Glenn Greenwald: Since Congress Formally Condemned The MoveOn Ad, Shouldn't They Do The Same With...

[Hissyspit]

...the far worse Cheney/Kristol campaign?

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/03/08/condemnation/index.html

MONDAY, MAR 8, 2010 13:09 EST
Congressional condemnation of Cheney/Kristol?
BY GLENN GREENWALD

(updated below)

One of the most inane acts undertaken by the Democratic Congress was its formal and highly bipartisan condemnation of MoveOn.org's "Petraeus/Betrayus" ad. Regardless of one's views of that ad, formally opining on the views of private citizens is not the role of Congress. But since they did that, and apparently believe that repugnant political campaigns merit Congressional disapproval, shouldn't there be some form of formal sanction for the far more pernicious and genuinely McCarthyite attacks on DOJ lawyers from Liz Cheney and Bill Kristol's "Keep America Safe"? So reprehensible was that campaign that numerous right-wing lawyers have vehemenetly condemned it -- including Ken Starr, David Rivkin, Ted Olsen, and even (ironically) former Bush official Cully Stimson -- with most of them signing a letter decrying it as "a shameful series of attacks" that are "destructive of any attempt to build lasting mechanisms for counterterrorism adjudications."

There is a real opportunity here to cause that rarest of political events: namely, having someone's credibility and standing be diminished by virtue of repugnant acts. Liz Cheney, Bill Kristol and Andy McCarthy (with whom it originated) have so transparently crossed every line with this ugly smear campaign that they are being condemned across the political spectrum. Only the hardest-core ideological dead-enders are defending them. It would therefore not only be politically plausible, but valuable, for the Congress to officially condemn these McCarthyite attacks on Justice Department lawyers. If the Democratic Congress was willing (indeed eager) to do so against the nation's leading progressive group, why wouldn't it do the same in response to a far more repugnant and potentially destructive campaign launched by a Far Right group? In 1954, the U.S. Senate condemned the original Joe McCarthy, so why not his progeny? I think it'd be worthwhile to find a sponsor for a Resolution that achieves this -- I think I'll work on that and hope others will, too -- and then urge its passage.

MORE

[EFerrari]

1. They'll do that right after they apologize to ACORN.

[Fumesucker]

2. +1

[hootinholler]

3. Rec'd just for your assessment. n/t

:hi:

[EFerrari]

5. Hiya, Hoot!! Happy Monday to you!

:hi:

[damntexdem]

4. They should, after apologizing to MoveON.

The ad was correct.

And I donated more to MoveOn after the Congressional action because of that action.

[annabanana]

6. ABSOLUTELY!! They are demonstrably and clearly un American

in their condemnation of our very system of jurisprudence.