democrats need less preaching to the choir and more persuasion and conversion of those who have left the flock or belong to another congregation.
To take a random example, the last thing in the world a Democratic leader should do is to attend a convention of blog readers (that would apply to an assembly of Mooseketeers, as well) - they should use their precious time speaking to VFW conventions, sermonizing at mega-churches and attending NASCAR races. Democrats are a minority party and they must evangelize and proselytize and not pander to the zealots among their flock.
Republicans became the majority party by preaching to non-traditional GOP groups. Democratic leaders should follow that example.
And don't pay too much attention to those of us who pound on keyboards.
Note - to see a profile of the Moose look here.
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HOOK 'EM --
The Moose fears that the righteous ones have lost their religion.
Oh, ye of little faith. It appears that the Bible Believers are about to have the book thrown at them - and it's not the good book. Casino Jack, who previously might have consulted the Talmud to justify his role as a gonif with the Indian Tribes, will have plenty of prison time to read the Talmudic commentaries to discover how he went wrong.
Meanwhile, Righteous Ralph Reed has yet to have a "Come to Jesus" moment about his role in the Abramoff rip-off. Of course, Brother Ralph claims that he was only the piano player in the Abramoff bordello. The Moose, however, begs to differ. From his personal experience, the Moose knows that Brother Ralph is both a very savvy sinner and he was extremely close to Casino Jack from back in the days when they were idealistic revolutionaries. It is only a matter of time that Ralph will have to get right with the Lord.
And Parishioner Tom DeLay must have realized that he was sinning in River City. And we all know that the Good Lord has touched the Bugman's heart. What can explain his wayward ways?
The Moose suggests that the Brothers in the Lord have rejected several admonitions in the Decalogue. Although it may offend some church-state absolutists, the Moose recommends a crash Decalogue program in D.C. Post them everywhere. Mandatory ten commandment training for all Members, staff, and lobbyists! Forget about "reform" legislation - enforce the Ten Commandments!
This may sound extreme - but clearly we must wash the stain of Satan away from the nation's capital. And will someone please say, Amen!
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Tuesday, January 03, 2006
An empathetic Moose has declared today as "Hug an Elephant day."
This may be a very stressful and traumatic twenty-four hours for many a D.C. Republican. It appears that old Casino Jack Abramoff could agree to a plea deal and flip on his former comrades. If he starts singing, a lot of righteous right wingers could be in deep, deep, doo-doo.
You will be able to see the stress on the faces of the Republicans as wander nervously on the Hill and speak softly to one another of their misdeeds on behalf of Jack. "All of this tsouris for a junket to the Marianas" they will wail! After all, what's a few hundred grand between friends?These Republicans have been stricken with Abramoff Seizure Syndrome.
The symptoms of this Syndrome are belated contrition, heart palpitations and nervous sweats. They suddenly lose their appetite while dining at the Capital Grille when a federal attorney appears. They suffer from a sudden loss of memory that they ever had any dealings with the Casino Jack or his powerful pal, the Bugman.
The Moose is a kinder and gentler mammal. He feels the pain of his former comrades. A decade ago, everything was possible - smaller government, smash the state, all power to the people! And it has all come crashing down at a skybox at the MCI Center. Woe is they!
So, if you see a elephant today - give them a hug - they're going to need it if Jack is singing to the feds! The halls of the Hill are alive with music!
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The Moose celebrates a Texas enlistment in the ranks of the independent.
One tough Texas grandma has abandoned the ranks of the GOP and that may be good news for the Kinkster's crusade to become Chief Executive of the Lone Star State. The AP reports,
"Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn turned her back on the Republican Party and announced Monday she will run for governor as an independent.
The move allows Strayhorn to escape a potentially ugly primary battle against Gov. Rick Perry. The GOP primary is set for March 7."
This action by the mama of W's press flack may make it easier for Kinky to obtain the necessary ballot signatures since those who sign the petitions cannot vote in the Republican or Democratic primaries. Now, it appears there will only be a Democratic primary. Moreover, the more the merrier - a wide open four-way race may make it easier for the Kinkster to sneak in as the first independent Texas Governor since the great Sam Houston.
The Moose's fondest hope is that more elephants and donkeys abandon their parties and "think like Sam." While Strayhorn is Kinky's competitor, her defection may prompt more and more Texas voters to think outside the box and visualize an independent Governor.
If we could only do that on the national stage!
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Monday, January 02, 2006
The Moose fears that our elites are ignoring the persisting peril.
Increasingly, the political and opinion class has a pre-9/11 feel to it. A broad swath of our media and political elites has more fear of a Nixonian presence in the Oval Office than a Jihadist threat to our security. That is not to dismiss legitimate concerns over civil liberties. During a time of war, there will always be a proper debate over security versus privacy.
However, there is increasing sentiment that we are no longer at war. Well, not exactly - clearly we are at war in Iraq. And according to some, the Bush Administration is conducting a relenting attack on our liberties. One Senate Democratic leader even crowed that the party had "killed" the Patriot Act.
But, what seems lost is the reality that Jihadists seek to attack within the borders of the United States. We are becoming a complacent nation - at least that is true of part of our opinion and political leaders. There is increasing talk that the threat from al-Qaeda was overblown and exaggerated. A large portion of the fault lies with the Bush Administration which decided that after 9/11 it would be business as usual at home. There would be no call to sacrifice except from our brave and heroic troops and their families. There was no serious effort to address the problem of energy independence or expansion of the military. Tax cuts were the supreme domestic imperative.
And of course, there was no effort at national unity. And so today, we are a polarized nation with Democrats assuming that Bush is a modern day Nixon and Republicans believing that Democrats are "stab in the back" traitors.
But, if one listens to most of the Democrats, the major threat to America lurks in the Oval Office. While the D's could enjoy gains in this year's congressional elections. expect the soft on defense label to stick on the party as it enters the '08 Presidential campaign unless the eventual nominee challenges the left base of the party. More self inflicted damage on national security has been imposed on the party in the past month than in the last two decades.
However, politics should not be the animating concern of the moment. The Moose fears that soon we will again be forced to deal with the reality of the fact that this remains a very dangerous world. The most immediate threat to our complacency is likely to be Iran which is a nation on the verge of nuclear capability governed by an insane anti-Semite who does not hide his ambition to wipe Israel off the map. While Russia is arming Teheran to the teeth, the Bush Administration has no clear strategy to deal with this threat from this charter member of the famed axis of evil. And the Democrats are too preoccupied with appeasing their left base to pay much attention to the matter.
The Moose has faith that, at the end of the day, the clear majority of the American people will not view the continuing danger through a partisan prism. They will recognize that the President made a close call on the surveillance issue, but it was not made out of venality. They will also believe that there was a great intelligence failure concerning Saddam's weapons and there was incompetence in the occupation, but that premature withdrawal would be disastrous.
And even if our elites are forgetting, the American people will recognize that this is hardly a time to relax our guard.
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