By definition, the “War Party” only has one litmus test for its candidates and for alleged conservatives who constantly support and praise liberal Joe Lieberman (Sean Hannity calls the Connecticut Senator his “favorite Democrat”), their approval makes crystal clear that the maintenance and promotion of U.S. interventionist foriegn policy is their primary concern, even taking precedence over any other issue.
In other words, Ron Paul can be pro-life, pro-gun, for low taxes, for securing the border, for states rights and constitutional government - but will never be acceptable to the neocons who pull the levers and direct Republican policy because he doesn’t support American empire. Lieberman, who is pro-choice, anti-gun, tax and spend, supported amnesty, never met a federal regulation he didn’t like and considers the Constitution a useful propaganda tool at best, is perfectly acceptable and even admirable to neo”conservatives” – precisely because Lieberman not only supports American empire, he demands it.
Writes The American Conservative’s Michael Brendan Dougherty:
“I (Lieberman) am sometimes asked why… I do not simply become a Republican,” he said recently. “I continue to be a Democrat because I believe there is a critical need for two great American political parties with strong national security wings. We need a Democratic Party whose national security strategy isn’t subject to editorial review by Moveon.org and Daily Kos.” And, of course, Lieberman remains a liberal at heart. He favors universal health care and has been a reliable supporter of abortion rights throughout his career. He supports gun-control legislation and fiercely opposed the nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court. He has joined McCain in supporting campaign-finance reform, cap-and-trade schemes for carbon reduction, and “comprehensive immigration reform.” None of these are conservative positions, but since Lieberman has rallied to the defense of President Bush’s policies in Iraq, the conservative movement has rallied to him.
Eight years ago, the Right mocked Lieberman’s half of the 2000 Democratic ticket as “Loserman.” But instead of viewing his 2006 campaign with detachment, leading conservatives rushed to his aid. Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, and National Review ignored the Republican candidate, Alan Schlesinger, and endorsed Loserman.
Lieberman’s own words demonstrate that his political commitments are rooted in ideology. He gave his audience at Commentary a pitch-perfect neoconservative view of patriotism, rejecting the conservative attachment to mere hearth and home and liberal skepticism about America’s capabilities and intentions. His love of country is “rooted not in arbitrary attachment to our country’s land or its borders, but in a recognition that the values that were present at the creation of America and animate it still—the values of freedom and justice and opportunity—are not just our own national values; they are universal and eternal values, which are right and true not only for us in our own time, but for all people in every time.”
In reality, Lieberman’s wish to see two American political parties with “strong national security wings” is a desire to see dissent from anti-interventionism forever discredited. McCain’s primary victory has temporarily secured hawks’ supremacy in the GOP. And while Lieberman may never again influence his party in a direct manner, a McCain victory in November, aided by Lieberman, could be used to frighten Democrats into accepting the neoconservative view of history: that doves will always lose, that America is fundamentally an activist nation. It’s up to Democrats to prove him wrong.”
2 Comments
What we are seeing here is the rise of a nationalist coalition with strong socialist, big-government tendencies, i.e. fascism wrapped in a flag, and likely carrying a cross when it finally starts jack-booting down main street.
God bless Joe Lieberman for not being afraid of voicing his principles. I may not agree with him on every issue (gun control, pro-choice, etc…) however I can see in him a deep love for his country and the critical importance for standing up to radical islamics throughout the world – you know the one’s like the palestinians that were dancing on the streets on 9-11 – and defending ourselves from further attacks. If that means going to Iraq, Afghanistan or wherever to take these muslim terrorists out where they live then so be it.
Joe Lieberman like myself and many others learned a valueable lesson on 9-11, that this is a new world and we have a lot of enemies out there that would love to martyr themselves to reach their 72 virgins. Seems that most democrats have made our battles against radical muslims that would kill us at the drop of a hat into a partisan issue, and most democrats are afraid of speaking outside the ‘party line’. Thank god for Joe Lieberman with the guts to stand up for what he believes and knows is right.
So how is it that a democrat could be so favored amongst republicans? Because defending ourselves is issue #1 in importance and bravely Joe Lieberman stood to protect our nation while his democratic colleagues simply towed the party – and poll number – lines…