Vyan

Friday, September 23

Donahue vs O'Reilly

Phil Donahue finally does what's needed doing for years - he puts Bill O'Reilly in his place.

Rather than letting Bill control the conversation and shut him down, he openly defends Cindy Sheehan, Jeremy Glick (who O'Reilly continues to smear by claiming that he accused President Bush of planning 9/11, which isn't what Jeremy said - he questioned President G.H.W. Bush involvement and culpability in the creation of the Afghani Mujuhadeen - the powerbase which gave rise Osama Bin Ladin's Al Qaeda).

September 21, 2005
Windows Media(8 minutes)

QuickTime(8 minutes)

DONAHUE (calmly): I'm not Jeremy Glick, Billy.

O'REILLY: That's right!!

DONAHUE: You can't intimidate me!!

O'REILLY: You're a little bit more intelligent that he is!!

DONAHUE: I'm not somebody you can come and just spew all your ...

O'REILLY: Don't tell me I wouldn't send my kids.

DONAHUE: Loud doesn't mean right!

Managing to remain unflustered, calling O'Reilly "Billy" through the entire interview Donahue - who is planning to attend the upcoming rally against the President in Washington - manages to make his own points and does so while calling out "Billy" as the Bully that he really is.

Donuhue points out that the War needs to end. O'Reilly counters that simply "cutting and running" would have an incredibly negative effect on American prestige and safety and states that he'd like to first have the Iraqi's be able to defend themselves -- but the question remains, it the mighty U.S. Military can't manage to secure the road from Bagdad to Bagdad's Airport --- exactly when, if ever, can we ever expect the Iraqi military to "stand on their own"?

Although that was fun to watch, I actually agree with Bill that the best course of action is to get the Iraqis to stand on their own feet -- but I disagree that our government, as it currently stands, is in any position to accomplish that mission. Just why has it taken over two years to have even a half-dozen operational Iraqi units -- doesn't basic training only last a few weeks? Why can't Iraqi units be moved gradually into the rear areas to replace our own and then rotated forward as they gain experience? We don't have to leave all at once - it should be a gradually staged transfer of responsibility with clear milestones indicating progress. It's doesn't have to be a total abondoment of the Iraqi people. But our President won't set "timetables" because that would signal the enemy -- well, sure only if you assume the new Iraqi Army is nothing but a paper tiger. If they're able to handle things because they've been properly trained and their properly motived, then our leaving really shouldn't matter.

But it does matter purely because they aren't properly trained and their morale is in the toilet -- and just who do you think is responsible for that?

Hint - his name starts with Rums.. and ends in ....feld.

What needs to happen is the incompetent people need to be pulled away from the till of our ship of state. Bush and Co simply can't get the job done - maybe because they actually don't want the job done, maybe because they don't really know how. It's doesn't matter - they need to go, sooner rather than later.

Yes, the War does need to end - but the Bush Administration needs to end first.
We'll all breath easier when we can finally say - Impeachment Accomplished!

Vyan

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