Roll Call (The capitol hill newspaper that requires a subscription, hence no link) is reporting that a Louisiana Represenative wants GOP lawmakers to dip fingers in purple ink to show solidarity with Iraqis during the State of the Union speech tonite.
Clearly this is a step in the direction of freedom. 1,400 soldiers have died, ten thousand injured, and tens of thousands of Iraqis died so GOP congressmen and congresswomen could politicize the Iraq situation with a symbolic gesture like having ink on their fingers. I can hear someone in Iraq while watching this, “I stood in line and put my life in danger to vote so these assholes in Washington could put ink on their fingers??”
This is brought to you by the party that wore purple band-aids at the GOP convention last Fall to mock the purple heart medals that were awarded to John Kerry for his service in Vietnam.
No guarantee it’s going to happen of course, but I’ll be on the lookout now.
I live in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Milwaukee, WI with my wife Jen, our daughter Emerson, and son Carter.
I don’t know, Dan. I don’t really have a problem showing solidarity with the Iraqis (or the Kurds and the Shia, at least. Sorry Sunnis. Good luck.). It IS, after all, an historic event. I’d be more upset about the fact that the Louisiana Representative didn’t ask both republicans AND democrats to show support, since the GOP supposedly wants to unite the country so bad.
As much as I dissaprove of the war, I’m not one of those guys who fails to acknowledge a positive when he sees one, i.e. no more Saddam and the elections. You want to give the Iraqis a shot at democracy, Mr. President? Fine.
Lets just wait and see what happens when they elect their first anti-American leadership. Operation Ajax II, anyone?
Yeah, don’t get me wrong, rock the vote and everything.. freedom, liberty, freedom, and everything.
Solidarity to me means more than dipping your index finger in purple ink on the night it just happens every network will be carrying the event you’re showing your ‘solidarity’ at. Where was their solidarity yesterday when the TV cameras weren’t around, and the press probably wouldn’t have given a shit?
This whole thing reminds me of one of my favorite bumber stickers:
Where was your flag on September 10th?
I agree, it’s somewhat of a silly, transparent gesture, Dan. And yes, it’s politicized. However, it’s STILL a show of solidarity, no matter how ridiculous some people may think it is, and I wouldn’t mind if millions of people see it on their TV’s.
Like I said, I just wish the guy would have invited BOTH sides to the party. Then it wouldn’t come off as such a partisan gag, if it indeed happens.
A friend suggested it’s kinda like making a mess out of their country, and then saying, “We’re on your side”. I would argue that since we’re there, we HAVE to root for a positive outcome, correct? Well, like it or not, successful elections are ultimately going to have to be a part of that process. As I mentioned in my previous post, let’s just hope it doesn’t backfire on us in the future!
When they elect their first anti-American official? Bush might be dumb, but he’s not THAT dumb (probably). I’m sure there’s a reason that Iraqis are actually voting for the people who will be voting for the people who will be electing a president. I wouldn’t at all be surprised if it were a way for us to exert more control over who gets elected (or maybe: who doesn’t get elected). Frankly, I’m okay with that… at least until the shitstorm we created settles.
A way for us to exert more control over who gets elected?
Are you suggesting we’re not really bringing freedom to the Iraqi people? ;)
Didn’t we drop it off on Sunday?
Les,
Freedom? I hear in the American vernacular it comes in 500 pound, the 1000 pound, and the napalm variety.
With freedom like that, who needs war?
Listen, Samir, we’re giving the Iraqis freedom, whether they want it or not! There’s no room for discussion here. It’s OUR choice, NOT theirs! If they don’t want their freedom, we’ll just keep occupying their country until they do. It would be un-American to suggest otherwise, right?
I’m waiting for your post that blast the Democrats show of solidarity, which you so despise. I’m sure you noticed all of the peace signs from the Democrats when Bush mentioned the Iraq elections.
FWIW – the Repubs didn’t do what you said they shouldn’t, but the Dems did. So which party is taking advantage the TV cameras again?
Here’s the thing. Political parties are BAD. They are no different .. power hungry, corrupt and not really looking out for you or me.
ou mean when they were returning the peace sign that the Safia lady was giving? Damn those Democrats for advocating PEACE!!!
As for whole ink thing, which network were you watching? Wait, don’t answer that.. ;)
(Image) (I’m having problems getting images into comments atm.)
Center first row in the red tie is Bobby Jindal, the Louisiana Rep. I mentioned yesterday, and although I haven’t had time to figure out who he’s sitting near, I don’t think it’s a stretch of the imigination to say that he didn’t park himself in a crowd of Democrats.
(Image)
Next exhibit, the solidarity ink being passed around before the SOTU gets started. Because there’s no point in getting your ‘solidarity’ on too early and staining your Brooks Bros. shirt!
And for the record, I don’t despise solidarity. I just am expressing my opinion that solidarity is more than half hearted PR stunts for political gain.
ou mean when they were returning the peace sign that the Safia lady was giving?
No, I meant at the beginning of his speech before he even mentioned Safia. Here is the text: “As a new Congress gathers, all of us in the elected branches of government share a great privilege: We have been placed in office by the votes of the people we serve. And tonight that is a privilege we share with newly elected leaders of Afghanistan, the Palestinian territories, Ukraine and a free and sovereign Iraq.”
[Cue Democrats PR stunt ... er um, sign of solidarity now]
Damn those Democrats for advocating PEACE!!!
In this context they were protesting the war.
And for the record, I don’t despise solidarity. I just am expressing my opinion that solidarity is more than half hearted PR stunts for political gain.
So the Repubs and Dems are no different in this case .. the peace sign to show their opposition to the war for the Ds and the ink display for the Rs. Weird, political parties participating in PR stunts. I would have never guessed!
I love the term “free and soverign Iraq.” If Iraq was free and sovereign, we could crank out that artifical timeline for troop withdrawal this afternoon.
Speaking of artificial timelines, I saw the president last night made very clear artificial timelines will never be part of America’s plan for Iraq, except of course for June 30, 2004 and Jan. 30, 2005. But those are the only times, dammit!
Meanwhile, in Iran …
Speaking of Sofia Taleb Al Souhail, the Iraqi woman who sat next to Laura Bush last night as a shining symbol of the recent elections in Iraq, turns out she’s not quite the average Iraqi the president would have us believe.
Well, it turns out she already is one of the leaders of her new country, ,a politician turned ambassador to Egypt under the Iraqi interim government, and possibly one of the people who ran in last Sundays elections, although we can’t be sure since no one knows the actual names of people who ran for security purposes.
Ironically, she sat in the same spot as Ahmed Chalabi did last year. Chalabi was hailed as an anti-regime mover and shaker, and a possible prime minister candidate. Later on of course, we found out that he was an administration figure head who likely supplied false intelligence in the run up to war while charging the American government hundreds of thousounds of dollars a month for that intelligence.
Then there’s the whole question of his ties to Iran, but thats a whole other story.
Maybe they’re just going to start reserving that spot as the ‘guiding light’ example who later is found out to have close ties to the administration.
Three days ago in Baghdad, Safia was finally able to vote for the leaders of her country. – GWB
Let’s see if I follow. The election was 3 days ago. Check. She voted in Baghdad. Check. She voted for the leaders of her country. Check. How again is that misleading? I didn’t see anywhere in his speech where he proclaimed her to be an “average Iraqi”.
He did say that she is “One of Iraq’s leading democracy and human rights advocates”, which appears to be true according to your statements.
I’m just saying, it’s interesting the she’s already a political figure in Iraq, possibly a candidate herself.
And the whole point of having those women there last night was to show them as the public face of what we’re fighting for in Iraq and Afghanistan. An ex-pat from a wealthy family who writes position papers for right wing think tanks is hardly the face of the average Iraqi.
Then there’s something to do with her sister accusing the CIA of tipping off Saddam that her father was planning a coup against his regime back in the early 90′s.
Or that in 2002 her Alliance “Internationale pour la Justice” was provided with $950,000 in funding from Congress to advocate the Iraq war.
Conspiracy theorist is I and all but still…