Joe Scarborough
Why so many Americans hate Washington
http://www.NewsAndOpinion.com | You know, there comes a time when partisan politics should be left inside smoke-filled cloak rooms. And one of those times is now, when America is struggling to win a war on terror and survive a war Iraq. It used to be that politics ended at the water's edge. But, these days, that seem to be where it begins. This age of Michael Moore that we're caught in is doing more to damage not just our political system, but it's also stopping serious policy makers on both sides of the aisle from working together to save America from destruction.
Now, no serious policy analyst doubts that al Qaeda will be able to gain access to a nuclear bomb in the next decade, nor do they question whether bin Laden is trying to gain control of a nuke right now to detonate New York, D.C. or Los Angeles. Listen, folks, with millions of Americans' lives hanging in the balance, don't you think that Democrats and Republicans should put aside partisanship long enough to put national security before petty politics?
Let's face it. Republicans have made mistakes through the years. And so have Democrats. But we should all be disturbed that the Democratic Party right now seems to be basing their electoral hopes on the failure of America's mission in Iraq and at home. I've talked to Democrats recently who are giddily asking me whether a terror attack during one of the conventions could seal the deal for their candidate, John Kerry. The answer, of course, is no.
It would actually strengthen George Bush's hand. But that's beside the point. We're all on the same side here. And if John Kerry is elected president in November, he's going to have my unwavering support when American troops are in harm's way. Now, that doesn't mean that Americans shouldn't ask tough questions about their commander in chief. But the hate speech coming from Democratic heroes like Michael Moore takes national security debates into the gutter.
We deserve more from our political leaders, because now Americans really may be living in the eve of destruction. It's a terrifying thought.
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Former Congressman Joe Scarborough (R-Fla.) hosts “Scarborough Country,” 10 p.m. ET, weeknights on MSNBC. Comment by clicking here.
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