When the Dam Breaks, the Dems Will Fall

I’ve spent the day, reading over some of the reaction to the testimony of General Petraeus, after listening to the testimony itself, once they figured out how to get the mikes working again.  (I’ll bet there hangs a tale.  )

Perhaps the best comment on it though comes from Blue Crab Boulevard.

Those were some of the words that are generally credited with beginning the downfall of Senator Joseph McCarthy. The rest of the exchange between McCarthy and Joseph Welch, acting special counsel for the US Army, are probably even more widely remembered:

“Let us not assassinate this lad further, Senator…. You’ve done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?”

After that scene played out in June of 1954, McCarthy fell fast and hard in the opinions of Americans. Before 1954 was over with, the Senate had voted to censure him. Less than three years later, McCarthy was dead.

George Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” In the end, what brought McCarthy down was the utter viciousness the public saw when they watched McCarthy during those hearings. Even people who believed as McCarthy did in the dangers of communism could not stomach the unhinged attacks the man engaged in.

“Shock and Awe” or MoveOn’s McCarthy moment?

MoveOn.org was looking to get attention and so they have with their full-page New York Times ad in which they slam Gen. David Petraeus, rhyming his name with “betray us.” It’s the liberal group’s version of shock and awe.

The ad’s text is an indictment of Petraeus in which they do everything but call the general a serial liar:……

…….The problem for MoveOn.org is that the ad will strike many Americans as extreme and likely turn a lot of people off to its larger message.

Like Gaius, I think that the left has finally crossed that invisible line.  Even senator John Kerry, who has never been the brightest bulb in the string, has decided to suggest that the ad is  ‘over the top’

“I don’t like any kind of characterizations in our politics that call into question any active duty, distinguished general,” Kerry told CNN, adding “who I think under any circumstances serves with the best interests of our country.”

Yes, well, John, that’s something you guys should have thought of a long time ago.  Did you honestly believe it wasn’t going to get to this point?

So far, he’s pretty much the only today have either the courage, or the political foolishness, given current Democratic party politics,   to aver such things.  Apparently, he didn’t get the word, that the democratic party has been working directly with MoveOn on such matters, as we reported this morning.

Michelle has a decent round-up of reaction from the Republicans. The Democrats, though are being quiet as Chruchmice.

The Hill is reporting that one voice that did get heard today on the subject, was Neil Abercrombie, who denied the ad had anything to do with Democrats… a claim, given the reports we’ve been seeing, which are laughable on their face.

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Fla.), the ranking Republican on the Foreign Affairs panel, called on Democrats to use the hearing “to distance themselves from the despicable ad.”

However, Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) rejected the assertion that the ad had anything to do with the Democrats.

“Nobody has to distance themselves from something they weren’t associated with,” Abercrombie fired back at Ros-Lehtinen.

 I’m currently are rereading the testimony of the general, and I’m sure to be doing more of the same tomorrow.  But it’s becoming more and more clear to me as I progressed through the text, that the general came off as a purely competent and utterly trustworthy.  This, I think, will serve as I suggested it would last week…

If he comes at this thing, in his usual style, which is to simply whose with credibility, the democrat leadership is going to find its credibility seriously damaged with the American people. But perhaps, there’s the rub; can it possibly be more damaged with non- democrats?

If I’m reading the reaction of the right side blogs this evening  correctly, I believe the answer is no.  As to whether not the reputation of the democratic party can be any more damaged in the eyes of what used to be called moderate democrats, I believe the answer is yes.  It’s been a slow builder, but it’s showing signs that this friction with the far left within the Democrat party is about to shatter the party.

As for the ‘slow builder’ part… Have you ever seen “Force 10 From Navarone”?

If you have, you will better understand the kind of force that will be deployed when this dam breaks.