Wolcott points out an interesting contradiction

[Batgirl]

regarding the reaction of the right (and their corporate media enablers) to OBL's recent appearance. While mocking Bin Laden as being weakened to the point of irrlevance, they indulge in their usual tough "warrior" posturing -- and we all know that no one can impersonate a tough warrior quite like a reptilican chickenhawk.

"What a pathetic, posturing, blowhard country we've become. Yesterday a new audio surfaces from Osama bin Laden, the man many speculated was dead. The media and political response was a phony show of "strength" and an embarrassing self-contradiction."

"But at the same time the righties are hooting at bin Laden's irrelevance, they're striking their own grand poses of brave, bravura defiance--as if he were still the powerful menace they're claiming he isn't. Standing tall and proud against a dangerous foe they're simultaneously belittling--using both sides of their mouths in building him up while tearing him down."

http://www.jameswolcott.com/

[ixion]

1. typical rethug hypocrisy

that's just like, "in order to protect our civil liberties, we must destroy them."

Same (ill)logic. They use this over and over and over and over again, and still people don't seem to see the inherent conflict.

[mac56]

6. Remember at all times

that Republicans are less troubled by hypocrisy than normal people are.

[Roland99]

2. EXACTLY!

* goes on vacation to Camp David while the Rovian machine blasts the media with tales of terror.

[EST]

3. On cspin capitol news, there is a poll,

with 1360 votes, 275 voted that we should hold a truce talk with OBL. Wonder how this contrasts with that and does it actually reflect the cspan audience.

[The_Casual_Observer]

4. Privately they are shitting their pants about UBL.

And so is Wall St - but not so privately.

[MrBenchley]

5. I love this part....

"Inside, a NY editorial titled 'Nuts!' begins with a little historical lesson explaining the cover line.

"It may be the most famous one-word sentence in American military history, and it's time to dust it off after yesterday's pronouncement from Osama bin Laden: 'Nuts!' That's how Brigadier Gen. Anthony McAuliffe responded to the Nazis when asked to surrender the town of Bastogne on December 19, 1944. Outnumbered and surrounded by Panzer tanks, McAuliffe gave his one word response to a courier."

Did you see the problem with this Victor Davis Hanson-ing? The United States isn't surrounded by superior forces, we're the world's military superpower, the one with the tanks and the "imperial grunts," and Bin Laden is a single individual holed up somewhere along the outlaw border, yet the NY Sun would have us believe we're the scrappy underdog with the never-say-die attitude."

...Michael Moore didn't bring down the towers, Howard Dean isn't responsible for Bin Laden remaining at large, and, unlike the fisking blogger, the overwhelming majority of liberal Manhattanites didn't lose their nerve and flee the city after 9/11. They, we, stayed put. It's the cowardly lions who curled up into a fetal ball and remain there today, talking tough and fooling no one but themselves. "

[donkeyotay]

7. Back in the 2004 election when Cheney was threatening that Osama

was going to strike an American city with a dirty bomb if we voted for a Democrat, the GOP was supposed to keep us safe. Sooo, if we get hit again by Osama after they've had billions of dollars, unlimited power and 5 years to catch him, shouldn't we hold the GOP responsible? They even tore up the consitiution and tortured people. Then suddenly bush just walks away and says Osama doesn't matter. Now he matters? So, have they kept us safe or not?

[gratuitous]

8. Would the GOP please make up their alleged minds?

Is OBL the impotent irrelevancy, or the lurking demon ready to pounce? It's awfully confusing to those of us who can process more than one bit of information at a time to see the kakistocracy of the GOP simultaneously ignoring and cowering before bin Laden.

Yesterday upon the stair
I saw a man who wasn't there
He wasn't there again today
I wish, I wish he'd go away

[Batgirl]

9. funny how they want to have it both ways

"If I were King of the Forest, Not queen, not duke, not prince.
My regal robes of the forest, would be satin, not cotton, not chintz.
I'd command each thing, be it fish or fowl.
With a woof and a woof and a royal growl - woof.

As I'd click my heel, all the trees would kneel.
And the mountains bow and the bulls kowtow.
And the sparrow would take wing - If I - If I - were King!

Each rabbit would show respect to me. The chipmunks genuflect to me.
Though my tail would lash, I would show compash
For every underling!

If I - If I - were King!
Just King!
Monarch of all I survey -- Mo--na-a-a--a-arch Of all I survey!"*


*Theme song of rightwing tough guy blowhards.