It’s been a couple of months since a high-profile Republican official accused Democrats of siding with the enemy in the war on terror, so I guess we were due. In June, it was Karl Rove. In September, it’s Sen. George Allen (R-Va.).
On MSNBC’s Hardball last night, Allen and Chris Matthews teamed up on Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) while discussing the war in Iraq, the budget, and offsets post-Katrina. Durbin was more holding his own, questioning the administration’s judgment and the GOP’s decisions.
“Well, at this point, we’re behind our men and women in uniform. Those of us who might have disagreed with going into this war are not going to shortchange the men and women in uniform the equipment that they need…. We didn’t have a plan for what to do after Saddam Hussein fell. And we have lost over 1,900 of the bravest young men and women in this country already. And there’s no plan from this administration to bring our troops home, no plan to put the responsibility for leadership on the Iraqis themselves.”
Allen intervened.
“What we’re trying to do is help out the Iraqis as they’re trying to construct a constitution. We’re on the side of those who are trying to build a country. We’re not on the side of the terrorists who are blowing up police stations, shopping centers […] So, what side are you going to be on?”
There they go again. A Dem criticizes a failing policy; a Republican responds with overly-simplistic, “you’re with us or against us”-style rhetoric.
Allen’s implications weren’t even subtle. In his twisted worldview, there are simply two sides: Bush’s and terrorists. It’s the reasoning of a child — and it’s been the hallmark of Republican reasoning for far too long.