Let me finish with that wonderful rule codified by columnist Michael Kinsley. "A gaffe is when you tell the truth."
I have a hunch this Kinsley rule will reign for years, you know, a watch-phrase in the political arena like Tip O'Neill's observation that "All politics is local."
Latest example of the rule: Republican leader Michael Steele's observation that "the one thing you don't do is engage in a land war in Afghanistan." He added that "everyone who has tried it over a thousand years of history has failed."
Is there something "un" true in what Mr. Steele has presented? Is there evidence in the last millennium of a successful intervention in Afghanistan? Did the British succeed there in some way that escaped the chronicles? Did the Soviets miss some chance to claim a great victory?
No, Steele had it right. He will remain right absent some awesome change in Afghanistan history - some serendipitous event, some never-before-seen change of culture that generates a hard affinity for clean, united national government, that creates a fierce fighting spirit by a national Afghan army, a national spirit strong enough and determined enough to repel al-Qaida and keep it repelled.
Absent this, something I've heard no one in uniform or without predict, who has the right to knock what Michael Steele said? The facts here are mean, but they are facts nonetheless.
Progressive columnist E. J. Dionne applauded Steele for opening up the debate on Afghanistan. He makes the solid point that if Democrats said it was patriotic to oppose President George W. Bush on foreign policy, including on where to conduct war, can anyone rightly deny the right of Democrats to oppose the escalation of a war by a President of their own party, which is precisely what we're getting in Afghanistan?
The president proposes that we attempt to nation build in Afghanistan then begin to clear out next July. A vote in Congress earlier this month showed a majority of Democrats are skeptical of that policy. They want a plan for troop withdrawal.
Looking at this historic record, who holds a stronger claim to what will happen between now and when the President says we should start leaving? Those who predict Afghanistan will undergo some dramatic transfiguration from what it has been or those who predict that the best guide to what Afghanistan will be like next July is the Afghanistan of this July.
I think it may be wise to think long before next year what Michael Steele said last week.
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Congratiulations Mr. Patriot Pat Buchanan for "bitch slapping" the lug head host of "Goofball on MSNBC"
Obama may have made one "friggin" speach about patriotism but does anyone remember it but you?
You who wets his pants everytime Obama spits up anything before his teleprompter
Kennedy consistantly reminded us through his actions of his patriotism for this country...and so did Reagen and even the Bush presidents.
Your former boss, a true patriot, Mr. Tip O'Neill would be ashamed of your slobbering love affair for the most incompetent President in modern history.
And you repeat this dribble at 7:00 PM...what a waste of another hour...bring on Maddow!!
"...wired differently..."?!? I'm happy to be 'wired' differently Pat. If I was 'wired' like you, I'd be a racist! Ron.
as far as pats comments on different patriot glasses, lets just remember I been around long enough to know, that pat at one time or another has wanted to boot out. He is a outed closit racist has been for ever
big time anti jew he is very closed minded to any thing that does not conform to his far right definition of
the races now its pretty much get rid of all those brown people but talks in morale or patriotic code. Just on the edge of waco but because of his brand still gets away with it.
Wow-
Pat, you really topped yourself. Somehow you are able to spin Rush's ridiculous comments and turn it to question the President's patriotism. You basically said that he believes our country has made mistakes- right. How about stealing the west from the natives, how about slavery, how about the internment of Japanese citizens during WW II?
Anyone who has a brain realizes our country is not perfect. What makes us patriotic is staying engaged, involved, and trying to do better everyday. Pat, MSNBC must pay you a lot to look that stupid. Frankly it is pretty funny coming from a former employee of Nixon, the only President who resigned in disgrace.
I think MSNBC needs to find a better counter for Eugene Robinson. Pat is just looking slow and irrelevant.
why is pat buchanan still on the air? i don't understand why they keep having this racist pig as a commentator. he needs to go to fox to spew his hatred of minorities and women of course except for the moron sarah palin who he desires so much.
Gees, Its a shame that you are ashamed to be white.
Yes, YOU need to go to FOX for the next month. After that month, ask yourself if you heard one word of RACISM. But, on the other hand, if you think that a black panther chasing away white people at a Philadelphia voting station isn't racist, If you think that Tens of thousands of Mexicans FLOUTING our American laws by storming the border and residing here illegally and then asked to provide ID like EVERY WHITE PERSON, then, it is YOU that needs to be called the moron, NOT Sarah Palin
CHRIS MATTHEWS??????
Isn't he the guy that says that he gets CHILLS up his leg when he listens to OBAMA???
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAH
Before you get a life Chris, get some TV RATINGS!
It's clear that most of the previous bloggers are not aware of what Pat Buchanan was talking about. Chris knew but he quickly changed the subject. The reason you dont know is you obviously get all your news from the Love Obama Network (MSNBC) Rush and Pat were talking about the DOJ dropping the case of the New Black Panther Party for voter intimidation in the 2008 presidential election. You can watch the videos on you tube. It shows two black panther party members standing in front of a polling place with billy clubs, harrassing white voters calling them names etc etc. One of them was recorded as saying "we should kill all white children" and I hate all white people. The DOJ recentlly dropped the case stating that they would not prosecute cases brought by whites against blacks. This is a voters rights issue, this is a racist hate group issue, this is a conspiracy issue, all of which has been kept off the air by MSNBC, CBS, ABC, and CNN. I encourage all to research the "New Black Panther Party" and The "DOJ" . If you are objective, you will at least agree someting is seriously wrong with the Justice Department and the mainstream media.
Go New Black Panther Party!!!!
Hello Chris,
Pat ate your and Gene's lunch on tonight's broadcast with his patriotism commentary. In no way was Pat's commentary racist. It was simply a reasonable conservative view and also in no way a nutty far right view. POTUS did not defend us against the President of the narco state to the south. I DO find that surprising.
Chris-
You'll never find a conservative who will speak ill of Rush Limbaugh. They abide by a conservative theme song that is sung to the tune of Jim Croce's You Don't Mess Around with Jim; "You don't tug on Superman's cape... you don't jump in front of a bus... you don't pull the mask of that old Lone Ranger and you don't disagree with Rush."