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We all know that Democrats love to quote Joe Welch. They relish any chance to bellow, “At long last have you no shame?” When they do so, they get to simultaneously tar their opponents with some fancy rhetoric and evoke the specter of America's wicked step-mother, Joe McCarthy.
But today has produced a bona fide occasion to trot out Welch’s justly famous quote.
Hugo Chavez has been up to his typical antics the last couple of days, but this time maddeningly on our own soil. His comments have even drawn a stern rebuke from as relaibly a partisan Democrat as Charlie Rangel.
But Massachusetts congressman William Delahunt offered a considerably more nuanced take on things. While Delahunt did label Chavez’s comments “silly” and “inappropriate,” he offered a clue as to where he thinks the real blame lies. The Boston Globe reports:
Delahunt asserted that the Bush administration's foreign policy deserves some blame for fostering a climate where a world leader could offer such strident denunciations of the American president in front of the General Assembly. He said he would continue to work with the Venezuelan leader to bring discounted oil to his constituents.
``For him to be able to say that puts into context in what low esteem the United States is held, not just in the Islamic world, but all over," Delahunt said.
Democrats are going to wake up on November 8 wondering why their promised landslide refused to materialize. Their echo chamber will assure them that it has to something to do with the wondrous evil genius of Karl Rove and a few crooked Diebold machines.
But the real reason is found in things like Bill Delahunt’s comments. The party has gotten into such a habit of Bush hatred, it can’t stop even for a minute and exhibit some responsible grown-up behavior. For what it’s worth, Delahunt is no Bill Moran or John Conyers. He’s a former prosecutor and firmly in the Democratic mainstream. More’s the pity.
And if by any chance you’re reading, Mr. Delahunt, let me ask you: At long last have you…ah, forget it. I believe you know the rest.
And I know the answer.
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