December 15, 2003
JOE WHO?:
Altercation (Eric Alterman, MSNBC)
In the meantime, let’s all hope for a speedy recovery for Colin Powell. Speaking of whom, last night at the 137th anniversary dinner for the Nation—watching a moving, poetic and deeply patriotic speech by Robert Byrd followed by a belligerently moronic one by Aaron McGruder--I sat between this incredible guy who had been on death row for eighteen years before being freed by the Innocence Project at Medill Journalism school (the winner of this year’s $100K Puffin/Nation prize) and Joe Wilson, winner of this year’s Ron Ridenhour prize. I asked Joe why Powell had turned out to be such a wimp—failing to use any of his prized credibility to put the breaks on his lying colleagues, and instead telling all those falsehoods at the UN and convincing a boatload of gullible reporters of a whole mess of stuff that just ain’t so. Wilson—whose speech repeatedly termed the members of the administration to be "f****ing a**holes and thugs" said he had no idea.
Imagine being so desperate for attention that for your two minutes of fame you had to defend the honor of Saddam Hussein? Posted by Orrin Judd at December 15, 2003 4:30 PM
"....put the breaks...."?
Alterman IS ostensibly a journalist, is he not?
Oh, well. I guess them's the brakes in today's world. Or perhaps the transmission....?
Posted by: Andrew X at December 15, 2003 5:31 PMRobert "Sheets" Byrd in front of a bunch of Leftists whose idea of civil discourse is consider anyone who disagrees with them to be "lying" or "gullible". Sounds next year is going to lots of fun.
Posted by: Raoul Ortega at December 15, 2003 5:41 PMI asked Joe why Powell had turned out to be such a wimp—failing to use any of his prized credibility to put the breaks on his lying colleagues, and instead telling all those falsehoods at the UN and convincing a boatload of gullible reporters of a whole mess of stuff that just ain’t so.
Gosh, I'm surprised Eric isn't moolighting writing Hallmark cards given this sentimental tome on the Secretary of State after Alterman begins his screed by acknowleging his surgery. But Eric and other liberal really have no one to blame but themselves for their disillusionment. Powell was one of the leaders in charge of Gulf War I, and the idea he was going to turn into Wesley Clark or (as the liberals hoped) he was going to resign his job in protest and angrily denounce Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld was just a fantasy in their minds.
Posted by: John at December 15, 2003 6:51 PMIt's just amazing that someone could watch Powell's appearances in front of the UN, observe his passion and conviction, and conclude that he was "wimping out" and not standing up to his "lying colleagues." If Powell knew or believed his colleagues were lying and performed that way still, he deserves no respect indeed. But how can anyone convince themselves of that? Oh, wait, this is Eric Alterman we're talking about. Never mind.
Posted by: Eric Timmons at December 15, 2003 7:40 PMEric Alterman wants to be a hip Michael Kinsley, but he is looking an awful lot like a junior Michael Moore.
Posted by: jim hamlen at December 15, 2003 10:12 PM