Paul Krugman: Jeb Bush’s “vile cowardice” on Iraq typical of GOP’s “fraternity of failure”
http://www.salon.com/2015/05/15/paul_krugman_jeb_bushs_vile_cowardice_on_iraq_typical_of_gops_fraternity_of_failure/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=socialflow
Paul Krugman: Jeb Bushs vile cowardice on Iraq typical of GOPs fraternity of failure
Likely Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush has spent the better part of the last week trying desperately to run away from questions about his brothers disastrous foreign policy, but New York Times columnist Paul Krugman is having none of it. Passively claiming that mistakes were made is, Krugman wrote, no excuse when a candidates list of foreign policy advisers is a whos who of mistake-makers.
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Jeb Bush wants to stop talking about past controversies. And you can see why. He has a lot to stop talking about. But lets not honor his wish. You can learn a lot by studying recent history, and you can learn even more by watching how politicians respond to that history.
The big Lets move on story of the past few days involved Mr. Bushs response when asked in an interview whether, knowing what he knows now, he would have supported the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He answered that yes, he would. No W.M.D.? No stability after all the lives and money expended? No problem.
Then he tried to walk it back. He interpreted the question wrong, and isnt interested in engaging hypotheticals. Anyway, going back in time is a disservice to those who served in the war.
Take a moment to savor the cowardice and vileness of that last remark. And, no, thats not hyperbole. Mr. Bush is trying to hide behind the troops, pretending that any criticism of political leaders especially, of course, his brother, the commander in chief is an attack on the courage and patriotism of those who paid the price for their superiors mistakes. Thats sinking very low, and it tells us a lot more about the candidates character than any number of up-close-and-personal interviews.
Wait, theres more: Incredibly, Mr. Bush resorted to the old passive-voice dodge, admitting only that mistakes were made. Indeed. By whom? Well, earlier this year Mr. Bush released a list of his chief advisers on foreign policy, and it was a whos-who of mistake-makers, people who played essential roles in the Iraq disaster and other debacles.