So, to recap: Shiite Iran and Sunni Al Qaeda work in tandem and have since 1994 (at least). Bin Laden and his crew work for Iran, and have done so "for quite a while." And although we cannot prove that Iran was behind the 9/11 attacks, it is certainly possible, and there is "tantalizing" evidence suggesting this is so.

So Bill Kristol was right when he said that it was just “pop sociology” that to say that the Sunni and Shia can’t get along in Iraq. That’s because “Iraq’s always been very secular” he says, and secular people get along with each other.

At the same time the “serious people” insist that Bin Laden (a religious fanatic Sunni) could work with “secular” Saddam who “attacked us on 9/11” and they could get along because, um, one was secular and the other was religious……hmm.

And now, still at the same time, they’re arguing that it was “religious” Shiite fanatics in Iran are working with the religious Sunni fanatics of Bin Laden and they can get along because, um, they areboth religious fanatics.

So let’s recap: Secular people can get along with secular people because they’re secular, and religious and secular people can get along with each other because they’re both not religious, and religious fanatics of different religions can get along with each other because they’re both religious fanatics.

I’m sure glad they made that clear. When’s the next war start?

Hemingway noted that there was nothing surprising about Craig's homosexuality because he was "a member of 'The Singing Senators' barbershop."

Was that a joke too?

Does he think Mrs. Ashcroft is laughing?

---------

Title:

Profiles in Cowardice:

The “Real Men” of the Right and other myths.

Although off topic, a quick follow-up on Lupercus’ post:

Apart from Lewy's allegations, a search by MMFA turned up no other reports of evidence that any Winter Soldier witness was an impostor.

In fact, research by Media Matters for America has uncovered no evidence that any witness testifying in the 1971 Winter Soldier Investigation in Detroit has had his story discredited.

Here’s the “subscription only” portion in the Chicago Tribune cited by Media Matters that raises, ahem, quite a few questions about Lewy’s claims:

Lewy wrote that he had examined a Naval Investigative Service file that seriously discredited several of the Detroit veterans. Some were revealed by Navy investigators to have falsified their identities and weren't even in Vietnam, Lewy wrote.

Government officials today cannot verify that Naval Investigative Service report's existence.

"We have not been able to confirm the existence of this report, but it's also possible that such records could have been destroyed or misplaced," said Naval Criminal Investigative Service public affairs specialist Paul O'Donnell.

"I don't think Lewy is interested in presenting any of [the Winter Soldier testimony] as truthful," said University of Richmond history professor Ernest Bolt. "He has an angle on the war as a whole."

Bolt said it is impossible to tell whether Lewy fairly characterized the naval investigative report because no other historian had seen it. "He's using the points of their investigation that fit his purposes," Bolt said.

Enough said. Levy's claims are not backed up by any evidence anyone else has seen.

http://mediamatters.org/items/200409130003

Ah, who would’ve guessed that Glenn Reynold’s wife would be such a strong contender in the “title” contest? Dr. Helen’s entry:

The Geeky Boys of the Right:

Their desperate search for Masculinity

and how it brought us “perpetual war.”

This war has completely eroded the relationship between our Beltway ruling class and the rest of the country.

And that relationship will continue to erode as long as the Beltway club insists on smearing the majority of Americans who are disappointed with Congress for not doing more to end the war.

And that’s exactly what they did by using Osama’s new video to promote their “stab in the back” campaign against the American people in order to stifle dissent.

The American people do not get their marching orders from Osama no matter what Chris Wallace and Fox News may say. Nor is it just “lefty blogs” (David Brooks term) who are against the war. They can pretend that most Americans want to stay and occupy Iraq, but that will only reduce their virtually non-existent credibility still further.

This whole narrative demanding that we “worship” Gen. Petraeus and treat his words as sacred text is all about making dissent illegitimate.

The talking point that dissent is wrong (“emboldens the terrorists”) is everywhere on the right. Freddie Thompson, the latest GOP entry to replace Bush, put it like this, "If we look weak and divided in this country, we're going to pay a heavy price for it in the future."

But would a “united” front actually keep the terrorists from attacking us? If, suddenly, all “lefty blogs” and war critics stopped criticizing Bush and supported the occupation in Iraq would Osama stop planning terrorist attacks against us? Would Al Qaeda just call it quits and give up because all Americans - now “united” - love Bush and the war?

Please. Is this the best they’ve got?

Bush-supporters told the Dixie Chicks to “Shut up and Sing” and now, using Petraeus and Osama, they’re telling the majority of Americans who don’t support “the surge” to just “Shut-up!”