Project Palin: Neoconservatives Seize Upon Palin’s Cluelessness To Shape Her Foreign Policy Agenda
Project Palin: Neoconservatives Seize Upon Palin’s Cluelessness To Shape Her Foreign Policy Agenda
In her first interview with ABC News last week, Sarah Palin made several bellicose statements — openly musing about war with Russia and refusing to “second guess” Israel if it were to attack Iran. She has ditched her previous talk of an “exit plan” for Iraq, and now supports John McCain’s endless war. At a troop deployment ceremony last week, Palin even linked Iraq to 9/11.
Palin’s hawkish turn is likely due to the influence of neoconservatives who have made Palin their new pet project. A former Republican White House official, who now works at the American Enterprise Institute, proudly declared Palin to be “a blank page. She’s going places and it’s worth going there with her.” Asked if he sees her as a “project”, the former official said: “Your word, not mine, but I wouldn’t disagree with the sentiment.”
The London Telegraph reports that neoconservatives long been trying to make Palin a messenger for their cause:
Sources in the McCain camp, the Republican Party and Washington think tanks say Mrs Palin was identified as a potential future leader of the neoconservative cause in June 2007. That was when the annual summer cruise organised by the right-of-centre Weekly Standard magazine docked in Juneau, the Alaskan state capital, and the pundits on board took tea with Governor Palin. […]
A former Republican White House official, who now works at the American Enterprise Institute, a bastion of Washington neoconservatism, admitted: “She’s bright and she’s a blank page. She’s going places and it’s worth going there with her.” Asked if he sees her as a “project”, the former official said: “Your word, not mine, but I wouldn’t disagree with the sentiment.”
Said Pat Buchanan: “Palin has become, overnight, the most priceless political asset the movement has. Look for the neocons to move with all deliberate speed to take her into their camp…and steering her into the AEI-Weekly Standard-War Party orbit.”
As the Wonk Room has documented, neoconservatives like Randy Scheunemann run the McCain’s foreign policy team. Scheunemann briefed Palin on international affairs prior to the ABC interview; the Telegraph reported that he “quickly made Steve Biegun, a former number three on the National Security Council, her chief foreign policy adviser.” Steve Clemons said Biegun “will turn her into an advocate of Cheneyism and Cheney’s view of national-security issues.”
Indeed, it should come as no surprise that prominent neoconservative Bill Kristol was the earliest advocate of Palin for VP. “In 1988, Mr. Kristol became a leading adviser of another inexperienced Republican vice presidential pick, Dan Quayle, tutoring him in foreign affairs,” the Telegraph observes.
In a way, neoconservatism is a perfect fit for someone like Palin. It’s an ideology is built upon a reflexive skepticism toward scholarly expertise, tending toward more emotionally satisfying — not to mention politically profitable — policy answers than the boring, reality-based stuff offered by analysts who have spent their entire careers studying these questions.
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Kristol: Dating a stripper is ‘important for your character.’
Kristol: Dating a stripper is ‘important for your character.’
Speaking at the Republican National Convention last night, former senator Fred Thompson mentioned that as a young man, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) “did drive a Corvette and date a girl who worked in a bar as an exotic dancer under the name of Marie, the Flame of Florida.” Thompson said this experience helped him “survive” his POW experience. Fox’s Bill Kristol and Brit Hume laughed conspiratorially at the idea of dating a stripper:
NINA EASTON: I thought — then Fred Thompson, we have heard the John McCain POW story before. But I thought he did an incredibly eloquent job using his acting skills to retell that. I’m still not sure how dating an exotic dancer helped john McCain survive that period [laughing], but it was colorful.
BILL KRISTOL: I’ll explain the dating exotic dancer thing to Nina off air.
BRIT HUME: It’s a guy thing?
KRISTOL: It’s important!
HUME: It’s a guy thing, right.
KRISTOL: It’s important for your character in a way that Nina might not fully understand.
Watch it:
Ironically, after Fox’s frat-boy-like enthusiasm for strippers, Fox News spent the next day infuriated over the supposed sexism of Gov. Sarah Palin’s critics.
NYT forced to run its fourth correction to a Kristol column.
NYT forced to run its fourth correction to a Kristol column.
In yesterday’s New York print edition of the New York Times, columnist Bill Kristol attacked Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL), based on inaccurate information about Saturday’s Saddleback Civil Forum. The Times then quietly revised the column — without a correction — in time for the national print and online editions. Today, Times has published a correction:
In some editions of his column on Monday about the presidential forum at Saddleback Church in California, William Kristol said that there seemed to be no basis for charges that John McCain was not in a “cone of silence” during Barack Obama’s interview with the Rev. Rick Warren, and could therefore have heard questions posed first to Senator Obama. Senator McCain was in a motorcade for part of Senator Obama’s interview. A statement from his campaign said that he “never heard or saw any of Senator Obama’s appearance.”
Yesterday’s column was the fourth time that Kristol has had to correct factual errors since he debuted in January. (HT: Brendan Nyhan)
Kristol floats Musharraf as Obama’s VP.
Kristol floats Musharraf as Obama’s VP.
Last night on Fox News, the Special Report “All-Star Panel” discussed whom Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) will choose as his running mate. Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol — who claims to know how to pick a VP — said his “sources” tell him “it’s down to three names — Governor Kaine of Virginia, Senator Biden of Delaware, Governor Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas.” But later, Kristol suggested that ousted Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf might be a good choice:
KRISTOL: My view is this — President Bush needs to give President Pervez Musharraf asylum, give him instant citizenship, and then Obama can put him on the ticket for vice president.
Watch it:
Kristol quickly backtracked from his joke, stating, “Look, we shouldn’t romanticize Musharraf.” But this isn’t the first time Kristol has offered up some dark horse VP candidate ideas, such as Justice Clarence Thomas, Gen. David Petraeus and Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno.
Kristol Makes His Fourth Factual Error In His New York Times Column
Kristol Makes His Fourth Factual Error In His New York Times Column
Today in the New York print edition of the New York Times, columnist Bill Kristol attacks allegations that Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) may not have been in the “cone of silence” during Saturday’s Saddleback Civil Forum:
NBC’s Andrea Mitchell reported on “Meet the Press” that “the Obama people must feel that he didn’t do quite as well as they might have wanted to in that context. … What they’re putting out privately is that McCain may not have been in the cone of silence and may have had some ability to overhear what the questions were to Obama.”
That’s pretty astonishing, since there seems to be absolutely no basis for the charge. But the fact that Obama’s people made this suggestion means they know McCain outperformed him.
Kristol is wrong. In fact, the New York Times itself reports today that McCain “was not in a ‘cone of silence’ on Saturday night.” He was instead “in his motorcade on the way to the church” when Rev. Rick Warren was interviewing Obama.
Instead of issuing a correction to Kristol’s column, Tom Tomorrow notes that the Times has simply quietly revised it for the online and national print editions. The column now reads:
NBC’s Andrea Mitchell reported on “Meet the Press” that “the Obama people must feel that he didn’t do quite as well as they might have wanted to in that context. … What they’re putting out privately is that McCain … may have had some ability to overhear what the questions were to Obama.”
There’s no evidence that McCain had any such advantage. But the fact that Obama’s people made this suggestion means they know McCain outperformed him.
Perhaps the New York Times is too embarrassed to write a correction for another one of Kristol’s columns. This is the fourth factual error he has made since commencing his column in January. Here are the other three corrections. Unfortunately for Kristol, his Kristol Ball isn’t doing so well either.
Kristol wrong again: Murphy says he won’t join McCain campaign.
Kristol wrong again: Murphy says he won’t join McCain campaign.
On Sunday, the New York Times’ Bill Kristol devoted an entire column to proclaim his prediction that conservative strategist Mike Murphy would be joining the McCain campaign. “I expect that in the next couple of weeks we’ll learn that Murphy is coming on board as chief strategist,” he said. Today, Murphy announced he would not be joining the campaign:
“I do not expect to join the campaign,” Murphy said. “They’re my friends, and I wish them well.”
“No one discussed or offered Mike the strategist’s job,” a McCain advisor said yesterday. So much for the “Kristol Ball“:
The New York Times has been forced to clean up Kristol’s factual errors three times in just six months.
Fox and Kristol claim McCain’s VP choice will cause gas prices to ‘plummet.’
Fox and Kristol claim McCain’s VP choice will cause gas prices to ‘plummet.’
On Fox News today, host Alexis Glick previewed an interview with Bill Kristol by claiming that the Weekly Standard editor believes “the second John McCain announces his VP pick, gas prices will plummet.” During the segment, the Kristol Ball’s “prediction” turned out to be that he thinks McCain might pick Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. Here’s why Kristol claims such a pick would lower gas prices:
KRISTOL: First, I think she would help him get elected, which would be a good thing if you want gas prices to come down. Then she’ll persuade him that we have to drill in ANWR and have an aggressive drilling program across the board.
That’s all Kristol offered to support his and Fox’s ridiculous claim. Watch it:
One major flaw in Kristol and Fox’s claim that drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve would lower prices immediately is the fact that it would take 10 years for the oil to hit the market, and even then, the reserve is estimated to have only enough oil to satisfy six months demand.
Kristol: ‘Republicans are much more open to strong women.’
Kristol: ‘Republicans are much more open to strong women.’
On Fox News Sunday this morning, Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol sarcastically decried “the horrible sexism and misogyny that the Democratic primary voters demonstrated” towards Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY). “It never would have happened in the Republican party,” claimed Kristol. “Republicans are much more open to strong women.” Watch it:
Kristol’s sarcastic claim is ironic given the sexism he himself directed at Clinton during the primary. Not only did he mock her tears in January, but in February, while discussing Clinton’s supporters, Kristol quipped, “White women are a problem, that’s, you know — we all live with that.”
Kristol: Bush Might Bomb Iran If He ‘Thinks Senator Obama’s Going To Win’
Kristol: Bush Might Bomb Iran If He ‘Thinks Senator Obama’s Going To Win’
On Fox News Sunday this morning, Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol said that President Bush is more likely to attack Iran if he believes Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) is going to be elected.
However, “if the president thought John McCain was going to be the next president, he would think it more appropriate to let the next president make that decision than do it on his way out,” Kristol said, reinforcing the fact that McCain is offering a third Bush term on Iran.
“I do wonder with Senator Obama, if President Bush thinks Senator Obama’s going to win, does he somehow think — does he worry that Obama won’t follow through on that policy,” Kristol added. Host Chris Wallace then asked if Kristol was suggesting that Bush might “launch a military strike” before or after the election:
WALLACE: So, you’re suggesting that he might in fact, if Obama’s going to win the election, either before or after the election, launch a military strike?
KRISTOL: I don’t know. I mean, I think he would worry about it. On the other hand, you can’t — it’s hard to make foreign policy based on guesses of election results. I think Israel is worried though. I mean, what is, what signal goes to Ahmadinejad if Obama wins on a platform of unconditional negotiations and with an obvious reluctance to even talk about using military force.
Kristol also suggested that Obama’s election would tempt Saudi Arabia and Egypt to think, “maybe we can use nuclear weapons.” Watch it:
Kristol’s belief that Bush might attack Iran before leaving office is not new. In April, he told Bill Bennett that it wasn’t “out of the question” that Bush would consider such a strike because “people are overdoing how much of a lame duck the president is.”
The claim that Obama’s potential election could force Bush’s hand also isn’t new. Earlier this month, far-right pseudo scholar Daniel Pipes told National Review Online that “President Bush will do something” if the Democratic nominee won. “Should it be Mr. McCain that wins, he’ll punt,” said Pipes.
Both Kristol and Pipes apparently agree with President Bush’s claim in March that McCain’s “not going to change” his foreign policy.
Kristol: McCain And Graham Plan To Introduce Legislation Undermining Supreme Court Decision On Guantanamo
Kristol: McCain And Graham Plan To Introduce Legislation Undermining Supreme Court Decision On Guantanamo
Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that Guantanamo Bay detainees have the right to challenge their detention in civilian courts. Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) wasted no time in publicly blasting the decision, saying they were “disappointed” in “one of the worst decisions in the history of this country.”
This ruling will inevitably lead to a “flood of new litigation” challenging the Bush administration’s right to hold these detainees, only one of whom has received a verdict. Detainees will then finally get a decision as to their status.
Today on Fox News Sunday, Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol revealed that “very soon” — likely as early as next week — McCain and Graham will be introducing legislation to undermine the Supreme Court decision by setting up a “national security court”:
And I think you will see Senator Graham, accompanied by Senator McCain, come to the floor of the Senate very soon, like next week, and say, We cannot let chaos obtain here. We can’t let 200 different federal district judges on their own whim call this CIA agent here, say, ‘I don’t believe this soldier here who said this guy was doing this,’ you have to release someone,’ or, ‘Let’s build up — let’s compromise sources and methods with a bunch of trials. I mean, it’s ridiculous.
Watch it:
A national security court would envision a scenario “in which sitting federal judges would preside over proceedings in which prosecutors would make the case that a person should be detained.” But as Michael Hoffman and Ken Gude note in a paper for the Center for American Progress, this scenario is problematic and underestimates the U.S. criminal justice system:
Adopting a national security court system would send the United States down another unproven path prone to repeat the same mistakes. It would not further justice or American legitimacy. Rather, it would risk creating American courts that more resemble the tribunals of dictators than those of democracies. And that would be a strategic victory for Al Qaeda, not for Americans. […]
The criminal justice system, coupled with standard military trials when necessary, has and can further law enforcement, intelligence, and prevention efforts without undermining our fundamental liberties or our long-term efforts to combat terrorism. It is time to let it fully do that crucial work.
As ThinkProgress reported on Friday, at one time, McCain and Graham advocated a solution similar to the Supreme Cou