Ahmadinejad drives the GOP over the edge

September 25, 2007

There’s just something painful about watching desperate people lash out wildly. Two weeks ago, Republican supporters of Bush’s Iraq policy decided that the single most important issue in the country was a newspaper ad from MoveOn.org. It took precedence over conditions in Iraq, troop rotations, and funding. The GOP, frantically hoping to avoid anything resembling a policy debate, kept its hysteria going for two weeks.

By all appearances, Republicans would love to keep MoveOn’s ad on the front-burner indefinitely, but the fickle political world can only tolerate so much obsession with trivia. So, the right has decided to drop the nonsense and engage in a serious discussion about the future of U.S. policy in the Middle East.

No, I’m just kidding. They’ve decided that Columbia University is the new Public Enemy #1 because it offered a forum to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

[Yesterday,] Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) said in a statement that if Columbia University President Lee Bollinger “follows through with this hosting of the leader of Iran, I will move in Congress to cut off every single type of Federal Funding to Columbia University.” […]

Appearing on Fox News’ Your World with Neil Cavuto after the speech, Hunter said that he plans to follow through on his threat and will now “initiate legislation, and try to get as many people as can see it my way, to cut off funds to Columbia University.”

Now, Duncan Hunter clearly has an incentive to appear unhinged. He’s a faltering presidential candidate, and the GOP base is easily riled up by absurd stunts like these. (Indeed, it’s a two-fer — it’s posturing on Iran and it’s blasting an Ivy League university filled with “intellectual elites.”) But whether he realizes it or not, Hunter only comes across looking foolish.

As Kevin Drum asked, “Don’t Republicans have anything better to do?” Apparently not.

TP has the video, but here’s the exchange on Fox News.

Cavuto: It is done. What do you do now?

Hunter: I think we initiate legislation and try to get as many people as we can see it my way to cut off funds to Columbia University. You know, when Ahmadinejad appeared, he has at this point actually sent across the line into Iraq deadly roadside bombs, these new bombs. I have seen some of these in Iraq myself, talking with the American commanders there. Those of American soldiers, American Marines in Iraq. This guy send [sic] those things across the line to kill Americans, and the idea that the university would lend its prestige to his appearance is, I think, if unacceptable, and I sent a letter to the president of the university, telling him that I would, in fact, move to try to cut off all funds to Columbia. Now, some people may follow me. Some people may not follow me.

I’m hoping for the latter. Ahmadinejad spoke, and he humiliated himself. Western civilization still stands. Republicans will probably find something new to whine about fairly soon, and Columbia won’t suffer any adverse consequences.

For what it’s worth, the far-right freak-out has not yet reached the White House.

President Bush said Ahmadinejad’s appearance at Columbia “speaks volumes about, really, the greatness of America.”

He told Fox News Channel that if Bollinger considered Ahmadinejad’s visit an educational experience for Columbia students, “I guess it’s OK with me.”

Bush added that America is “confident enough to let a person express his views.”

Some of us are apparently more confident than others.

I went home early yesterday because I wasn’t feeling well. I caught the tail end of Ahmadinejad’s speech on Fox News (I don’t get CNN or MSNBC- just Fox). Immediately following the speech, Sheppard Smith interviewed Rebecca Evans for “Studio B.” Evans did an exemplary job of straightening Fox’s twist with every answer. Newshounds caught it.

  • It is really surprising when George W. Bush comes up with a well reasoned statement. I wonder who told him to say it?

  • “Duncan Hunter clearly has an incentive to appear unhinged. He’s a faltering presidential candidate…”

    Duncan who? And why is he a proxy for the GOP’s view??

  • Duncan who? And why is he a proxy for the GOP’s view??

    JRS Jr, Duncan Hunter is a candidate for the Republican Party’s nomination for President of the United States. He has been at all the Republican debates. Do try to keep up.

  • Hmmm—Blackwater smuggles weapons into Iraq for insurgents; Hunter says nothing. The Bush administration plays both sides of the Iraqi aisle, and arms both Shia and Sunni. Again, Hunter says nothing.

    But give some flake the opportunity to prove that he’s a flake—providing a podium and a microphone, instead of arms—and Hunter goes thermonuclear.

    Only in Bushylvania….

  • Why stop there, Duncan? Why not go after the hotel he stayed in?

    Did he stop at a McDonald’s on the way to Columbia? You might want to find that out, Mr. Hunter.

    “Bush added that America is ‘confident enough to let a person express his views.'”

    Just not to him, because he only has to listen to God(Cheney).

  • CB said: “But whether he realizes it or not, Hunter only comes across looking foolish.”

    That’s an obvious statement for the reality based community; however, when it comes to the 30% dead-enders – the ones he really is talking to – they all believe that what happened at the university is a real threat to American values. Something needs to be done about that.

    I’m just wondering for how much longer it will remain at 30%? At some point they’ll have to start realizing that the rest of America is laughing at thim; not unlike the students who laughed at Ahmedinejad during his presentation at Columbia.

    I think there is already some evidence of that. Yesterday I was reading some of the comments at Politico. You have to be a registered user in order to post comments, it also asks what party affiliation you have. It’s funny to see how many so called ‘independents’ are actually formerly identified Republicans. One of the ‘independents’ was whining how the Democrats stole the election last november, and it is imperative that the RNC gets rid of all the RINO’s in the Republican party, so they can become the majority again next election. That sure sounds like a true independent talking. LOL They’re too dumb to realize that if you pretend to be an Independent but still sound like a rabid Republican; you’re still a rabid Republican. I guess that must be their view of ‘stealth’ techniques to infiltrate the enemy’s base.

    No wonder we haven’t seen any more progress in Iraq: The politicos walk into a Shia meeting pretending to be Shia supporters but they act like a Sunni and vice versa.

  • Ahmadinejad spoke! Its’ the end of the world.

    Actually, that Repub fear has that similar reek of their homophobia. They doth protest too much. Dress Ahmadinejad in a 2000 dollar suit and tie, give him an Alex P Keaton haircut and shave, replace Jew with Illegal Immigrant in his speech and he remarkably sounds a lot like a Repub prez candidate.

    I thought Repubs were supposed to be “strong” not become comical hysterical versions of Chicken Littles.

    Two sides of the same stupid insane coin.

  • Maybe we should talke Duncan Hunter at his word,a nd when he brings up the resolution to cut off all funding for the University, a Democrat should offer an amendment to his resolution that requires to cut off ALL funding to any company that has been under investigation for irregularities in Iraq: The US Government for arming Shia, Sunni, and Kurdish factions and pretending to want to unite the country.

    Someone needs to remind Duncan that nobody died at Columbia because of Ahmadinejad’s comments; which can’t be said about what the Bush administration’s lies and rhetoric have done to our very own sodliers.

  • The Iranian leader was called a “petty dictator” by his host and ridiculed by the crowd. How exactly is that a sign of support for him?

    Must be scary to be a conservative, where your worldview is so fragile that you can’t stand to hear from other people, even when it’s clear that they’re insane loons. Better get back in your bubble, Duncan.

  • Ahmadinedjad is a religious zealot, an extremist, and possibly insane. With horror, I realize now that the only thing that differentiates him from our preznit is the flavor of religion they follow. But at least he has the guts to talk in front of people that may not agree with him.

    Another observation: The fact that the right wing is so up in arms about this issue speaks volumes about their insecurities, paranoia, and general anti-democratic sentiments.

    What are they so afraid of?!?

  • This isn’t just a case of “kill the messenger”. It’s a case of “kill the envelope” too.

    We allowed someone to deliver a message that can do nothing more or less than help us to better understand what we’re up against: religious extremists and nationalists who suppress opposition and dissent.

    So what happens? Our own religious and nationalistic extremists scream bloody murder that a University didn’t do more to suppress opposition and dissent.

  • As Kevin Drum asked, “Don’t Republicans have anything better to do?”

    This IS what they do. They MUST frame and control ALL discourse in their own terms lest their ideology and delusional “realities” be exposed for the shams they are. This is three-year old behavior at worst, middle school at best.

  • I think the only way to end the rudeness is to stop the double-standard and let everybody be rude, until people are sick of it and flock to polite people. The entire thrust of Republican political discourse is venom and vitriol, so I think it behooves us to stand up for our right to be rude — and Bollingers. And the students. And Iran’s Metrosexual leader. You can’t have lunch with Krauthamer and break out the smelling salts when General Petreaus willingly enters the political ring.

    No one’s shocked, really. Petreaus entered the ring to play politics, and that’s what he did: shining up his medals for the Pesident to hide behind, and playing victim to silence the opposition, while engaging in rudeness and attacks. That’s what Joe Klein and Brooks are doing, pretending the public wants kindness as they savage bloggers. They are playing politics. They don’t want commity. They want to tie the other guy’s hands so they can punch the shit out of him.

    Same with this. They want to feign outrage to shut down the Iranian President so they can control the conversation to drive to war. It’s all about setting up the rules so that only they can be heard.

  • It wouldn’t matter if he got every Republican in the House to sign on – which he won’t – because his side was the LOSERS. They’re the minority.

    But let the Orcs scream and shout and flap their arms and run around and roll in the sawdust in the ecstasy of hate. The more they reveal themselves as the morons they are, the better. They’re 28% and dropping.

    One would have to ask, did these idiots actually WATCH THE VIDEO of Ahmadinejad’s appearance, and Bollinger’s “introduction”?? Of course, they’d hate to admit that Ahmadinejad is a righty like they are (who speaks English better), but he thoroughly demonstrated he is.

    McCarthy didn’t understand that Murrow had destroyed him by letting him talk, either.

  • Here’s a possibility. The Righties have their panties in a bunch because exposure like this takes the “Monster” element out of the mix. Ahmadinejad’s a buffoon, not a monster. You see, if the Iranians are not monsters, the Republicans have a harder time justifying their (desired) attack on Iran.
    citizen_pain nailed it, Ahmadinejad is Iran’s George Bush, but with a little more guts. Of course it’s not hard to have more guts than that little coward.

  • Always coming in late…

    A small point, but crucial to remember in the ongoing Bush Admin propaganda campaign for action against Iran: Ahmadinejad DOES NOT CONTROL THE IRANIAN MILITARY. The Iranian President does not have the power to order attacks, offensives, whatever. That doesn’t mean he can’t suggest, lobby, or call up some street support to make a case. It also doesn’t mean he has no knowledge about any Iranian military or intelligence activity in Iraq. But this Holocaust questioning a–hole cannot start anything with the US.

    Thirty percent of my compatriots are bedwetting morons.

    Everyone stay focused, keep banging back. It’s all distraction, demagoguery, hustle, because the Republicans have absolutely nothing. Well, except for the military, tactical nuclear weapons, and an assignment from God. And lots and lots of blood.

  • I listened to idiots wanting to assassinate Ahmadinejad while he was here and we could get to him. “If we let him go then the blood of Americans will be on your hands when he gets a nuclear weapon and bombs Israel and then nukes one of our cities…” Told this to Thom hartman of Air America. See the sick thinking of the far right. Suddenly Iran is going to have all these nukes and they are suicidal and just want to kill everyone and then get killed themselves. Hell, in 20yrs they could have as many as…2 nukes! Idiot. Hunter’s thinking is along these lines…closed minded narrow bigoted thinking, using government to punish people who don’t follow his agenda. His tantrum is unconstitutional but then he’s not been one who knows or even cares what the constitution says…he knows better. It’s not government run education and do what we say or we cut your funding facism. This from someone who claims he can be a national leader? Acting like an angry child. Yeah, he’s a credible candidate for president alright.

    Duncan who? is right. His opinion is virtually meaningless, and his views get little attention because they are petty. Basically, who is he that he should get attention as a serious candidate except from his own ego? Ahmadinejad was perfectly capable of making a fool out of himself without Duncan joining him and making a fool out of himself also. But then we’re talking about Duncan Hunter.

  • ***Thirty percent of my compatriots are bedwetting morons.***

    With any luck, they’ll drown in their sleep.

    But—we won’t be that lucky. I’m starting to hear some of the “unhinged ‘Hioans” (clueless, knuckledragging twits who hang out at “the local bedsheet-bar and carryout”) squeal for bringing back the draft

  • I’m sure that the same conservatives and Republicans who condemned Bollinger specifically and Columbia University generally for inviting the president to iran will criticize President Bush for saying he saw nothing wrong for said invitation. A few will, I guess, but most won’t. Consistency is a bitch, ain’t it?

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