Talking Points Memo: Barnes - Being Right = Being Weak

[illinoisprogressive]

I've been enjoying pearls of wisdom from The Weekly Standard's Fred Barnes for quite a while, but this might be the single most entertaining thing he's ever said. (via Atrios)

On the October 6 edition of Fox News' The Beltway Boys, co-host and Weekly Standard executive editor Fred Barnes claimed that Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) is "not in quite as strong a position on the war in Iraq as he really thinks he is." He explained that when Obama delivered his 2002 speech against going to war with Iraq, "it was back in a time when the entire world believed Saddam Hussein in Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, that he would probably be willing to use them himself at some time or pass them along to terrorists who would use them. And yet, Barack Obama was against going to the war at that point." According to Barnes: "I don't think that shows that he is very strong on national security, which he needs to be."

It's almost impressive in its absurdity. In 2002, Barnes was wrong about Iraq; Obama was right. That Obama didn't follow the mistaken judgment of the DC establishment, Barnes said, necessarily means that Obama isn't strong on national security.

What's more, Barnes believes this insightful criticism of Obama's accurate judgment would be "used against him... by Republicans in a general election," should he win the Democratic nomination.

Oh, things one learns from Fox News....
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/055284.php

[geek tragedy]

1. That's the Beltway Establishment thinking.

I sure do hope we don't nominate someone with that kind of mentality.