December 28, 2004
UP CHUCK:
A Very Dangerous Democrat: An Encounter with Senator Charles Schumer (ALAN SINGER, CounterPunch)
On Sunday, December 19, 2004, I had a startling exchange with New York Senator Charles Schumer at the Hofstra University graduation. Schumer has a habit of appearing at graduation at the last minute uninvited, speaking to the audience about his experience as a recent college graduate, and then immediately escaping from the podium. I hoped to speak with him on a number of occasions but have never had the opportunity. This year he arrived while faculty were lining up to enter the arena. I approached him and asked, "Are you reconsidering your position on the war in Iraq now that the justifications presented by the Bush administration have all proved to be false?" He immediately became agitated and starting shouting aggressively. I will paraphrase the exchange as best as I can.At first, Senator Schumer demanded to know what I would do. I replied, "The Bush administration policies have destabilized that entire region of the world. I would work with European allies to find a way to leave immediately."
He accused me of being a "fool"...
Favoring the pre-9-11 status quo in the Middle East isn't foolish--it's evil. Posted by Orrin Judd at December 28, 2004 6:21 PM
Neither Counterpunch nor Hofstra matter. Chuck, for better or worse, is about as good a Senator as the current NYS electorate can produce.
Posted by: Bart at December 28, 2004 6:46 PMIt's interesting that the two senators from the state most affected by Sept. 11 remain both pro-war as far as Iraq and the overall war on terror goes, despite their occassional broadsides at the administration.
For the Democratic Party, I would consider that a canary in the coal mine as far as the general mood of the electorate is (especially given how liberal NYS voters are compared to the U.S. population as a whole), and would shape my foreign policy accordingly. But odds are there are at least 100-150 fellow Democrats in Congress who believe more like Mr. Singer does than they do Sen. Schumer.
Posted by: John at December 28, 2004 6:56 PM