It’s Reagan’s fault

December 13, 2006

The Hill published an interesting interview with Tom DeLay today, which included an unexpected observation from the disgraced former House Majority Leader on recent U.S. policy towards Iraq.

The Hill: Going back to Israel, what do you think of the Iraq Study Group’s recommendations on Syria and Iran?

DeLay: I think it’s just crazy. It’s part of that worldview that led us to where we are. Think about it. The United States went and negotiated with and supported Saddam Hussein himself against Iran under this notion that sometimes my enemy is my friend. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. That emboldened Saddam Hussein and allowed him to invade Kuwait. It made us go to war that we did not finish and did not take Saddam Hussein out.

Wait, Tom DeLay believes many of the problems with Iraq are Reagan’s fault? What a pleasant surprise.

Indeed, in 1983 Reagan dispatched Donald Rumsfeld to align the U.S. with Iraq in its war with Iran. At the time, Reagan knew of Saddam Hussein’s use of torture and use of chemical weapons, but they didn’t see these details as “deal-breakers.” Indeed, during negotiations, Rumsfeld didn’t even bring up the subject of Saddam’s crimes.

And now, according to DeLay, Reagan “emboldened” the Butcher of Baghdad, and set us on our current path. I knew the conservative coalition was starting to strain, but I never thought I’d see the day when DeLay blamed Reagan for problems in Iraq. Who knew?

The Baboon clan is back-biting its dead. It’s red rumps and fangs among the Republican primates.

Republicans do it till they’re tarred.

  • Ah, words of wisodm from the roach man. Must be huffing some pesticide, that could be the anti-dote to republican kool-aid.

  • I’m sure it was that peanut farming sissy Jimmy Carter who gave St. Ronnie no option but to send Rummy to Iraq and fund Saddam. It is also possible thta Hillary Clinton, posing as a conservative, somehow convinced Reagan to do this. One or the other.

    Why are we listening to Tom Delay? Why is he talking? Why is any media outlet covering it?

  • I’m trying to figure out what, if anything, the answer has to do with the question. For starters – Saddam invading Kuwait has nothing to do with Israel. But, consider this man’s train of logic: I’m assuming that this is in response to the ISG’s recommendation that we should bring Syria and Iran into negotiations as part of an everything-is-connected/overall Middle East peace settlement effort. Delay immediately conflates “negotiation” with “support” which inevitably “allows” someone to invade their neighbor.

    No wonder he ran such a bitter and partisan Congress – the mere thought of negotiation with anyone with a different viewpoint or interests is a “worldview” which immediately leads to disaster.

  • I used to think it was Lincoln’s fault. If he hadn’t kept the Union together, Texas could have invaded Iraq all by itself. Lately, I’ve come to realize it’s James Polk’s fault. If he hadn’t been elected on a pro-annexation platform, Texas probably wouldn’t have been admitted into the Union.

  • I’m sure Tom thinks it was an honest mistake, and Ronnie was poorly advised.

    The tragedo-comic simplicity of Delay’s foreign policy analysis is frightening when you consider he’s talking about how we should deal with complex cultures who’ve been practicing intrigue within intrigue, with shifting allegiances and rivalries, over generations, for centuries. It’s like watching a 4 year old T-ball player going up against the American League ERA leader.

  • Is anyone keeping track of how many people are responsible for the mess in Iraq who are not in the Bush/Cheney administration, weren’t in Congress, weren’t media plants or neo-con pundits? I can’t keep up.

  • “It’s part of that worldview that led us to where we are.” – Tom De-witless

    The problem for our dear “conservative” friends is that there simply are no other people who will talk to THEM except authoritarian dictators. Certainly they are not welcome in democratic countries around the world.

    Oh, and let’s not forget that we gave the Iraqis U.S. imagery intelligence on Iran in the 1980’s that taught them how to conceal their WMD in the Gulf War.

  • Here’s a crucial event that emboldened Saddam to invade Kuwait: eight days prior to the invasion, the US ambassador essentially gave him the green light. See http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/ARTICLE5/april.html

    Saddam: “What is the United States’ opinion on this [the Kuwait issue]?”

    Ambassador Glaspie: “We have no opinion on your Arab – Arab conflicts, such as your dispute with Kuwait. Secretary [of State James] Baker has directed me to emphasize the instruction, first given to Iraq in the 1960’s, that the Kuwait issue is not associated with America.”

  • Alan, thanks for reminding us of the April Glaspie debacle. The ineptitude of the present Bush sometimes causes us to forget the blunders of Big Daddy.

  • “The enemy of my enemy is my friend. That emboldened Saddam Hussein and allowed him to invade Kuwait.” – T. DeLay

    Whaaaaaa?

    If the enemy (Iraq) of our enemy (Iran) was our (US) friend, how did that embolden Saddam to attack the friend (Kuwait) of a friend (US)? The enemy of an enemy may make for a friendship of convenience, but the friend of friend does not make anyone an enemy. Tom, you sniffed waaaaay too much bug spray in your day.

  • In honor of Tommy, I butchered The Who’s Pinball Wizard.

    Ever since he was a young man
    He’s killed them pesky bugs
    From Big D down to Houston
    He must have killed them all
    But I ain’t seen nothing like him
    In any legislative hall
    That dull, dumb and corrupt Tom
    Sure is a real dense pol

    He loved being on the take
    Joins the K Street machine
    Feeding on the free dinners
    Always spinning clean
    He steals by intuition
    Letting silly regs fall
    That dull, dumb and corrupt Tom
    Sure is a real dense pol

    He’s a districting wizard
    There’s got to be a twist
    A districting wizard
    He’s left Texas in the shit

    How do you think he does it?
    (Jack Abramhoff)
    What makes him so good?

    He ain’t got no knowledge
    Can’t get those eggheads and libs
    Don’t see warnings a flashin’
    Plays by sense of greed
    Always plays golf for free
    Smiles thru it all
    That dull, dumb and corrupt Tom
    Sure is a real dense pol

    I thought he was
    Gonna be in Jail
    But he just started a blog
    Has his ass handed to him

    Even with a ghost blogger
    He don’t sound so smart
    His blogger leads him in
    And he just does the rest
    He’s got crazy buggy thoughts
    Never seen him so small
    That dull, dumb and corrupt Tom
    Sure is a real dense pol

    Always playing clean
    He plays by intuition
    The digit counters fall
    That deaf, dumb and blind kid
    Sure plays a mean pinball

    He’s a pinball wizard
    There’s got to be a twist
    A pinball wizard
    He’s got such a supple wrist

    How do you think he does it?
    (I don’t know)
    What makes him so good?

    He ain’t got no distractions
    Can’t hear those buzzers and bells
    Don’t see lights a flashin’
    Plays by sense of smell
    Always gets a replay
    Never tilts at all
    That deaf, dumb and blind kid
    Sure plays a mean pinball

    I thought I was
    The Bally table king
    But I just handed
    My pinball crown to him

    Even on my usual table
    He can beat my best
    His disciples lead him in
    And he just does the rest
    He’s got crazy flipper fingers
    Never seen him fall
    That deaf, dumb and blind kid
    Sure plays a mean pinball

  • You liberals have got it so wrong. The president is right, that’s why he’s the president. And he has surrounded himself with intelligunt people who, with their vast years of experience in the military and high office, he relies on for the most accurate assessment of the reality of Commie/Facist/Islamo plans to take over the world and take away our guns, just like you chickens want. That’s why he’s the decider, a do-gooder, and the MSM which is owned by liberal cut-and-runners like GE, Times/Warner, and Rupurt Mirdock are all in bed with the do-badders. He has a secret plan for total victory, so shut up, or else it won’t be a secret and the traitors win! Do you want to lose? All this talk about saving lives and money and you never thought about what’s good for America – Do you want to lose! I say we back him in whatever he wants to do because it’s good for America. Pinheads for Bush say: Re-elect Bush in 2008!

  • Bloggers and a small segment of the press are keeping this fool (DeLay) in the public eye. Stop covering him and he’ll shrivle up like a raisin and fall off the vine to become just a little dot of compost

  • It seems DeLay not only blamed Reagan but H.W. Bush in 91 also for our current predicament with Iraq. DeLay says in the same above quote:
    “It made us go to war that we did not finish and did not take Saddam Hussein out.”
    We all know H.W. quit fighting b/c of oil interests.
    I just wonder if DeLay will end up flipping on W. Bush?

  • Wow, going after the Gipper. I wonder how Rushannity’s going to spin this one.

    Who’s next on the list, Tom, Jesus?

  • Don’t forget, not only did the Reagan administration arm Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war, but they armed Iran at the same time!

    Any claims that Republicans have toward moral authority are lost when they idolize a President whose administration behaved so immorally.

  • I figured out what george is doing: in Braveheart the heartless English king sends the beautiful princess to “negotiate,” meanwhile he sends his own army in on the sly, along with Welsh bowmen, troops from France, and Irish conscripts…. george is just killing time while he gets those extras from the movie assembled and shipped over to Iraq.

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