Lieberman to Bush’s right on ‘Islamic terrorism’

August 4, 2007

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) sat down this week with Salon’s Walter Shapiro, which was a bit of a surprise, given that the magazine and the senator don’t agree on too much right now.

Most of Lieberman’s comments were about what you’d expect, but one exchange stood out.

JL: I worry that whoever gets the Democratic nomination will have a hard time scampering back to assure people that they’re prepared to take on the Islamist extremists and [any] other nation that threatens our security.

WS: Turning to another thing —

JL: They don’t use that. You’ll have to check it. But they don’t use the term “Islamist extremism” or “Islamist terrorism” in the debates.

WS: Are you saying it’s “political correctness” on the part of the Democrats?

JL: You’ve got to acknowledge the problem.

This, of course, is the tack Rudy Giuliani has enthusiastically embraced. It’s not enough to support aggressive counter-terrorism measures; for Lieberman and Giuliani, a person’s commitment to the issue is based largely on whether he or she is willing to use the words “Islamic” and “terrorism” next to each other.

I’m curious, then, what Lieberman and Giuliani have to say about the Bush White House, which John Dickerson noted this week, also refrains from using the phrase.

Are Bush and Cheney excessively “politically correct” in Lieberman’s eyes? And to what extent does he see that as “the problem”?

“Scampering?” What a pathetic little twat.

This, of course, is the tack Rudy Giuliani has enthusiastically embraced.

This, of course, is because that relentless prick is trying to get himself invited onto Giuli’s campaign. “Yoo hoo! Mr. Mayor of America! Your political soul mate can’t wait to meet you. Call me and we can go for a long walk along the Hudson and talk about killing some Muslims.”

Connecticut, you Santorumed the canine big time.

  • JL: You’ve got to acknowledge the problem.

    No, we don’t, because it’s a distraction, not a problem. The problem, which the Lieberwimp cannot acknowledge is that he continues to be so overcome by his fear of a real but exaggerated threat that he is willing to deny all known reality, throw away the Constitution and support a regime that in fact has NOT dealt with external threats but has BECOME an internal threat.

    This is cowardice at its worst.

  • Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) sat down this week …

    The I in (I-Conn.) stands for Israel First. It also means: that Israel (just like the U.S.) can do no wrong, that lives of Palestinians (or Muslims, in general) don’t matter, that Nazi holocaust excuses everything.

    The “I” could also stand for “idiot.” The height of idiocy these days is how George W. Bush, Joe Lieberman, and the assorted neo-cons don’t realize that “War of Terror” can only by winning the hearts and minds of the Muslim world. And that starts with ending the economic war on the Palestinians.

  • Lieberman sees the world through a preordained agenda of us v. them. In such a tight duality he is incapable of offering anything except continual war. -Kevo

  • I am beginning to think that Sen. Feinstein (D?-CA) is probably becoming “politically correct” in Sen. Lieberman’s (WNR-CT) eyes. How lovely, that the Senate is learning to get along and become all Bi-Partisan (just politcal nothing sexual) and all.

  • Giuliani and Lieberman’s insisting are insisting we use that term- but if we make a point of using it, that’s not the least we have to do to be “acknowledging the problem”- that’s instead jingoism. Do we need to start calling Israeli soldiers pushing around civilians in Palestine and destroying their homes and ther vehicles with little justification “Jewish terrorism” to be “acknowleding the problem”? I’m sure Joe Lie would say no, and he’s say that’s anti-semitism. What he and Giuliani and implicitly suggesting is not less anti-Muslim.

    There’s no doubt that members of al Qaeda and similar groups are Muslim and think that what they’re doing is part of Islam, but there are plenty of Muslims who aren’t terrorists and it’s not going to impede our efforts one bit if we talk about the terrorism without stopping to call it “Islamic extremism” at every turn in the road. I might as well call all the crime in America “black violence” since so many convicted felons are black, by Joe and Rudy’s reasoning.

  • I think Haggee’s “Christians in Support of Israel” group have convinced Jerusalem Joe that Islam is the religion of Satan and all terrorists are Islamic as he continues to push for a preemptive attack on Iran. If only it said Islam in the book of Revelhateyouin’s but Haggee has convinced Joe it does say Iran. So Joe wants the 2 terms to be synonymous…Terrorism and Islam. All Catholics are terrorists because of the Inquisition type logic. Joe doesn’t want a war against terrorists. Joe wants a war against Islam to hurry in the Rapture. Meanwhile Haggee, growing fat, rich and extremely prosperous from spreading fear and condemnation is wasting millions trying to make a camel go through the eye of a needle.. If one only used the words of Jesus then Haggee would have no religion since his religion is based on old testament and Revelhateyouin’s.

    Salon’s interviewer, like everyone else, just acts like Joe’s positioning and comments are founded on this Rapture philosophy of Haggee. They refuse to get him to acknowledge that he wants a war with Islam and why. Joe’s insanity is just below the surface and motivates most everything he says yet no one will expose it. Reporters just pretend it’s not there and if it is it’s too ridiculous to talk about. I know there is a strong financial relationship with Haggee’s group also. The guy is irrelevant but every couple weeks he demands attention. If none comes then he flies to Iraq again and makes the circuit starting with Meet the Press to Fox to Newspaper interviews to the senate reporters then back to Iraq again. He just won’t shut up. Jerusalem Joe has got to go

  • […] take on the Islamist extremists and [any] other nation […] — Joe Lie

    Um, Joe? Could you please show me, on a map, where the “Islamist extremists” NATION is? ’cause I can’t find it… And I’d like to, before I can determine which are the OTHER ones.

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