Countdown Friday: Ready to Rumble
Posted: Friday, May 16, 2008 8:59 PM by Countdown
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Blogging the Countdown
War and Appease: Appeasement is, by definition, quote: "The political strategy of pacifying a potentially hostile nation in the hope of avoiding war, often by granting concessions." That's a substantially different thing than talking with another state... negotiating...That is, quote: "Formal discussions among parties to bring about a resolution to a problem." In our fifth story on the Countdown: Senator Obama didn't just fire back against President Bush and Senator McCain for "dishonest, divisive" attacks hinting that Senator Obama would "appease" Iran... He didn't just defend himself from their charges -- he also pivoted, and went on the offense confronting them directly on what he called "failed foreign policy and fearmongering of the past."
Straight Talk with Terrorists: Senator McCain has another problem to deal with regarding his attacks on Obama... namely, the fact that he... John McCain... has supported U-S engagement with both Hamas and Syria. In our fourth story tonight, simplistic, jingoistic, fear-mongering presidential wannabe John McCain of-today... versus that soft-on-terror, naive appeaser John McCain of 2003, and 2006.
ODDBALL: A solar bra and Asimo the robot leads the Detroit orchestra.
Hardball Appeasement: A cautionary tale for pundits and commentators -- particularly those of the *defend-the-president-right-or-wrong variety. If the president says something. That you plan on defending. It will not always be enough to simply repeat what the president said... at a higher volume, and with the emphasis on different syllables. If you're going to defend the president's political attacks. Make sure you have a vague grasp of what they mean. if there's a reference to a historical event? For example? Look it up! Try the google! or an old-fangled history book maybe.Our third story on the Countdown: a talking point re-launched by President Bush...Ill-understood by at least one of his defenders... And challenged, simply, on the facts.
Bill-O Sent up...
Bush's Sacrifice: If we had a choice... as a nation... for our president to give up golf, for the war. Or to give up war but keep golfing? I can guess what most americans would suggest. But our president himself, has volunteered, that he chose to give up golf, to make that sacrifice to show his solidarity with military families and troops killed in iraq. Quoting the President -- "I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal." So in our number one story on the Countdown: what sends the right signal, Mister President?
