tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2342100421756914597.post508787199472371022..comments2024-01-12T18:45:52.043-05:00Comments on The Weekly Sift: Days of Our LivesDoug Muderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04666144843949850394noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2342100421756914597.post-79952303459230581702010-05-18T11:32:59.742-04:002010-05-18T11:32:59.742-04:00I have to admit though that the "Thank you Pr...I have to admit though that the "Thank you President Obama.." thing is not really going to happen because it is not part of the program of furthering partisan advantage for Republicans.<br /><br />There are a few places where Obama does get support from Republicans - the actions in Afghanistan and the Nobel acceptance speech for example.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12493435550311678334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2342100421756914597.post-47358445689277815022010-05-18T11:23:39.730-04:002010-05-18T11:23:39.730-04:00Well here is an entry from Instapundit today"...Well here is an entry from Instapundit today"<br /><br /> "A new government program aims to train thousands of parking industry employees nationwide to watch for and report anything suspicious — abandoned cars, for example, or people hanging around garages, taking photographs or asking unusual questions.<br /><br />What’s new isn’t the program, but the perfectly straight coverage from an outlet like MSNBC. When a similar program, TIPS, was proposed right after the 9/11 attacks, it was the second coming of Stasi, and was opposed by a left-right coalition of civil libertarians. Here’s how it was covered in 2002:<br /><br /> Attorney General John Ashcroft tried to assure dubious Senate Democrats yesterday that a new citizens watchdog program isn’t a Big Brother snooping operation.The attorney general said TIPS is aimed at reporting suspicious activity in public areas and isn’t targeted at people’s homes – a central complaint of libertarians who say the plan encourages neighbors to spy on one another.<br /><br /> TIPS was unveiled in President Bush’s State of the Union speech but has generated little enthusiasm. One of its primary recruiting targets – the Postal Service – has said it won’t encourage mail carriers to participate.<br /><br /> The plan has united liberals and conservatives in opposition. The American Civil Liberties Union contends TIPS would turn many workers into “government-sanctioned Peeping Toms.”<br /><br />Of course, that was then, and this is now. Apparently we only need a left-right coalition that raises privacy objections to government policies under Republican administrations."<br /><br />This illustrates what I was saying - that righties discuss Obama tactics in terms of how hypocritical they are considering the long history of criticizing Republicans for the same tactics. <br /><br />In that same vein would it not now be reasonable to compare Obama to Hitler since the drone attacks in Pakistan and the US operations in Afghanistan are killing civilians. After all when Bush did similar things pictures of him with Hitler mustache appeared all over. Yet aside from a few such at tea parties I don't see this - certainly not from the left.<br /><br />So again my point is that we can ignore 90% of what political blogs and politicians say since they are just attempts to gain partisan advantage and have only a weak connection to any issue.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12493435550311678334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2342100421756914597.post-10761670190298118202010-05-18T10:09:37.573-04:002010-05-18T10:09:37.573-04:00I agree with you on this much: In the campaign, Ob...I agree with you on this much: In the campaign, Obama certainly let a lot of his supporters (like me) believe that terrorism policy would change a lot more than it did. I was hoping for a more across-the-board support for human rights and the right of citizens not to be spied on without probable cause. I'd have to check the record to see how close Obama came to outright lying, but I do feel misled.<br /><br />It would be interesting to see what would happen if more Republicans would say, "Thank you for recognizing we were right, President Obama."Doug Muderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04666144843949850394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2342100421756914597.post-14199702528966471632010-05-18T08:58:07.614-04:002010-05-18T08:58:07.614-04:00It is always difficult to discuss in terms of &quo...It is always difficult to discuss in terms of "the Democrats say..." or "the Republicans say.." because there is a diversity of opinion on both sides. That being said you are certainly correct in saying that many left wingers decry Obama's sticking to Bush's anti-terror policy.<br /><br />However I have also noted that many Republicans also note this continuity. But when they do so they are doing it to point out the hypocrisy on the left. As in "How can you make a living by trashing Bush and his war on terror then turning around and following much the same policy?" They are using this argument as part of a partisan argument but using it correctly IMHO.<br /><br />The point is that Obama came to office running on an anti-Bush policy, criticizing the Iraq war and the Bush anti-terror policy, then pretty much following the Bush pattern after taking office. It is true the anti-Bush rhetoric was toned down some after Obama became president but it is still the routine hypocrisy we all expect from politicians.<br /><br />We are not really discussing whose policy is better, just the hypocrisy in all politician's statements and the obsession with partisanship on both sides. Clearly this obsession is detested by the public, me included.<br /><br />I do compliment you on your reasonable tone which contrasts with most political blogs on both sides.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12493435550311678334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2342100421756914597.post-55774000803691141022010-05-18T07:11:56.685-04:002010-05-18T07:11:56.685-04:00Eugene,
As a Democrat, I'm actually unhappy ...Eugene, <br /><br />As a Democrat, I'm actually unhappy about the continuity. I voted for Obama because I wanted a change from the Bush policy, which I don't think is the best way to keep America safe. I didn't make a big deal out of it in this edition of the Sift, but I've been critical of Obama for continuing Bush's anti-terror policy.<br /><br />I think this is a fairly common view on the Left: We do talk about the continuity, and we don't like it. (Glenn Greenwald is a good example of a liberal Obama critic on this issue.)<br /><br />I suppose your criticism could apply to the Obama administration itself -- they could invoke the name of Bush more than they do. But I also don't see them actively claiming to have made big changes in terrorism policy.<br /><br />Perhaps its my liberal myopia, but when I hear someone claiming that something is drastically different in terrorism policy, it is almost always the Republicans.Doug Muderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04666144843949850394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2342100421756914597.post-5471233418357725372010-05-17T22:13:30.422-04:002010-05-17T22:13:30.422-04:00The obvious problem with your discussion of the co...The obvious problem with your discussion of the continuity of the war on terror from the Bush to the Obama administrations is that the argument cuts both ways. Yes Republicans should acknowledge this continuity but so should Democrats. Do you hear any Dems saying "We are continuing the Bush anti-terror policy." Neither do I. So you are focusing only on one side and giving the other side a pass. Thus the criticism of elevating partisanship above other issues would seem to apply to you as well.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12493435550311678334noreply@blogger.com