Over at True North…
…Chief links to the Coleman campaign’s video on Al Franken’s ever-changing positions on Iraq:
This new Coleman ad is a pretty tough one for Al Franken to get past without yet another confirmation/contradiction of 1/2 of Franken’s previous statements. And look for that one to be contradicted again in a few months.
The campaign’s point – Franken isn’t so much “flip-flopping” as he is trying to simultaneously triangulate to every possible audience, from the “Defeat Now!” nutroots of the DFL’s Highland Park base to the outstate and East Side pro-life, pro-gun, “my daughter is a Marine” wing of the party.
Franken is far too ‘maleable’ for my tastes, but how that differs from Coleman is beyond me.
Coleman wanted a pullout from Anbar, but not Baghdad, but said he supported a ‘troop pullout’ in a general comment, given an appearance of supporting a more moderate view, when he really didn’t.
I wonder whether, with the deceased violence in Baghdad, his criteria for a pullout in Anbar, whether he now: A. Supports a troop drawdown in Baghdad (laugh) B. Thinks we should stay anyway, or C. No longer supports a drawdown in Anbar?
My guess is ‘C’, and yes, that’ll be a flip-flop. Coleman has tried to reinvent himself as a moderate (i.e. Center-Right), when he isn’t, he’s just a politician saying whatever needs be said, which would make he and Franken, exactly alike. It also of course means he’s no longer aligned with Right-Extreme Blogs like this one and those even further out in the Wingnut’o’sphere.
I wonder whether Coleman (or Franken for that matter), based on the NIE released today
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/12/03/world/main3566868.shtml
will now moderate and recognize that the drumbeat that Iran is actively pursuing building a nuclear weapon is incorrect, and has been incorrect since 2003. Given they’ve been wrong since then, I wonder if Coleman will admit his posturing for war has been wrong, or whether he will, to placate the Pro-Warfare wing of the Republican party, focus on the warning that they MIGHT be able to produce a weapon in 3-8 years, IF they pursue nulcear weapons, which they are not presently doing.
One wonders whether the right, and Coleman, will now admit their drumbeat for war with Iran represented yet another flawed tactic, based on ‘wished for’ intelligence data, rather than reality. One wonders, but not long, one knows the answer. Flip-flop vs. obdurate, deep and abiding ignorance with a penchant for violence as the only remedy.. take your pick, both have their flaws, but I’ll take the guy who can learn over the guy who can’t.
peevish said:
“Franken is far too ‘maleable’ for my tastes, but how that differs from Coleman is beyond me.”
Clearly.