Come November will you vote pro-terrorism or anit-terrorism?

[underpants]

The RW noise machine has clearly been told to get on Israel's side 100%. As usual there can be no discussion beyond "KILL THE TERRORISTS" and by implication the left must be on the side of Hezbollah/the Palestinians. They have staked out their claim-they now own the pro-Israeli side. There can be no dissension in their ranks and there can be no duel ownership, LIBERALS SUPPORT THE TERRORISTS.

There you have it.

I wasn't aware of this until I happened to be in my car for several of the standard RW hate radio shows (Rush, Hannity, Savage*) and did something I rarely do which is to flip over to Fox News. It is pretty clear that this is how they have decided the issue will be framed.

Aside from using this as another excuse to make the vote rigging seem more plausible ( the Jewish vote) this will serve as a clear wedge issue-their base is emboldened to fight the good fight again ( uh-huh) and the fence sitters will be asked to pick a side pro-terrorists or anti-terrorists.

Now the main problem here is that for the most part people are in the midst of their summer vacation haze (pre-vacation or post-vacation) and the ME is just too damned confusing and frustrating anyway.

Just an observation.

* oh another thing- until I listened to those radio shows I was not aware that the media was so hellbent on complaining about the US military's Lebanon rescue mission. You would have thought it was Katrina all over again.... they likewise used this for more scorn of the poor in N.O.

[rfranklin]

1. I've been against terrorists since Reagan sold them missiles...

Back in the days when Republicans were trading with Hezbollah and cheney and Rumsfeld were doing business with Kadhaffi and Sadam Hussein.

[Norquist Nemesis]

2. It's not just the RW hate radio though

The past few days, I've been listening to Ed Schultz tell caller after caller after caller "You're supporting the terrorists!"

[GreenArrow]

3. I'll vote pro-humanism

.

[Turbineguy]

4. From Blackadder:

"Will you be fighting with us on the morrow?"

"I thought I'd fight with the enemy!"

[leveymg]

5. Come September, expect the US public's attention to become focused

by something dramatic. You're quite right about summer haze. There is a necessary intervening step between the present Lebanon crisis and American commitment to war in the Middle East.

You're also right about the scripted role for the Left. That's why we need to keep our own arguments framed this way:

* U.S. involvement in a war in the Middle East is not in the national interest - there are no vital national interests at stake and the survival of Israel is not imperiled.

* By all measures, the Bush Administration is incompetent and unfit to lead. It has already failed militarily, in dealing with national emergencies, and in directing counter-terrorism: on 9/11; in Iraq; in its response to domestic emergency in New Orleans; and is failing again in Afghanistan.

* We are being manipulated into a wider war against Iran by outside influences that do not have our best interests at heart.

* Some of the same people on the Right who are pushing this war have committed treason in the Plame and OSP-AIPAC espionage cases.

* We on the Left are patriots who love our country, and will fight all enemies foreign and domestic, to protect the Constitution, to defend our real interests, and to preserve our country's tradition as a just and benevolent people.

[underpants]

6. Outstanding

well said