Walter Jones, the Republican who changed the House cafeteria menu to replace French Fries with “Freedom Fries,” but later became one of the war’s staunchest critics, has been renominated to Congress. He faced a strong primary challenger supported by the White House.
With 99% of the vote counted, Jones is winning 59.5% of the vote.
Nothing like a repentant sinner is there?
And another vote of “no confidence” by the voters directed towards the Bush Administration.
Yee-hah.
Yes another blow to the pro-illegal immigration libtards!!!
Uh, oh — we’re getting spillover from the Little Green Footballs school of political science! A telltale sign is the use of the brilliantly coined word “libtards,” which is rumored to signify a combination of the concepts “libation” and “leotards,” although the exact purpose of this verbal construction remains a mystery. It is widely believed to be a code phrase that allows neocon camp followers (as opposed to actual neocons, who usually are more lucid) to identify one another. Note that the author has no knowledge of Walter Jones’ position on illegal immigration, and appears not to know that WJ is a Republican, and a conservative Republican at that. This sort of willful, blissful ignorance is also a common sign of LGF origins, although lip reading comic books and chin spittle are far more well known indicators. If encountering such a specimen, do not directly engage, nor give food or water, and on no account allow it to reproduce.
Neo-Cons ain’t furriners, nosirree–they’s as Merkin as redneck, white, and blue, yessir!
And look at thet there multicultural map they done did revisionisted–it put gotdang Messko in Nort Merka! What’s deh wohld coming to when a trew Merkin gets his own cuntree stoled by Uppity Brown Migrants thet doan even spick proper Anglish!
Neo-Con this you liberal pos. Take you gay marriage, pro abortion, civil unions, high taxes, wealth redistribution, anti-gun, hate america attitude and place it where the sun don’t shine.
You folks make anyone who has ever proudly served their country sick!
More brilliant assertions from someone who lives his life on pseudo-“conservative” weblogs, rather than the actual, real world. For example, I own four firearms, something which only a pinhead would think is inconsistent with any of the other positions he purports I hold. For example, I think that all abortion clinics should stock firearms, and have local armed defenders they can call on, in case of attempted invasions by fanatical anti-abortion religioid cranks. Now, tell us, why is a piece of trailer park detritus like Don afraid of wealth distribution, when he is clearly in line for a piece of redistributed wealth? Of course, the fact that an idiot like Don would get a piece of the social surplus is in fact an excellent reason to oppose wealth redistribution! As for serving his country, well, shooting your mouth off on a weblog doesn’t count, and it’s not even good marksmanship!
Hey G.
I am willing to show you my paycheck stub to prove that I actually work for a living.Would you be willing to do the same. I will also show you my DD-214 to prove I served instead of getting high and bad mouthing the country. Would you show yours? I am willing to show you pictures of the things I have worked for with no government assistance. Would you show yours? I am willing to show you pictures of my two children that I did not abort. Would you show yours? Now once again you know where you can go with your liberal views ok. Us folks who actually work for a living pay our bills, serve our country, and raise our kids know what is wrong and right.
Note now the aggrieved tone coming from this LGF fantasist. He actually thinks that anything he shows me will be believed to be authentic, and whines about how he “actually work(s) for a living,” as if the person he is addressing doesn’t. Note also that I never said he didn’t work for a living, he simply assumed I did. He also yammers on about my “getting high,” as if 1) that was a terrible thing, & 2) that he knows anything about my personal habits. One should also note, from his earlier posting, an adolescent fixation on people’s presumed sexual habits. As for his 2 children, if they exist, i pity them if they are being raised by this clown — he should have the decency to put them up for adoption. He also still assumes that I have “liberal views,” in spite of my firearms possession and never having voted Democrat. He doesn’t actually know my views, it’s just an excuse for him to cop a belligerent attitude, in the manner of an angry 12 year old.
G,
From your post above.
“getting high,†as if 1) that was a terrible thing,
I rest my case, we now know what your priorities in life are.
One final example of idiocy of the LGF denizen is it’s rather silly tendency to remove things from there context and attack them, as if this is somehow a demonstration of cleverness and mental skill. It is in fact the only skill it has, and it is an essentially worthless one. But as can be seen, there is no logic in this particular case. Obviously, my saying that I don’t consider getting high a terrible thing hardly means that it’s a “priority.” In fact, it doesn’t even imply that I ever get high – not that that would be a bad thing. And of course, we know that the specimen in question probably never gets high, except when giggling uncontrollably at the incredibly stupid things it writes, and when it downs a few beers. Downing beers is probably an activity that it doesn’t even recognize as “getting high,” since it is entirely legal. When a specimen of this type has been verbally deflated, lame retorts such as this are truly all that should be expected.
Wave the white flag libtards. Instead of standing up for your country you were too busy smoking the pipe and shoving needles into your arms. You folks make me sick!
Yessss, Don — we’re sure you have made great sacrifices for America. Why only yesterday, you were forced to choose between buying a spittle cup and an American flag antenna ball. I know it must be difficult, having to change shirts so often, but the sacrifices we make for our freedom are well worth the price, right Don?
Hey G.
Listen buddy why don’t you climb back into bed with your boyfriend I am sure he misses you. Someday if your Dem candidates get into complete control maybe you and him can be married and feel comfortable someplace other than San Francisco. Maybe someday soon I will see you dressed in a leather bikini brief with a studded dog collar and high heels being led on all fours by your master holding a Obama sign?
Oh, look, more telltale signs of a life led on the Little Green Footballs website for politically engaged, inebriated mouth breathers. First, he has to call me a homosexual, which is an insult to him, not to me. And of course, he has to mention the Democrats, who I have never voted for in my life. And of course, no piece of LGF inspired drivel would be complete without mention of that gateway to Hell for right-wing paranoid cranks, San Francisco! However, he is only a junior member of this elite fraternity, as evinced by his lack of the use of the word “Berkeley,” the mere mention of which makes his sort cringe at the forced interracial, multisexual orgies in the streets that they imagine are the norm of daily life there. This is only redeemed by his use of the code-phrase “Obama,” which conjures up images in Don’s mind of forced multiracial sex, as well as some really weird stuff about dog collars, high heels, and leather bikini briefs. Is it possible that Don is attracted to me? Well, I really don’t swing that way, but if I did, I know I can do better! (-:
Amen Brother Jones! Congratulations to you and the voters in your district! It is imperative that the GOP learn there are anti-war conservatives out here, and that we will vote for them if given the choice.
Peace be with you.
Good news for once.
Ron Paul Republican William J LAwson also won his Republican Primery in a landslide.
A Higher Margin then Paul won his recent Primary. He’s got a good shot to beat Price I think.
Tracy
Thank Rush Limbaugh for convincing his clones to vote Democratic for Hillary. That no doubt took away votes from Jones’ opponent. Mega Dittos Rush…….hahaha.
Put on the Iraqi hot plate, freedom fries.
To protect us from inflated enemies, liberty dies.
Defending a needless war, the government lies.
To stop phantom traitors in our midst, endless spies.
Time to try on tyranny, just for size.
Hello,
Can someone site a link to the William J LAwson race? Is he a first time candidate? Is this a traditional D or R district? Who was running against him who was backing them?
Daveg,
Regarding Dr. BJ Lawson, here is his campaign website: http://www.lawsonforcongress.com/
More info on the BJ Lawson race:
Lawson is a first time candidate. A medical Dr who cut short a neurosurgery residency to become an entrepreneur working on a program to allow Drs to collect patient data on handheld devices (to assist with rounding). His company was successful and the product was sold to Thompson Medical. BJ just decided to run last year after being involved in a triangle (Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill) Ron Paul meet-up group. He defeated a real sleaze bag neocon named Augustus Cho in the primary. From what I have heard, Cho is some character with all kinds of baggage who was basically put in the race by the party to obstruct BJ. So much for that plan. Now BJ will face David Price in a heavily democrat district which includes Durham and Chapel Hill (University of North Carolina). David Price is the quintessential fake liberal who talks about the failings of the Bush Administration while voting for all measures they propose as they relate to war. Students and many in his district have staged numerous sit ins at Price’s office to protest his backstabbing ways. Even with this, this will be a very tough fight for BJ who is contesting for a district that is very used to and comfortable reflexively voting democrat. He will need all the support he can get.
http://www.lawsonforcongress.com
Thanks,
Robert L. Whitehurst
Raleigh, NC
Well, then, Lawson will have to do what the Ron Paul campaign failed to do — appeal to “liberals” to vote for an essentially “conservative” candidate by emphasizing THE WAR and CIVIL LIBERTIES as connected issues, and to promote the restoration of civil liberties and the ending of neocon war policies as a means to save our dying republic. He needs to emphasize that this issue is of the utmost gravity, more important than any of the other issues that people must agree to disagree on.
The best message we can send this year is to beat Pelosi. Cindy Sheehan can beat her. Sheehan is not a one issue candidate. She is not only anti war, but she understands, and condemns, the evil that is central banking (the federal reserve). Let us all send 25 or 50 bucks to Cindy. It is the only race that will allow us to send a real message to the establishment.
Sheehan will need a lot of help, and while emphasizing the war and the related civil liberties question, is probably in a better position to out-“liberal” Pelosi on many other issues than a Libertarian or Republican would be. Since Pelosi’s district is essentially “liberal,” that would be a great help. And if I’m not mistaken, Sheehan is primarily on the left end of the spectrum. And of course, we should all send money to antiwar candidates on both ends of the political spectrum.
Jones attended Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Virginia, and graduated in 1966 with a Bachelor of Arts from Atlantic Christian College (now Barton College) in Wilson, North Carolina before serving four years (1967–1971) in the North Carolina National Guard.
Jones is a convert to Catholicism.
[wikipedia]
Jones’s antiwar stance is lukewarm, and mildly stated, but better that than nothing.
On the other hand, he has not apologized to France, and the insult of renaming “French Fries” is one of the stupidest things of its type in known history. At the very least the Windsors were renaming the monarchy.
From the looks of him, he ius also not smart enough to haave though of renaming, say, “French Kiss”. If he had been from Indiana, what would he have done about, “French Lick”?
As I strongly opposed the war in Iraq even before it began, I am quite aware of the fact that most French politicians and analysts were strongly saying the same thing–that an attack on Iraq was gratuitous and lunatic, and that it would serve no purpose but to increase the influence of Iran.
Besides apologizing publicly to the American people and the French, Jones also should apologize to Putin, who also warned the Americans, and Bush specifically, about attacking Iraq.
As it turns out, that warning was not even in Russia’s strategic interest, as has become obvious now. Or was Putin using reverse psychology on Bush and Rice and the rest?
“Please don’t throw yourself into the quagmire, Americanskis–please!”
As an antiwar liberal/leftist Democrat, I’m just glad he’s now on the antiwar side. Let’s be grateful for small favors.
corr: “he is also not smart enough to have thought of renaming, say, “French Kiss—
It also might be nice, and a sign of his sincerity, if Jones joined Kucinich and Wexler in impeaching Cheney.
Oh, but he is one of the regular members of the Ron Paul Libertarian Waffle Breakfast Club, isn’t he?
Oh, one had forgot about “Freedom Toast”:
“Freedom Fries” was a short-lived name used by some in the United States for French fries, as a result of anti-French sentiment in the United States.
During the international debate over the decision to launch the 2003 invasion of Iraq, France expressed strong opposition in the United Nations to taking such action. The French position was not popular with certain groups in the United States, leading to campaigns for the boycotting of French goods and businesses and the removal of the country’s name from products.
The name “freedom fries” was first used by Neal Rowland at his Cubbie’s restaurant in Beaufort, North Carolina. The story made national news, garnering the attention of other restaurants as well as the United States Congress….
On 11 March 2003, Representatives Robert W. Ney (R-Ohio) and Walter B. Jones, Jr. (R-North Carolina) declared that all references to French fries and French toast on the menus of the restaurants and snack bars run by the House of Representatives would be removed. House cafeterias were ordered to rename French fries “freedom fries”. This action was carried out without a congressional vote, under the authority of Ney’s position as Chairman of the Committee on House Administration, which oversees restaurant operations for the chamber. The simultaneous renaming of French toast to “freedom toast” attracted less attention…
The French embassy made no comment beyond pointing out that French fries come from Belgium. “We are at a very serious moment dealing with very serious issues and we are not focusing on the name you give to potatoes,” said Nathalie Loisau, an embassy spokeswoman. Critics also asserted that “French Fries” were called such because they are “frenched”, or thinly sliced, although this might be a false etymology—the first American reference to French fries was made by Thomas Jefferson, who referred to them as “potatoes, fried in the French Manner”….
Reckitt Benckiser, makers of French’s mustard, was sufficiently concerned to clarify that their brand name was derived from a family name, and to issue a press release affirming its patriotism…
A politically-motivated euphemism like this is reminiscent of anti-German sentiment during the First World War, when sauerkraut was renamed as liberty cabbage, dachshunds (wiener dogs) as liberty pups, frankfurters as hot dogs (a name that has stuck), German Spitz as American Eskimo Dogs, hamburgers as liberty steaks or Salisbury steaks. Even the German measles were instead called liberty measles. [11] This similarity is intentional: Rowland described a conversation about these renamed foods during World War I as the inspiration for “freedom fries”….
[wikipedia]
The French repsonse is elegant in its contempt. One recalls that it was at this very time that some many Republicans were crowing that there were now “adults” in the White and running the Federal government.
The parallel with “Liberty cabbage” and “Hot Dogs” and such stops here–Germany was an enemy in the Great War at the time. France was an ally, and indeed an ally giving what was very good advice to a friend.
Is France still an ally? Save traveling incognito, one wonders where Mr. Jones might travel in France or Europe without being ridiculed with snickering cries of “Freedom Fries”, just as when one says one is from Chicago one immediately hears, “Al Capone RAT TAT TAT!”
vorr: “in the White House”
You forgot about “freedom cuffs,” and “freedom doors.” Also “freedom poodles.”
Ah yes, Freedom Cuffs and Freedom Doors–spreads for Freedom Toast, like Vegemite, right?
Just part of the brew with the fine Freedom whines at Guantanomo!
Oops–MetaCynic already got Freedom as Toast.
The whole country is simply pullulating with the Freedom Disease!
Too bad that the pro-war anti-French rascals didn’t have the honesty (or is it the sense of black humor?) to rename the Constitution, “Freedom Fried” and the Bill of Rights, “Freedom Toasted.”
“They hate us for our French.”
And don’t forget: we must support our troops as they fight to defend our French.
Liberté, égalité, fraternité–patates frites RAT TAT TAT!
And a Freedom Kiss is to be avoided like the plague.
There’s many a slip between the lip and the lingerie.
The Conversions of Congressman Jones
His middle name is Beaman
but like a lady’s man he’s mobile.
Democrat
he became Republican
Protestant
he becomes Catholic
Warmonger–now he’s peacenik.
The fellow’s born again and very fluid.
Tomorrow Druid?
As the Pashtun said about his tribe–can’t be bought, only rented.
If you are looking for a real sign of intelligence returning to our national government, look for a candidate speaking out against the Zionist Lobby. What good is it if a politician is against the Iraq War but is willing to attack Iran, Syria or Lebanon?
Eugene,
I think you are being way to hard on Walter Jones. A poitician who would actually admit he was wrong and vote his conscience in the face of massive pressure from the Bush Administration and House leadership deserves a little more credit.Anyone who would stand up to AIPAC deserves even more cedit. As someone who has served in Iraq, I for one commend Walter Jones for his courage. Although he won with big numbers, Jones’ renomination was never really a given and he did well to maintian his stance in a heavily militarized district. Congressman Jones has done a hell of a job awakening the conscience of many republicans in his district, and for this he deserves a thank you. Lastly, although I am a Jones fan, your poem was hilarious. Take care.
Robert L. Whitehurst
Raleigh, NC
Although I find it irresistible to poke fun at the Freedom Fries silliness, I have to agree that we should cut Jones some slack if he has truly seen the light and become an antiwar convert. Just as some religious converts are more Catholic than the Pope, so we may hope that Jones is now more antiwar than even Ron Paul.
One does not disagree as far as mere words are concerned.
If he, and Ron Paul, are to be consistent, however, they must conclude that the Presidency and Vice Presidency are presently occupied by criminals. And indeed the crimes are so varied and multifarious, including war crimes, and the documentation now so vast and clear, there is no longer wiggle room for those who would talk of proper procedure.
That means impeachment pure and simple and the first step is the immediate impeachment of Richard Cheney.
When Jones and other Republicans have seen the light and act on it–then and only then do they deserve any thank you from the people they supposedly serve.
Meanwhile, in Jones’s specific case, a public apology to France, and the French, who were right about Iraq from the beginning is in order, don’t you think?
For myself, the whole Prodigal Son business is pure bilge, and, applied to government, a good way to insure sweeping every past incompetence under the rug only to fall into it again in the very next stage, and actually be rewarded for it.
What is problematic about converts, particularly the enthusiasts among them, is that, at any particular moment in present time, they are passionately sure they are right, even when that very feeling of being right was an important part of their being grievously wrong yesterday and the day before.
More truths fro Eugene Costa above.
Jones should be given some credit. Since he describes as one of his reasons of conversion the letters he has written to familty members killed in Iraq and actually talking to such families..unlike Bush who only meets them when they are still grieving and in shock…so he doesn’t have to deal with any unpleasantness. He at least is willing to look the thing in its face and change his mind. Saw something interesting the other day…
From thecunningrealist blog
John McCain’s foreword to Halberstam’s The Best and the Brightest (I’m still waiting for the candidate to be asked about this):
It was a shameful thing to ask men to suffer and die, to persevere through god-awful afflictions and heartache, to endure the dehumanizing experiences that are unavoidable in combat, for a cause that the country wouldn’t support over time and that our leaders so wrongly believed could be achieved at a smaller cost than our enemy was prepared to make us pay. No other national endeavor requires as much unshakable resolve as war. If the nation and the government lack that resolve, it is criminal to expect men in the field to carry it alone.
Let it also not be forgot that Jones’ utterly stupid–there is no other description of it–role in renaming French Fries was the cutting edge of an attempted nationwide American boycott of French products, which as the article quoted below suggests, even extended to and effected the publication of French scientific articles in American journals:
Did the US boycott of French products spread to include scientific output?
Bernard Bégaud, professor of pharmacology1, Hélène Verdoux, professor of psychiatry1
Correspondence to: B Bégaud, Bâtiment Présidence, Université Victor Segalen Bordeaux 2, 33076, Bordeaux cedex, France bernard.begaud@pharmaco.u-bordeaux2.fr
The French opposition to military intervention in Iraq induced a marked anti-French protest in the United States, leading to a boycott of French products. This phenomenon began in February 2003, peaked in early March 2003 after the French veto at the United Nations Security Council, and has continued ever since. During this period, there was a persistent rumour among French researchers that the boycott of French goods had spread to include scientific output—that is, that US journals were tending to reject manuscripts submitted by French research groups. As the rumour was based on subjective impressions and not on any numerical evidence, we investigated whether the proportion of French papers published in leading US journals differed in the periods before and after the French veto….
The number of French papers published in the US journals decreased after the French veto, with an almost symmetrical increase in the number of French papers published in the UK journals (table). For most other EU countries, the change over time in the number of papers published in US or UK journals was in the same direction for both these groups of journals. We found a similar pattern for Belgium to that for France, whereas we found a reverse pattern for Germany, and to a lesser extent for Denmark.”
[bmj.bmjjournals.com]
How much economic damage the French suffered for giving their American allies sound advice is still being discussed. One US government economic study tries to show that there was no damage to wine sales, for example, though the sales of French wine declined immediately after the boycott began. But this study seems self-serving and methodologically unsound, nor was wine the only product targeted.
Not only a public apology by Jones and other Republicans that joined this boycott is called for, but an official resolution by Congress apologizing to the French, sponsored by Jones, might serve as a real seal to his recent conversion to “antiwar”.
The French are too civlized and wordly wise to ask for it, and the damage has been done, but it would be a useful token and reminder–to Americans most of all and much more than to the French.
This, however, only skims the surface of the damage done to the American psyche by the Right Wing Terrorists running the Federal Government.
The French Fries campaign and the boycott were a resurgence of the worst of American No-Nothingism and Xenophobia, and Americans are perhaps now more psychologically and culturally isolated than at any time in their history.
This is ironic, to say the least, for it is exactly Zionist Born Agains, Neo-Cons, and multi-national Corporate Fascists who savaged anyone antiwar as “isolationists” in foreign policy.
Moreover, the Neo-Cons and the Neo-Nativists Left and Right, including elements behind Ron Paul, are mouthing some of the same No-Nothing nonsense in regard to Mexico and immigration, when indeed Bush’s border fence, psychologically, is more designed to keep the American yahoos caged in their little world of kneejerk jingo, politically and culturally and religiously, and eventually physically, than actually to keep immigrants, legal and illegal, out.
corr: “affected”. Pardon this and other typos
corr: “Know-Nothing”
Freedom Fries? Was that name given because of anti-french sentiment? In my opinion this anti-french sentiment was non existent and was just an abortive creation of the Fox Network and assorted neo con radio thugs. These partisans were motivated by the french distaste for the Bush Iraqi misadventure.The american people have far too many serious issues for them to be bothered by a mythical enmity toward our gallic friends. Now that same Fox Network is sucking up to Sarkozy, the sometimes neocon leader of the French.
Exactement, mon ami. Looking back, there was no boycott of French products–even scientific papers. The mind plays tricks. That was then. This is now. Memory is not reliable. Just a little joke between friends. Ah yes, and the Statue of Liberty now carries the torch for an attack on Iran, does it not Monsieur Le President Hongrois?
The only U.S.Government agency that is doing any serious investigations of misdeeds is the F.B.I. and it would seem to be the only agency that has any real interest in protecting the American People.Congress is asking the Pentagon to investigate 'media' Generals.If Congress was really serious about an investigation they would have referred the matter to the F.B.I.That crazy old queen,Hoover,may have been a lot better patriot than he has been given credit for as he seems to have built an agency that can't be bought off or intimidated by the Israeli Lobby or any one else.
I looked and looked and just can’t find Congressmen Paul’s and Jones’ names on this site:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/cheney
True enough, Vice President Richard Cheney, a fine, upstanding man, did not, after years of investigation by a Special Prosecutor, find himself caught-red handed committing “perjury” in a civil suit about a quick little Freedom Lick by a hot-to-trot quicumque vult.
WHAT ETHICS!
WHAT PROBITY!
GOP files new ethics case against DiMasi
May 6, 2008
The Massachusetts Republican Party yesterday filed another complaint with the state Ethics Commission against House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi, the fourth complaint filed by the Republicans in the past two months. The most recent complaint asks the panel to investigate whether DiMasi helped a close friend, contractor Jay Cashman, who earned a $14.2 million profit on the sale of land targeted for a liquefied natural gas terminal in Fall River after DiMasi killed legislation that would have blocked the project. Last week, the state GOP asked Attorney General Martha Coakley to launch a separate investigation into DiMasi’s alleged ethical violations. DiMasi has repeatedly said his actions were driven by policy considerations alone….
RAT-TAT-TAT….
Again in Massachusetts, who can forget the present President of the University of Massachusetts, itself a fine institution of higher learning, to wit–the fine, upstanding William “Billy” Michael Bulger.
The fine upstanding William “Billy” Michael Bulger was, as many will recall, the longest serving president of the fine, upstanding Massachusetts Senate, from 1978-1996.
Though the fine, upstanding William “Billy” Michael Bulger is a fine, upstanding Democrat, this fine upstanding man was appointed to the presidency of the fine institution of higher learning, the University of Massachusetts, by the fine, upstanding Republican Governor of Massachusetts, the fine, upstanding William Weld.
But into every fine, upstanding life a little rain must fall, and the brother of the fine, upstanding William “Billy” Michael Bulger, happens to be the fine, upstanding mobster
James J. “Whitey” Bulger, who is currently on the FBI Ten Most Wanted list along with Osama bin Laden and with a reward for US $1 million on his head.
Gee, imagine how much fine, upstanding money that was when oil was $19 per barrel in January, 2002!
RAT-TAT-TAT.
DiMasi, DiMasi–is that a Mexican name by any chance? Geez, he’s probably some kind of illegal immigrant to boot! Where’s the gotdang INS when you need ’em?
Hey, how about this for a front page headline from the Chicago Tribune of the 1920’s:
Police On Guard Over Two Homes in Mafia TERROR!
It is a stray but interesting fact, unknown to most Americans outside the FBI, that the head of Unione Siciliana in Chicago at the time, the fine, upstanding Antonio D’Andrea, was a graduate of the fine. upstanding University of Palermo, a student of linguistics, and a former aspirant to the priesthood–in short, a fairly learned man, especially for a fine, upstanding Mafia TERRORIST, right?
University? In Palermo. Yall gotta be joshin’.
@A. G. Phillbin,
An excellent definition of your typical LGF/junior neocon type of thinker. I can add one thing to it, how to tell if the person is one of the morons who gets all his/her “information” and “facts” from neocon talk radio. Examples that hold dead giveaways include someone who uses words and expressions like “nutter”, (Hugh Hewitt listener), “owing defeat” (a ‘dittohead” of Limaugh’s) “cut, run and surrender democrat”, (a Hannity listener) etc. There is a blog over at Town Hall where one can find this sort of thing all the time if one really wants to read the meanderings of the terminally brain dead.
I am not convinced by his “conversion”.
When the prospects for a “Splendid Little War” were high Mr. Jones was a great supporter of unleashing “American Might” to have a video game spectacle of American missiles destroying “Ayrab” targets in Iraq, the usual school or aspirin factory. But as soon as the body count of the “good guys” entered into the thousands the “Splendid Little War” turned into Quagmire that every Politician with an IQ higher than 60 began to criticize for political reasons to maintain their high salary jobs in the Government.
The only reason Mr. Jones is “anti-war” is because the current US war is unpopular. If it had actually turned into a cakewalk he would be glorifying it as a symbol of American power and might doing “good” in the World.
As soon as 50,000 Marines re-invade Grenada to remove a half-dozen Venezuelan construction workers and actually manage to do it in under 3 days you can bet Mr. Jones will be supporting that “war”.
We need somebody that was anti-war 30 years ago and is anti-war today.
Bill,
So no one can make a mistake then contemplate said mistake and admit he was wrong? So for you, we should just damn all converts and not celebrate when one has “seen the light”? If Congressman Jones is, like you say, like every other politician who goes with what is politically expedient then why has he taken so much grief in his party for going antiwar? If it is so politically expedient to be anitwar today then why are we still at war? Obviously the majority of congress are not seeing it as politically expedient as you seem to think. Come on, stop being so cynical. If this is how you treat honest converts then why would anyone ever desire to convert to an antiwar stance?
Robert L. Whitehurst
I never said everybody in Congress was a genius. For the most part they are corrupt, self-serving, and egotistical. They don't all support popular opinions because the AIPAC and other Lobbyist checks have quite a few zeros. Others would rather get re-elected.
Mr. Jones is planning his career beyond the War in Iraq. He may not be praised by his corrupt compatriots but he gets plenty of praise from others(who vote for him). And again, because of his "freedom fries" stunt I don't think he is being honest. He is the kind of "antiwar" person that likes to win wars, losing them is not fun.
http://www.monthlyreview.org/mrzine/bush_action_figure.jpg
I think Eugene Costa is missing the point here. The point is that the neocons were not able to unseat Jones in the primary. If you think that the Democrat who runs against him in the fall (assuming there is one, I don’t know much about his district) would be a better candidate to support, that may be a very justifiable position. But the major point is htat the neocons were not able to excommunicate him for heresy, which, if this trend continues, may pave the way for more Republican dissent in the future.
You are talking of weathervanes. Politicians who go whichever the wind blows are useful, mainly as signs. Indeed, the more gifted and early and sensitive in their opportunism, the more useful they are as signs.
What is Jones a sign of? That Bush and Cheney and the war in Iraq is extremely unpopular and against the will and consent of the majority of his district.
That suggests that his constituents are considerably more penetrating than he is, as indeed the voters who put the Democrats in to stop the war and bridle or impeach Bush and Cheney are more intelligent than the milquetoasts and double-dealers they voted in.
Actually that’s no big surprise, for only someone who is not the sharpest knife in the drawer and was lost in the stupidity of the moment could have supported the “Freedom Fries” folly in the first place.
What do you want– a medal and a pat on the back?
Having sponsored that nonsense, in what he now admits was the wrong direction, why is he not in the forefront of impeachment efforts?
If Jones has converted to “antiwar”–all well and good. Will he convert back to Democrat soon enough? To be frank, I could care less. Congratulations, Mr. Jones, you have established yourself as a useful litmus test of what is popular and unpopular, which indeed is part of your job.
Now what–going on the lecture circuit with your mea culpa like an ex-heroin addict who is a centerpiece of the anti-(illegal)Drug Crusade?
Another aspect of your job is to defend the Constitution, which requires a bit more than being a cock of the walk revolving in the wind on the roof of the barn.
The central fact is that criminals occupy the Presidency and Vice Presidency, criminals who have led the United States into military, foreign policy, and economic disaster, while at the same time mangling the US Constitution almost beyond recognition.
Moreover, they are doing and can do even more damage even in the few short months of their terms of office.
Congress has been reduced to a rubber stamp constitutionally. Who cares what your views of the war, or anything else, are unless you act on them?
For that there remains only one constitutional remedy: impeachment.
Whether you or Paul or Jones or other supposed anti-Neo-Con “conservatives” see it or not, what is at stake right now is the last remnant of Constitutional government.
That is the heart of the matter and suddenly becoming “antiwar”, and running on that, means nothing unless impeachment is acted upon quickly.
Otherwise, as with Paul, it is no more than hypocrisy and a convenient pose in a stage play that is no more than empty form.
I have to say I agree with your cynicism on this matter. But let me as you — do you see the failure of the Ron Paul campaign as a failure of nerve, a failure of ideology, or a failure of intent?
correction: as s/b ask
Prodigal virtue, hehe. Welcome the idiot back and make him a hero. It’s all so, so “Old Testament”, hoho.