Alter: A Moment of Moral Clarity

[RamboLiberal]

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4615500/

On Sept. 14, 2001, I was in the press pool at ground zero and stood five feet from President Bush, who had mounted a crushed fire truck, slung his arm around an exquisitely wizened firefighter and told the world through a bullhorn that the terrorists would soon be hearing from the United States. It was more than a defining political moment for this president; it kicked off a period of bracing moral clarity. Whatever his stumbles on September 11 or before, Bush understood that a wounded nation needed clear lines drawn in the dust of the Twin Towers. He went on to deliver one of the finest speeches to Congress in modern memory.

Sadly, Bush has never understood that moral clarity is rooted in what might be called constitutional clarity. That's another way of saying accountability, which is itself a bureaucratic way of saying that for more than 200 years we've thrived on airing our messy, dirty and often tangled linen in public. It's an important part of who we are. Last week was a great one for constitutional clarity, not just at the 9/11 hearings on Capitol Hill but at the Supreme Court, where Michael Newdow, a nonlawyer dad atheist, got a chance to hold the government accountable for what he sees as its legal contradictions over the Pledge of Allegiance.

Whether one thinks Dick Clarke is an American grandstander, a Frank Capra hero or some mixture of the two, his appearance was, as Martha Stewart used to say, a good thing. He took responsibility for the failures of antiterrorism policy ("your government failed you"), which did more than provide some relief for the families of the 9/11 victims. It set the tone for an important national debate. Don't hold your breath waiting for Bill Clinton or Bush to admit they failed; beyond "mistakes were made"—Ronald Reagan's response to the Iran-contra scandal—presidents can't fall on their swords without weakening themselves. But after unconscionable foot-dragging by the White House, we're beginning to get to the bottom of the most searing event of our time. After years of arguing about sex and a million other passing dustups, it's the right argument at the right moment. Elections are supposed to be about big things like this.

[aquart]

1. "One of the finest speeches"??????/

Does Jonathan Alter have competent judgement in other matters? Usually? If he can listen to a Bush speech and fail to understand the hollow insincerity, he is clearly unobservant. Possibly also tone deaf.

Iran-Contra was a criminal enterprise. Interesting comparison. What does Clinton have to do with it? Clinton clearly went as far as he could go in a hostile political climate here at home AND ACTUALLY FOILED TERRORIST PLOTS, but Bush was deliberately negligent. Sweet of Alter to miss those little distinctions in that second paragraph.

[belle]

2. Really. Bush just brayed. I was here. I remember how unimpressed I was.

*Giuliani* came off as heroic. And I say this as someone who did, and still does, dislike the man intensely for a number of good reasons. But credit where credit is due: Rudy pulled it together for those first horrible days and weeks. As a public voice, he was--a comfort. In retrospect, I'd be just as happy to say it didn't happen, but honesty forbids: I was really grateful for his public presence then. He said all the right things, he was right there with us. Bush didn't do shit. He came (several days later than he should have, first off) and postured and blustered about vengeance, same as he always does. And at the time, I would've been willing to at least give him the benefit of the doubt. Certainly bashing Bush was not my first priority at the moment--I was, like most of us, really shaken up. Some signs of actual leadership, someone I really could've felt safe with, would've been nice. There was none, from him. He sucked. He still does.

And even so, for the next few weeks and months, a lot of us gave at least some of them the benefit of the doubt, some of the time. I did not protest the war in Afghanistan. I did not put up flags and yellow ribbons, but I did get the impulse. I tried to be comforted by Colin Powell's words. I even believed that Rummy was maybe sort of okay. A lot of us did. Well, they blew it. Boy did they blow it.

[IADEMO2004]

3. Was it a real moment ?

I have wanted to know who said "we(I) can't hear you" was it a rescue worker or a White house actor/staff. Bush never does anything unscripted.

[rock]

4. Right on belle

Regarding Giuliani, I could have written exactly the same words. He acted like a leader during the 911 aftermath (but I don't otherwise like him).

[Bozvotros]

9. That speech was maybe the first and only true note Bush has hit....

Probably because it was written by someone else and he had weeks to prepare for it. I give him no credit beyond being able to read it somewhat convincingly off the teleprompter. He has done nothing but lie, cheat, deceive and dishonor the 911 dead ever since.

[The Zanti Regent]

5. Alter the Newspeak Whore apologizes for Chimp (again...)

while Whoreward Fineman refuses to wash the brown lipstick off his lips...

[Martin Eden]

6. Moral bankruptcy

The "fine speech" that Bush gave was very effective politically. Many Amereicans felt reassured; they put their trust in Bush and his approval ratings soared.

Then his administrated exploited that trust to implement their long-held agenda for invading Iraq -- which had nothing to do with 9/11. They manipulated the public through fear with images of "mushroom clouds; they wrapped themselves in the flag and denounced opponents as being unpatriotic; they engaged in a coordinated misiinformation campaign, launched a war under false pretenses, and did all this with bibles in their hands and God on their lips.

If democracy survives in this country and history books tell the truth of this story, Bush will be reviled as the most morally bankrupt president ever to squat in the White House.

[diamond14]

7. bush* went to ground zero way too late, embarrassed by rudi g.

who stood out there on 9/11....

rudi got up and said what had to be said ON SEPTEMBER 11th, while bush* hid...and Clinton traveled back to NY from Australia before bush* managed to take a short hop to NYC...

the only reason bush* went was to get his 'little hero' photo op, while doing NOTHING to protect the health of NYC people and protect the lungs of those brave firemen, who suffer to this day from the LIES that bush* insisted his EPA administrator spit out for his media whores...so much suffering...

Alter should have mentioned what a scam bush* ground zero appearance was, rather than continue the 'glorification' of bush* too-little-too-late photo scam....

[Miss Authoritiva]

8. Every "triumphant" Bush photo-op turned hollow...

Astonishing. Every carefully stage-crafted great Bush moment -- the Ground Zero appearance, the "Mission Accomplished" flight suit romp, the inedible Thanksgiving turkey in Baghdad -- has indeed become iconic, but not in the way the Bush people ever anticipated. Look at those pictures now and you sense a defining moment alright -- the moment at which the great Bush Administration screw-over was in full operation, the moment of no turning back, the moment at which the damage could not be undone.