Steve Benen (Carpetbagger Report) to WSJ: What if We Don't Want to 'Get Over It'?

[ProSense]

STEVE BENEN
Bio
03.12.2007

What if We Don't Want to 'Get Over It'?

It's become a fairly common refrain. The right does something offensive, the left gets frustrated when there are no consequences, time elapses, and the right, annoyed by lingering resentment, tells the left to "get over it." Given the right's conduct, it's not always easy to just let bygones be bygones.

Consider the latest example.

When the president nominated Sam Fox, a major right-wing donor who gave $50,000 to the Swiftboat Vets, to be ambassador to Belgium, it raised a few eyebrows. When the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing on Fox's nomination, Sen. John Kerry, as one might imagine, wasn't pleased to see him.

Kerry was hardly alone. Wade Sanders -- former deputy assistant secretary of the Navy, decorated former swift boat skipper, and combat veteran -- wrote an op-ed last week attacking Bush's nomination of Fox: "(A)s a military man, it doesn't matter much who is being attacked -- John McCain, Max Cleland, John Kerry, or Jack Murtha -- I just don't believe that assaults on the military records of veterans belong in our politics."

Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal editorial page took up the controversy and, naturally, stood by the White House.

The country long ago moved beyond John Kerry's Presidential ambitions, but the Senator, as he seems never to tire of reminding us, has not. Now Mr. Kerry's throbbing grievances jeopardize President Bush's nominee for U.S. Ambassador to Belgium. <...>

The Senate confirmation process is already congested by Democratic intransigence, from Bush appellate judges to U.N. ambassadors. But at least these conflicts came with some veneer of substantive objection, not merely the desire for political retribution.

At the outset of this largely incoherent editorial, the WSJ had a message for White House critics: "Get over it."

more...

Over at Carpetbagger, Benen offers examples:

Republicans threw the political world into turmoil in 1998 by launching an impeachment crusade against Bill Clinton. It was an absurd and painful exercise. Those of us who are still annoyed by the fight are supposed to “get over it.”

In 2000, Republicans orchestrated a massive fraud in Florida, and, with the help of the Supreme Court, delivered the presidency to the candidate who came in second. Those of us who harbor resentment are told we should “get over it.”

Bush failed to take the terrorist threat seriously before 9/11? “Get over it.” Bush launched a disastrous war? “Get over it.” Bush is rewarding those who helped smear a war hero with a vicious lie? “Get over it.”

It’s not enough for the GOP and its allies to engage in offensive conduct; they also insist, after a short while, that we stop being bothered by it.

more…

[MH1]

1. Recommended.

;)

[blm]

2. WSJ editorial page is the FOX news of newspapers.

.

[Phredicles]

3. And funny how the Get Over It Brigade are STILL blaming Bill Clinton for

anything that goes wrong - Walter Reed, bin Laden being on the loose, etc., etc. :eyes::puke:

[gratuitous]

4. Clinton? Hell, they're still on and on about FDR and Wilson!

Talk about sore losers with long (if imperfect) memories! Holy smoke, and the WSJ editorial page is one of the worst offenders.