-By Warner Todd Huston
Dana Milbank is mad at Democrats for somehow letting Former Iraq Chief Paul Bremer off the hook today in the Washington Post’s ”Rusty Democrats Unable to Pin Anything on Bremer”.
I guess to show he is a real meterosexual, Milbank starts his piece off with an observation on Bremer’s choice of footwear and draws the wild conclusion that it must say something about his mental state.
Jerry Bremer wore black dress shoes instead of his trademark combat boots yesterday as he testified before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. But except for that concession, the former American viceroy of Iraq had lost none of his swagger.
That observation lacks so much on substance that it is laughable. Does wearing combat boots in a desert, while walking around battle-damaged buildings, or in areas where nearly everyone is so shod somehow speak to Bremer’s arrogance, his “swagger”??
If a fan wears gym shoes to a basketball game, would that speak to the fan’s assumptions that he is as good as Michael Jordan or those players on the court?
With that weak attempt to scold Bremer for his arrogant choice of footwear done, Milbank goes on to insinuate that he is guilty of malfeasance during his time in Iraq.
His widely condemned move to disband the Iraqi military? “I stand by the decision.”
Billions of dollars potentially wasted on dubious contracts? “I did not have authority over the awarding of contracts.”
Incompetent personnel at the Coalition Provisional Authority? “My role in hiring was very limited.”
“On the whole,” Bremer told the lawmakers, “I think that we made great progress.”
Even if you think Bremer WAS wrong on each point Milbank presented, why the snide presentation of his replies?
Why? Because, to Milbank, like most leftists, decisions made and the policy that results from those decisions that might, in the end, turn out problematic just could not be a result of honest belief in the ideas behind that policy that might have turned out wrong. It MUST be some sort of evil plot, some “corruption” or something illegal.
It just couldn’t have been a bad choice.
Now Milbank turns on his fellow leftists for their failure to rip Amb. Bremer to pieces.
It was to have been the grudge match Democrats waited years for: The ferocious Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), newly installed as chairman of the committee, was to flex his new oversight muscles by summoning Bremer to account for his actions while running Iraq in 2003 and 2004.
But Bremer proved unexpectedly agile at shifting blame: to administration planners (“The planning before the war was inadequate”), his superiors in the Bush administration (“We never had sufficient support”), and the Iraqi people (“The country was in chaos — socially, politically and economically”).
“Unexpectedly agile”? What is that supposed to mean? Couldn’t Bremer just have been sure of himself, in command of his appearance and convinced he was right? Obviously not, because, for Milbank, it must surely be some kind of TRICKERY.
And those foolish Democrats just had their heads turned because they are so “rusty” and “out of practice” at being politicians. As he laments that:
And Democrats, after 12 years in the minority, were out of practice.
So, Bremer is a big liar, a vile but wily trickster, but his boys are just “rusty”.
Milbank wails further that, “After nearly five hours of questioning, the lawmakers failed to find a smoking gun…”
Gee Dana, why have your pals so failed you?
He isn’t done bad mouthing Chairman Waxman either.
Waxman, who began the hearing with a broad smile and played frequently with the gavel while sitting on the edge of the chairman’s seat, gradually grew more somber and sank back into his chair.
Geeze, I almost feel sorry for poor Henry!
Next Milbank reverts back to his feminine side to comment on Bremer’s clothing with another substanceless comment equating his suit with his attitude.
The natty Bremer, sporting a pocket handkerchief and a flag lapel pin, grew more confident. As his deflections thwarted the lawmakers, Bremer’s wife, unable to contain her delight, reached out from the first row of the audience to pat her husband on the back.
Man, if all one needs is a “natty” handkerchief to “thwart” lawmakers I’d like to order a couple of them. They must be powerful squares of cotton, indeed.
The piece goes on for several more paragraphs of Democrat bashing, Republican bashing, and Bremer bashing, but unfortunately Milbank reveals little of substance.
In any case, it seems Milbank is auditioning for Al Franken’s soon to be vacated spot on Air America instead of offering real political reporting here.
I wonder if his shoes speak to his confidence that they will pick him for Franken’s spot?
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Warner Todd Huston’s thoughtful commentary, sometimes irreverent often historically based, is featured on many websites such as newsbusters.org, townhall.com, men’snewsdaily.com and americandaily.com among many, many others. Additionally, he has been a guest on several radio programs to discuss his opinion editorials and current events. He has also written for several history magazines and appears in the new book “Americans on Politics, Policy and Pop Culture” which can be purchased on amazon.com. He is also the owner and operator of publiusforum.com. Feel free to contact him with any comments or questions : EMAIL Warner Todd Huston