Burying the Hatchet
Deep Into Biden
It’s hard to agree with anything that former President George W. Bush says after he and his advisors led the U.S. into one disastrous war based on lies about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and another war that continued for 20 years but should have ended after the U.S. achieved its stated goal of denying Al Qaeda a safe haven by driving the Taliban out of power in Afghanistan after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
That said, Bush spoke the truth to a gathering at the Sept. 11 memorial at the crash site of United Airlines Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pa., on Saturday, when the former president had harsh words for the Republican Party for not being tougher on domestic terrorism and drew parallels between the Sept. 11 terrorists and acts of domestic terrorism like the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
There was nary a whisper among Republicans of a “Justice for J6” rally planned for Sept. 18 to support the more than 570 people charged with crimes related to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. The group organizing the rally, Look Ahead America, is led by Matt Braynard, who served as a campaign staffer for trump. In July, GOP Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.), Matt Gaetz (Fla.), Louie Gohmert (Texas) and Paul Gosar (Ariz.) held a news conference to protest the treatment of people arrested in connection with the attacks. Greene, Gaetz, Gohmert, Gosar and Rep. Madison Cawthorn,R-N.C., described the defendants in custody as “political hostages” and “political prisoners” who are being detained to deter future protests.
To many, Sept. 11, 2001, generated a feeling of unity among Americans for a common defense. But on the 20th anniversary of the terror attacks there was scant talk of unity among Republicans across the country, who did not mention the threat of domestic terrorism, the Capitol attacks and the planned Sept. 18 demonstration but did use the day to berate President Biden for everything from his plan for mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations to his withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Unity, cooperation, I don’t think so. Other than the words of Bush, there was not a mention of co-existence from Republicans across the country, no peace pipes, no burying the hatchets.
“We have seen growing evidence that the dangers to our country can come not only across borders but from violence that gathers within,” Bush said. “There is little cultural overlap between violent extremists abroad and violent extremists at home. But in their disdain for pluralism, in their disregard for human life, in their determination to defile national symbols, they are children of the same foul spirit.”
Bizarre was the best way to explain many of the Republican comments and actions. You have to start with trump who did not attend the Sept. 11 ceremonies, but did offer ringside commentary on Sept. 11 for a fight between 58-year-old has-been Evander Holyfield and Vitor Belfort that lasted less than one round when a ref mercifully stopped the bout and probably saved Holyfield’s life.
Then there was everybody’s favorite ex-mayor, Rudy Giuliani, who was caught on video apparently drunk while speaking at a dinner commemorating the worst foreign attack on American soil. A humongous and unapologetic backer of trump, Giuliani in his best pot calling the kettle black fashion, said Biden is “mentally impaired” and had tough words for current administration members and for no apparent reason, offered a bizarre impersonation of Queen Elizabeth II while trying to separate himself from accused pedophile Prince Andrew.
At an event the night before, Giuliani warned Biden not to attend the anniversary of the attacks because of Biden’s decision to withdraw American forces from Afghanistan.
“Biden made a decision that was reckless to the point of almost insanity,” Giuliani, whose law license has been suspended, told the Daily News. “I mean, President Biden did probably one of the most reckless acts in American history, and then he continues it with more and more, and he’s putting us through hell.”
Then there were the soothing, mollifying and equally weird comments from Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, who said that Biden’s vaccination plans are really just a way to distract people from the Sept. 11 anniversary. Draped in her metaphorical American flag, Ernst said Biden has shown “no empathy and gratitude to the men and women who have put the uniform on and have fought so bravely overseas the last 20 years to keep our homeland safe.”
Sorry, Jodi but President Biden has made numerous comments of “empathy and gratitude” and his own late son, Beau, had served in the Army in Iraq.
Ernst made her comments in an interview, where else but on Fox News, but did not explain exactly why Biden would want to distract the nation from Sept. 11.
Moving right on, Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., offered words of a truce between Democrats and Republicans. Not really, as Zeldin spoke on Sept. 9 about how “infuriating” it was that the Taliban have remained in control of Afghanistan.
Zeldin tweeted, “Biden made a decision to surrender to the Taliban, regardless of the consequences. And now he seems angrily determined to ride it out, as a tribe longing for the seventh century dictates terms to the most powerful nation on earth.”
Comments by others were marked more for what they didn’t say than what they did, which was generally cliche remarks evidently written by the same public relations people.
Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., the minority leader who has backed trump every step of the way, reminded Americans that “More than ever, we must remember the brave service members who fought back to protect us — and to ensure the U.S. is never again in a position that compromises our homeland security.”
“I will never forget how we came together that day and in the days that followed. We immediately resolved to rise together and reaffirm our way of life,” McCarthy said in a statement that defied current reality.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott was a leader behind trump’s claims that he was a victim of massive election fraud.
“Today, I encourage Texans to pause in remembrance of the innocent lives lost on September 11, 2001. As we united in the face of destruction and tragedy, let us once again remember the enduring patriotism that binds us together as one nation. Together, we will be a guiding light for generations to come,” Abbott said, in another wondrous statement.
Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., who voted against creation of an independent, bi-partisan investigation of the Jan. 6 insurrection, said “Our country has never stopped grieving that horrible loss, but we responded with two decades of American resolve and resilience. We will never forget.”
And there were the conciliatory words of Rep. Paul A. Gosar, R-Ariz., who was among the lawmakers who called those arrested at the Capital “political prisoners.”
“We honor all who died 20 years ago today and all who have sacrificed to keep America safe. May we never forget. I never will,” said Gosar.
In his Sept. 11 comments, Rep. Louis Gohmert, R-Texas, another who supports the “political prisoners,” couldn’t help but throw a dig in against Biden.
“They were murdered by terrorists who embodied the purest form of evil, who could work with, travel with, seek enjoyment with people whom they looked forward to mass murdering. They used planes carrying people full of hope to loved ones or to work they had eagerly anticipated, but they used the planes as instruments of slaughter. The murderers were joined in spirit with sadists who jumped for joy on seeing live footage of people who jumped from 100 stories up to avoid being burned to death. The al Qaeda terrorist group led by Osama bin Laden was responsible, but they were given safe haven to plan and carry out this barbarous attack by the very Taliban terrorists President Biden has armed and empowered in Afghanistan today,” Gohmert said.
So my fellow Americans these are the men and women to whom we have entrusted our nation. Oh boy.