A Conservative Icon Agrees with Liberals
Hold onto your hats. You will not believe this, but it is true. The conservative icon, George Will, has written remarks that a good, upstanding Republican would find outrageous, if not traitorous. I didn't believe it when I read it. But after reading it again, I decided I must write this article. Wow! Here was Mr. Conservative George Will praising John Kerry and the liberal position on the Iraq war generally!
George Will was commenting on the excellent way the British foiled the terrorism plot that sought to use liquid explosives to blow up over the ocean 10 aircrafts flying between England and America. He praised the British for following the advice of John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic candidate for president:
"Cooperation between Pakistani and British law enforcement (the British draw upon useful experience combating IRA terrorism) has validated John Kerry's belief (as paraphrased by the New York Times Magazine of Oct. 10, 2004) that 'many of the interdiction tactics that cripple drug lords, including governments working jointly to share intelligence, patrol borders and force banks to identify suspicious customers, can also be some of the most useful tools in the war on terror.' In a candidates' debate in South Carolina (Jan. 29, 2004), Kerry said that although the war on terror will be 'occasionally military,' it is 'primarily an intelligence and law enforcement operation that requires cooperation around the world.'"
If any liberal would say today that the "war on terror" is "primarily an intelligence and law enforcement operation" he would be visited with a Swiftboat smear. And, indeed, Kerry was visited that way.
Will George Will be visited by the Swiftboat Smearers? Will did not follow the party line. He deviated from the script. He is supposed to shout "war" not "law enforcement." What will be his punishment? I know he is not a liberal. However, plenty of conservatives have been mercilessly attacked. Will Will escape?
How can Republican leaders disregard such disloyalty? He praised a Democrat, Bush's opponent. And he rained on the Republican "war" parade, the one that they were depending on to stem severe Republican losses in November. According to Republican logic, Will deserves to be called a "traitor."
I say that though Will is a Republican, he is right. Let's take a lesson from the British and hunt down the terrorists the way we hunted down the gangsters and the Mafia.
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