Galloway does the Senate
George Galloway is further proof that anyone who criticizes Bush, no matter how reprehensible an individual, is eligible for instant sanctification by the Bush-hating left. I'm guessing Barbara Boxer probably threw her panties at him in a paroxysm of ecstasy after his testimony. In fact, lefties everywhere are orgasming over the British MP's appearance before the Senate and American liberals have a new folk hero. What's unclear is exactly why.
Look, let's face it, there was nothing especially novel about the content of his diatribe. On the contrary, it was little more than a rehash the familiar "Bush lied, people died!" mantra.
Granted, the delivery was effective -- an arrogant, blustering, belligerent bombast, which threw the senators off their stride and diverted attention from his own deft evasion of uncomfortable questions, which was as slick and oily as those lucrative petroleum contracts of his.
His screed would perhaps have been a bit more effective if Galloway had more credibility on this topic. Remember, this is the man who
- was expelled from the Labour Party for bringing the party into disrepute
- unabashedly supported the Soviet Union and mourned its demise
- is reeling from a fresh round of allegations of wrongdoing in the oil-for-food scandal
- panders assiduously for the Muslim vote in his heavily Islamic district
- famously said of Saddam: "Sir… -- we salute your courage, your strength, your indefatigability.... We are with you.... Until victory! Until Jerusalem!" This, of course, after Saddam's bombing of Israel and his brutal crackdown on the Kurds and suppression of the Shiite uprising.
Hell, even the guy's wife can't stand him anymore. He had the stones to blame even his extramarital dalliances on plots to discredit him.
Take away the Scottish accent, and it's just the same, tired, warmed-over, one-dimensional Michael Moore rhetoric from a preposterous, discredited, pro-Saddam crook. I'll say to him what Norm Coleman and the other Senators were too spineless to say: "Sod off, ya daft, offensive prat!"
Comments
It is one thing being against the war. It is quite another being a friend of Saddam. So I'm not throwing my liberal panties to GG (and I come here if I want to read one dimensional rhetoric!)
Posted by: PE | May 18, 2005 11:51 AM
Thanks. I could have been spared the image of Barbara Boxer hurling her panties. Do you suppose they stuck to the wall?
Posted by: Greg | May 18, 2005 12:28 PM
"Granted, the delivery was effective..."
Coleman should have known he was dealing with a master at manipulating the media. He should have known the risk of having this loose cannon before his committee. Galloway is a lying piece of dog excrement, but I've no sympathy for Coleman, he didn't do his homework on that Bozo.
Posted by: GunTrash | May 18, 2005 12:47 PM
Great post and it is amazing to see the left embrace a person with this kind of bagage
Posted by: Beakerkin | May 18, 2005 09:12 PM
Well, he may be a moron for the "we salute you" thing, although I think he had the (belated) sense to apologize for and expand upon (apparently it was aimed at the people of Iraq more than SH himself, but who the heck knows? In the end he's a politician like any other politician) his stupid statement.
And by the way, there's the whole innocent until proven guilty thing, remember? If he's guilty, well, one more liar to the bunch, right? And not to be all Andrew Sullivan-y, but even so, he does have a point. We have lost nearly $9 billion. That's not exactly pocket change. A subsidiary of Halliburton got a bonus. This is the same company that apparently shortchanged our troops in food. Food. And then threatened to stop delivery on more when the Pentagon demanded an accounting. We have some serious problems here. It might be nice if we could focus inwards a bit before we went after ornery Scotsmen. Or even, you know, at the same time would be fine. Or ever. I know. Baseball. Steroids. So much more important. Oh, I'm being unfair. I think we've moved on to the NFL, right?
Posted by: K | May 18, 2005 11:00 PM
While Senator Coleman was generally useless, Senator Levin at least attempted to keep Galloway on track. Pretty impossible task.
Posted by: K | May 18, 2005 11:25 PM
Sorry, K. Complaining about the missing nine billion sounds like the same, tired, warmed-over, one-dimensional rhetoric. You should try Barry's new and improved, zesty, fresh from the oven, new paradigm approach instead.
(I still don't want Galloway on my side. Just because he opposes those with whom I disagree doesn't make him my friend.)
Posted by: PE | May 19, 2005 03:53 AM
But K, for the love of God, surely there are enough sane, rational anti-war voices out there without having to embrace *this* asshole. Remember when all the Sean Hannities of the world said people like you were "un-American" and giving "aid and comfort" to our enemies? I have many anti-war friends, and I defended you guys against that slander. So why would you then turn around and give the Hannity crowd so much ammunition by fawning over a genuine pro-Soviet, Saddam-loving, anti-American turd like Galloway? Because he yelled at Norm Coleman? ;-)
Posted by: Barry N. Johnson | May 19, 2005 06:44 AM
Well, that alone does make my heart warm. :P
Posted by: K | May 19, 2005 07:32 AM
Well I was and am anti-war and I haven't embraced Galloway. I cannot stand the man. In fact I am actually really pissed off with the US senate for ginving him a global platform and for appearing incredibly unprepared to deal with him. Instead of burying him they appear to have lent him extra credence.
Posted by: Kav | May 23, 2005 01:00 PM