Report: After Eight Years Of Promoting Bush, AEI Purges Prominent Neoconservatives From Its Ranks
Report: After Eight Years Of Promoting Bush, AEI Purges Prominent Neoconservatives From Its Ranks
The American Enterprise Institute (AEI) has been a major source of the Bush administration’s extreme neoconservative thought. AEI is the home, or former home, of Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Perle, Dick Cheney, John Bolton, and Doug Feith. With the help of Fred Kagan, AEI designed the Iraq “surge” strategy that Bush implemented in January 2007.
Today, AEI may be moving away from eight years of cheerleading for Bush policies. The National Interest reported Friday that there is a “purge” of neocons at AEI:
The neocon world has been rocked by recent events at AEI. Numerous neocons told me that a vicious purge is being carried out at AEI, spearheaded by vice-president for foreign and defense policy studies, Danielle Pletka.
There can be no doubting that change is afoot at AEI. Recently, Michael Ledeen and Reuel Marc Gerecht have departed AEI. Joshua Muravchik is on the way out as well. Other scholars face possible eviction. Both Muravchik and Gerecht are serious intellectuals who have published prolifically.
The purge is reportedly being led by Danielle Pletka, a promoter of neocon policies herself. “But now there is tremendous hostility toward her among neocons, who allege that, as a former staffer for Jesse Helms, who embodied more traditional Republican foreign-policy precepts, she is out to extirpate neocon influence at AEI,” National Interest explains.
For years, Muravchik, Gerecht, and Ledeen have been the most egregious promoters of Bush foreign policy thought. Some lowlights:
— Resident Scholar Josh Muravchik: Served during the Bush administration on the State Department’s Advisory Committee on Democracy. “Make no mistake, President Bush will need to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities before leaving office,” he wrote in 2006. Was a signatory with neoconservative Project for a New American Century (PNAC).
– Resident Fellow Reuel Marc Gerecht: In February 2002, Gerecht promoted regime change in both Iran and Iraq and is the director of the Middle East Initiative at PNAC. A former CIA officer, Gerecht referred to waterboarding last week as “sensible.”
– Former Freedom Scholar Michael Ledeen: In 2002, Ledeen accused Colin Powell of “playing into the hands of the tyrants.” In 2008, he proposed attacking Iran and Syrian terror camps.
Today, the fruits of of AEI and Bush’s foreign policy are a Middle East in flames, the U.S. reputation abroad in tatters, and the most unpopular president in modern history. “The change that Obama promised during the campaign seems to be reaching Washington in unexpected places,” National Interest concludes.
Topic Cloud
ArchivesBlog Roll
Report: After Eight Years Of Promoting Bush, AEI Purges Prominent Neoconservatives From Its Ranks»
– - Q: When is a brain drain not a brain drain?
A: See italics.
December 22nd, 2008 at 1:42 pmThe PURGE is working. The PURGE is working.
December 22nd, 2008 at 1:43 pmThese wukfads gots lotsa atonement to accomplish. Sixty thousand Novenas, Twelve million Hail Marys and nine billion Our Fathers, at least.
December 22nd, 2008 at 1:45 pmIf I were AEI I wouldn’t want to be associated with soon-to-be convicted war criminals either
December 22nd, 2008 at 1:46 pmPurge away AEI, you still cannot wash the blood that is on your hands for enabling a group of murderers and pushing the policies of war.
December 22nd, 2008 at 1:50 pmAwww… poor li’l fellers… bein’ dumped out on the sidewalk, ‘n at Christmas Time too! Sniff… sniff… I feel fer ya, li’l buddies… no, really, I do…
Guess we know who’ll be gittin’ a lump of coal in their stocking this year… at least I HOPE that’s just a lump of coal… heh…
December 22nd, 2008 at 1:52 pmThis should have been predictable. Conservatives NEVER accept responsibility for their actions or beliefs. They’re just going to say “he wasn’t a real conservative” or “the neocons weren’t real conservatives.”
Anything but admit the truth – the modern conservative movement is intellectually bankrupt. It hasn’t worked. The American people have NOT embraced the values. The economic philosophy has led to disaster. The foreign policy has been a complete failure. Conservatives have been wrong about everything – the AEI will never admit to that.
December 22nd, 2008 at 2:04 pm“Numerous neocons told me that a vicious purge is being carried out at AEI”
I guess Danielle Pletka is using dogs and cattle prods to get rid of them, then?
None of these people can properly be called scholars, and as all their supposedly deep and ‘disciplined’ thinking and influence has been proven to be self-serving dogma and incredibly destructive why should they continue to deserve their encomiums?
But how does Pletka justify her actions, when she’s cut from the same cloth?
December 22nd, 2008 at 2:06 pmMore like a nasty skidmark.
December 22nd, 2008 at 2:08 pmIn no way does this mean that the neocon/PNAC movement is over. Make no mistake that unless every one of these little sniveling fascists is brought to justice they will be back making the world a more f@cked up place as soon as possible. The AEI may be trying to polish it’s turd, but each and every one of these dangerous schemers will be working diligently behind the scenes toward their collective dream of world domination and destruction. This organization has long been a “who’s who” of war criminals and war profiteers and if a new AG armed with a background in prosecuting RICO crimes should take even a cursory look, many of these thugs could be facing a long future behind bars.
December 22nd, 2008 at 2:08 pmGuido the Loving OBGYN Says:
Does that make the Neocons a period or a comma?
December 22nd, 2008 at 2:08 pm“““““““““““““““““““““““““`
I’d say it makes them a colon and I don’t mean the punctuation mark. ;)
The American Enterprise Institute (AEI) has been a major source of the Bush administration’s extreme neoconservative thought. AEI is the home, or former home, of Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Perle, Dick Cheney, John Bolton, and Doug Feith.
Al of which turn out to be WAR CRIMINALS! HAGUE 2009!
PS. FREE MUNTAZER AL ZAIDI! THE HERO!
December 22nd, 2008 at 2:09 pmA Patriot Acting Says:
——————————————————————————–
In no way does this mean that the neocon/PNAC movement is over. Make no mistake that unless every one of these little sniveling fascists is brought to justice they will be back making the world a more f@cked up place as soon as possible. The AEI may be trying to polish it’s turd, but each and every one of these dangerous schemers will be working diligently behind the scenes toward their collective dream of world domination and destruction. This organization has long been a “who’s who” of war criminals and war profiteers and if a new AG armed with a background in prosecuting RICO crimes should take even a cursory look, many of these thugs could be facing a long future behind bars.
I totaly agree!!!!
December 22nd, 2008 at 2:12 pmAEI should be held accountable for supporting any Neocons. That said, it’s good they are shunning them. The shameless and arrogant Neocons needs to be totally removed from public policy discourse everywhere. Let’s get them off our public-owned airwaves and out of print.
Neocons need to be shamed and shunned, whether or not they acknowledge the harm they’ve brought to the world. Let’s transform their status from “elite” to “exiled.”
- Tom
December 22nd, 2008 at 2:13 pm“The change that Obama promised during the campaign seems to be reaching Washington in unexpected places,” National Interest concludes.”
I’ve never heard of ‘The National Interest’ before, but if their sage conclusion is that a campaign slogan has anything to do with the AEI changing its personnel, then they’ve lost my interest already.
December 22nd, 2008 at 2:13 pmAh, yes. They’re eating their own.
Pass the Gray Poupon!
December 22nd, 2008 at 2:14 pmThey’re.. (neocons) not going anywhere!…maybe underground for a minute or two…
Too much money and Idelogy to…just… just give up…..
These trogs, this american version of the taliban, is a slow growing cancer…
look who’s got new shows………
Huckabee (Family values, vs. the constitution Preacher),
Guilanni (9/11 guy!)
Fred Thompson (just bored to tears and needs to be
in charge of something…anything… southern conservative)
Need to bring back the fairness doctrine …
that’s what they’re afraid of at this point…
No Taxes
December 22nd, 2008 at 2:15 pmLess gov’t
stonger defense
Sorry, I can’t take seriously any article that uses the words “neoconservative thought.” I trip over those words and just giggle through the rest of the whole thing.
December 22nd, 2008 at 2:18 pmYou can bet the economy has more to do with this than the sudden fake epiphany. Perhaps Madoff has something to do with it. (snickers)
December 22nd, 2008 at 2:19 pmLock the fascists responsible for 911 already!
December 22nd, 2008 at 2:21 pmPurges….how Stalinist!
Couldn’t happen to a better, bigger batch of warmongers.
-GSD
December 22nd, 2008 at 2:25 pmMore proof that conservative ideas are dying and hopefully there will be no difference of opinion. Only Liberal ideas and the anything goes attitude.
Archbishop Sees parallels in new politics and Nazi Germany
Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams warned Monday that governments should not pursue dogmatic solutions to the financial crisis at the risk of the most vulnerable, saying that is what the Nazis did.
December 22nd, 2008 at 2:27 pmBlah Blah Blah F ucking Blah
Iceman Wore Cattle, Sheep Hides; May Have Been a Herder
The clothes of the world’s oldest intact human mummy suggest the Iceman lived in a relatively advanced farming society and may even have been an Alpine herdsman, a new study says.
December 22nd, 2008 at 2:54 pmDeport the lot, including Kristol.
December 22nd, 2008 at 2:56 pmEight long years….
December 22nd, 2008 at 2:57 pmDanielle may be confined to the bedroom soon.
December 22nd, 2008 at 2:59 pmMcWars Says:
Shouldn’t you have written “ICEMAN” (i.e. all in caps) rather than Iceman?
December 22nd, 2008 at 3:15 pmSend ‘em all to Gitmo – FOREVER.
December 22nd, 2008 at 3:17 pmI love all of the pretentious academic titles. I confess that I am surprised that Scooter hasn’t become a “Resident Fellow of Official Malfeasance.”
December 22nd, 2008 at 3:34 pmScholars?
Damn….I’ve more world wise from reading Rolling Stone. These AEI cavepersons couldn’t get beyond the WSJ.
December 22nd, 2008 at 3:42 pmThey can purge, they can change their name but they will FOREVER be who they are.
Warmongering chickenhawks
December 22nd, 2008 at 3:50 pmPlet-caca.
-GSD
December 22nd, 2008 at 3:58 pmICEMAN Says:
As usual another worthless and ignorant post from you. No reason for you to work so hard to show just how ignorant you are. It is already well established.
December 22nd, 2008 at 4:19 pmBUNCH OF FASCIST THUGS.
JUSTICE WILL BE SERVED.
December 22nd, 2008 at 4:51 pmthe trolls won’t defend w?
*
December 22nd, 2008 at 11:15 pmI still can’t understand why Norm Ornstein, the wonkiest wonk in Wonkaville and buddy of Al Franken (both grew up in St. Louis Park, Minnesota), is still a fellow in this evil organization. Lynne Cheney, Wolfowitz, Perle, Newt, Yoo, Bolton, Frum. Yechhh.
December 23rd, 2008 at 1:32 amAt the risk of sounding ignorant. What exactly is the definition of “NeoCon”? I mean it sounds pretty perjorative..almost like “NeoNazi”
December 23rd, 2008 at 11:32 pm