OMFG! Esquire: Tucker Carlson, Andrew Sullivan,pretty much rip up Bush

[kerry-is-my-prez]

Andrew Sullivan says he can't vote for Bush, calls him incompetent and obstinant in dealing with the war in Iraq, says the Abu Ghraib prison scandal is perhaps the most damaging blow to America's reputation in a generation, and that four more years of Bush will embitter and divide the country even more than he has already caused it to be.

Tucker Carlson calls Bush weak, stubborn, uncommunicative, and slow to adapt to changing realities and says he's not sure if he's going to vote for Bush and that he might just stay home.

Then, they have a long article from Ron Reagan "The Case Against George Bush."

I would recommend that everyone buy it - not just for these articles - but to show them that people are interested in this sort of stuff and support it.

http://www.esquire.com/features/articles/2004/040729_mfe_reagan_1.html


Excerpt from Andrew Sullivan's (not online yet):

Why I Want to Vote for Bush – But Why I Can’t
By Andrew Sullivan

The Presidency of George W. Bush--billed as a force for moderation and "compassionate conservatism"--ended up extremist, harsh, and anything but conservative. He could have cut tax rates across the board and removed tax loopholes for wealthy corporations. Instead, he cut taxes substantively only for the very rich.....He poured money into education, labor and pork-barrel projects, abetted by a Republican Congress that preferred bribing its way back into power rather than keeping the books balanced. The final straw was the Medicare drug entitlement… the result was a massive deficit and projected bankruptcy in near- or long-term future.

-snip-

In the war, Bush made two huge errors. First, he banked the United States' international credibility on the assertion that Saddam had stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction. Those stockpiles didn't exist. Worse, Bush refused to acknowledge this.... When asked for account for the discrepancy.... Bush quipped, "What's the difference?" The difference is that America's entire reputation rested on the distinction. By his insouciance, Bush ensured that support for the war at home would be weakened.

-snip-

There were far too few troops... and no plans to change course, This incompetence and obstinacy meant that an entire window of opportunity was thrown away.... The coup de grace was the Abu Ghraib prison abuse-- perhaps the most damaging blow to America's reputation in a generation.

-snip-

His strategy was to drive up support from the white, old fundamentalist South, where alone he felt at home. He therefore left the country even more deeply divided and embittered than he found it--no easy task.

Give him another four years and he'll embitter it some more.

[KayLaw]

1. Thanks

I agree we should buy it and it sounds fascinating anyhow.

[salin]

2. I seriously doubt that Sully won't vote for Bush.

I venture to guess that within a couple of weeks he will be back to profound bush cheerleading. Seems to be a pattern with him. Faux outrage that is very shortlived.

[stopbush]

6. Bingo! Sully is one of those role players in the R party:

the troubled intellect who does *nuance* and tries to see both sides of an issue...like Orrin Hatch or Arlen Specter.

Right.

But they're not fooling anyone. When push comes to shove, they will back their boy, proclaiming "I had my doubts and voiced them back whenever, but in the intervening time, * has shown himself to be on the right side of the issues, blah...blah...blah." The fact is that in the end, they ALWAYS support/exonerate the R in question.

They are, in effect, a pre-emptive strike aimed at wavering R voters, saying to them, "Hey, I was wavering, too. But trust me, after I've seen all the evidence, I will gladly vote for/support against all logic bush/criminal R du jour."

[kerry-is-my-prez]

10. He's a whore- so we know he won't bite the hand that feeds him in the end.

n/t

[kerry-is-my-prez]

3. May I add that this just proves what a media whore Carlson is?

He is still going around "propping up" this administration.

I'm not sure what Andrew Sullivan has been up to -- but I'm not betting on HIM to change much.

[WillyT]

5. It's A Knee-Jerk Reaction Type Of Thing...

something that for jerks, is hard to shed.

:shrug:

[indigobusiness]

7. Yep, he's hedging his bets...

for when the winds shift.

Anyone, as reactionary and automatic as Carlson, can be counted on to cover their ass...all along the watchtower.

[H2O Man]

23. This is interesting:

certainly Tucker does "prop up the administration." For better or for worse, it's his job on CNN's Crossfire. That is an issue that we would all likely agree upon: he takes money to perform a service that most of us would find immoral.

But what is happening now is similar to what happened with Nixon, though during his second term. Even the right-wing pundits began to speak out against him .... quietly at first, but eventually it built in momentum.

Tucker has said (a month ago) that he has trouble believing he was stupid enough to accept the predictions made by the administration regarding how the war in Iraq would go.

Last night, on Fox News Watch, Cal Thomas -- a very conservative man -- said the Plame grand jury was not about the 1st amendment, because rather than protecting a whistle-blower, the journalists involved were helping the White House with a cover-up. He said the administration "could end the problem immediately" by naming the leakers. (!)

We should not embrace either Tucker or Cal. They are not people we want to attend social functions with. Yet when they begin to publicly reject this administration, we should take note.

[IronLionZion]

4. I imagine a lot of Republicans will stay home

since there really isn't any conservative in this race unless you think Michael Badnarik is. There may be a lot of disgruntled Republicans in PA thanks to the Specter/Toomey civil war.


http://www.badnarik.org/
His first priority is to get rid of Bush, even if that means helping Kerry.

[Lindacooks]

8. "He poured money into education..."

Huh? Then why are teachers being laid off all over the country? Chimpy hardly 'poured money' into anything but his cronies' pockets.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

9. It should say "He poured money into insane program--lining Corps pockets"

While I'm not sure it actually lined Corportions pockets - I'm sure it line SOME Bush supporters pockets.

[LWolf]

19. My response exactly.

Wherever he poured that money for education, it sure as hell never reached our school sites or classrooms.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

11. Sully most likely will NOT vote for Bush, but "Fucker Tucker" will!

Tucker has done everything in power to prop up the 21st Century Hitler and there is no reason why he Tucker Carlson would not hurt this country like he has in the past. Tucker is the enemy and he's for Bush.

[w13rd0]

12. But as he told David Brooks...

...and declined to deny face to face with him, "Come on David, you know this shtick is just for a paycheck."

[kerry-is-my-prez]

16. Just as I suspected......

n/t

[jimshoes]

13. Some people say Tucker is a weenie

I agree with them.

[MichiganVote]

14. He is a weenie but he can be an anti-Bush/pro-support Kerry weenie too

[timtom]

15. It's too f***ing late!

All these people who are coming out against * now...

I'm sorry, but it's too late. Either they never had any powers of discernment, or they are cynical connivers who seek to jump on a different bandwagon. Too late. One look at * in 2000 (or earlier) and it was apparent to the merest schoolchild what a horrible creature he is. Good people don't elect or support horrible creatures.

There will be more of these "new allies" but it's too late.

One need not have been a clairvoyant to see instantly what a horrid idea illegally invading Iraq was. Interestingly, most of us here at DU DID see exactly that. For those who supported the invasion and occupation, for those who supported the so-called PATRIOT act...it's too late. We already know who and what they are.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

17. More power to them in my book if they want to write anti-Bush articles.

....and vote for Kerry or stay home on election day. Repubs who are on the fence are persuaded by this stuff.

They're still scum in my book and I will never have a nice thing to say about Tucker Carlson - but if he wants to speak out against Bush, fine with me.

[Batgirl]

18. Tucker is quite unintentionally funny though

He takes time out from delivering solid body blows to the chimp to observe the supposedly "deeply weird" fact that Gore grew a beard after the "election" . It's like he's trying to justify his support for Bush by saying that as disturbing as his tenure has been -- whew! -- it could have been worse. We could have had a man with facial hair.

jeezusHchrist -- He actually sees the truth about the Chimp and his many failures, even calls him "dumb" -- and still his idea of doing something about it is , at best, to NOT VOTE?

Thanks a lot you smug little weinerschnitzel -- you never take your bowtie off, even for your synchronized swimming practice at the Y, and you think growing a beard is weird.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

20. Most men who bitch about beards can't grow them themselves.

The most he can do is grow a bit of peach fuzz is my guess.

[timtom]

21. Actually, you make a good point.

Sometimes, I just get overcome with anger and other emotions.

Thanks for shining a light.

[merh]

22. I agree with you, more power to 'em if they want to become anti-shrub!

What have we been saying for 4 years about the media, that * has them in his breast pocket and all they will report is * propaganda. Well, damn it, better late than never that they will start writing/reporting anti-shrub stuff.

The media is part of the reason this nation is divided and some folks believe the shrub is good - now the media needs to do its penance and come clean.

I welcome any one of the rats that jumps ship, no matter why they jumped. I may accept them as the scum they are but that will not stop me from encouraging them to report the truth -- finally!