Twilight of the neocons

[Flabbergasted]

World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz wants the world to believe that he is the blameless victim of a "smear campaign" orchestrated by his political enemies. But in light of the resignation from the bank, reported today by the Wall Street Journal, of one of his top aides, Kevin Kellems, one could come to another conclusion. The neocon chickens are coming home to roost.

Kellems has a long and undistinguished history as a flack, first for Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar, then for Wolfowitz at the Pentagon, then as spokesman for Vice President Dick Cheney, and until yesterday, at the World Bank, where his job title was director of strategy of the World Bank's External Affairs Department.

As flack for Cheney, Kellems was responsible for doing his best to push the line that the U.S. was justified in invading Iraq because Saddam Hussein was stockpiling weapons of mass destruction and supporting al-Qaida -- two of the most damaging falsehoods ever promulgated by the U.S. government.

My favorite line from Kellems, in a speech delivered in April 2003 at the Public Relations Student Society of America Midwest Regional Partners Conference: "The United States did not seek this conflict."

Imagine you are a World Bank staffer, and in the wake of Wolfowitz's appointment as president, in come people like Kevin Kellems, grabbing $250,000 plum jobs, and immediately setting to work pushing the Bush administration's partisan agenda. At the time of their arrival, the worldview of these conquering heroes was triumphant, and they surely thought they could do whatever it is they wanted.

Now their worldview is in tatters. Their war is an unmitigated disaster. Their president is a cancer on the Republican Party. They are under assault from all sides. And they are beginning, as Kevin Kellems' resignation proves, to drop like flies. No smear campaigns necessary. Just the truth.

http://www.salon.com/tech/htww/2007/05/07/kellems/

[Tom Joad]

1. they are counting on Hillary.

[NoFederales]

2. Like cockroaches scurrying when the light reveals them, I wonder how do

keep these 'cons from reappearing in political life--I mean look at how Cheney, Rumsfeld, Abrams, North,and others like them lurk behind the scenes for decades, accumulating power in the shadows. This is not conspiratorial star chamber, or secret government. How do we banish such MFers from public service, from governmental power, 'cause when the lights go out, the bugs will be at work whilst we sleep.
NoFederales

[elocs]

3. Let's not get too cocky--it ain't over til it's over.

Neocons are the price we are paying for not being vigilant and if we get complacent again, they'll be back.

[flaminbats]

4. political objectives for Republicans have changed..

before 2006 Republicans were focused mainly on how far they could ride the 9/11 wave of public support, and who would replace Bush as the neoconservative czar after the midterm elections. after a decade of being the majority party, Republicans began to forget about the importance of winning local and state elections.

Now Republicans have been re-energized. Most Republican voters feel the same way Democrats do about their primary candidates. But unlike the Democrats, Republicans are focusing again on winning back a majority in Congress. For the Republicans, the Presidential election is only a sideshow. But for many Democrats targeting beatable Republicans to increase our majority Congress is a sideshow. Winning the White House and who gets nominated in 2008 seems to be the focus.

Republicans like Pete Sessions and Paul Ryan are effectively using the politics of something for nothing verses tax and spend liberalism to get free media attention on the House floor. They are accusing Democrats of supporting the "second largest tax increase in history", of endangering the lives of our troops in Iraq, and of "micromanaging the war".

These guys are great at politics..they pass massive taxcuts and then accuse the Democratic majority of withholding funds for the troops in Iraq, they invade Iraq without an exit strategy and then accuse us of supporting the defeat of our troops when opposing Bush's escalation, finally they collect less in revenue than they spend while in power then accuse "tax and spend liberals" of "wanting to have it both ways!"

Republicans couldn't have it better! they spend their time in power partying and living the high life, then they use us to mop up the floor and to win votes the morning after. Democrats should give this a try, surely Republicans can give us something useful!