Friday, October 18, 2013

John Michael McGrath is "angry"

Today, Random House publishes (blog) more nonsense from John Michel McGrath and a friend tries to get a link.  It'll get a link for the RH friend and for the title "The Iraq War Will Never End." Otherwise, I'm so sick of little liars and little revisionists and I don't give a damn if they're lying for the right, the left or the center.








  • Are you angry, Johnny?  Are you?  I'm enraged and I'm enraged by liars like you.

    Yes, the Iraq War continues.  He got that right.  Little else.

    He's really using Iraq to slam Republicans for the shutdown.

    Excuse me, the US government shutdown.

    Why is Mr. Canada so damn obsessed with a country that's not his own?  What, he can't find any more drug addicted mayors in Canada to try to make a name for himself with?

    What a proud moment for him and for his tabloid journalism.

    What pisses me off most about his useless column?

    How about if you're noting that the Iraq War won't ever end, you take a moment to note US troops remain in Iraq?  Maybe you even link to Tim Arango's (New York Times) September 2012 report:

     
    Iraq and the United States are negotiating an agreement that could result in the return of small units of American soldiers to Iraq on training missions. At the request of the Iraqi government, according to General Caslen, a unit of Army Special Operations soldiers was recently deployed to Iraq to advise on counterterrorism and help with intelligence.        


    Get it?

    If you're claiming "The Iraq War Will Never End," seems like you'd really need to back that claim up.  But Johnny just cites the violence.  You know what a lot of us made that point in early 2012.  So you're basically lazy, stupid and late to the party.

    While ignoring that reality, Johnny wants to create a new one:


    Lamentably and shamefully, though, Republicans had a lot of ideological support in the centre of the political spectrum for their grand misadventure in the Land of Two Rivers.

    That's called revisionary history.

    The  "Authorization For Use Of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution Of 2002"?

    That bill didn't become a law because of Republicans.  They didn't have the votes to do it alone.  In fact, the House bill sponsored by Dennis Hastert had 136 co-sponsors which included many Democrats:

    Rep Ackerman, Gary L. [NY-5] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Akin, W. Todd [MO-2] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Andrews, Robert E. [NJ-1] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Armey, Richard K. [TX-26] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Bachus, Spencer [AL-6] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Ballenger, Cass [NC-10] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Barton, Joe [TX-6] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Berman, Howard L. [CA-26] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Biggert, Judy [IL-13] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Blunt, Roy [MO-7] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Boehner, John A. [OH-8] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Boozman, John [AR-3] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Brady, Kevin [TX-8] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Brown, Henry E., Jr. [SC-1] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Burton, Dan [IN-6] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-5] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Callahan, Sonny [AL-1] - 10/9/2002
    Rep Calvert, Ken [CA-43] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Cannon, Chris [UT-3] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Cantor, Eric [VA-7] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Chambliss, Saxby [GA-8] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Collins, Mac [GA-3] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Combest, Larry [TX-19] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Cox, Christopher [CA-47] - 10/9/2002
    Rep Cramer, Robert E. (Bud), Jr. [AL-5] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Crenshaw, Ander [FL-4] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Cubin, Barbara [WY] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Culberson, John Abney [TX-7] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Cunningham, Randy (Duke) [CA-51] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Davis, Jo Ann [VA-1] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Davis, Tom [VA-11] - 10/8/2002
    Rep DeLay, Tom [TX-22] - 10/8/2002
    Rep DeMint, Jim [SC-4] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Deutsch, Peter [FL-20] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Dooley, Calvin M. [CA-20] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Doolittle, John T. [CA-4] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Dreier, David [CA-28] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Dunn, Jennifer [WA-8] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Edwards, Chet [TX-11] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Everett, Terry [AL-2] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Faleomavaega, Eni F. H. [AS] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Ferguson, Mike [NJ-7] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Flake, Jeff [AZ-1] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Fletcher, Ernie [KY-6] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Ford, Harold E., Jr. [TN-9] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Fossella, Vito [NY-13] - 10/9/2002
    Rep Frost, Martin [TX-24] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Gallegly, Elton [CA-23] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Ganske, Greg [IA-4] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Gephardt, Richard A. [MO-3] - 10/2/2002
    Rep Gibbons, Jim [NV-2] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Gilchrest, Wayne T. [MD-1] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Gillmor, Paul E. [OH-5] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Gilman, Benjamin A. [NY-20] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Graham, Lindsey [SC-3] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Grucci, Felix J., Jr. [NY-1] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Hall, Ralph M. [TX-4] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Hansen, James V. [UT-1] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Hart, Melissa A. [PA-4] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Hayworth, J. D. [AZ-6] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Hefley, Joel [CO-5] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Hilleary, Van [TN-4] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Holden, Tim [PA-6] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Horn, Stephen [CA-38] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Hyde, Henry J. [IL-6] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Israel, Steve [NY-2] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Issa, Darrell E. [CA-48] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Jenkins, William L. [TN-1] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Johnson, Sam [TX-3] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Keller, Ric [FL-8] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Kerns, Brian D. [IN-7] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Kingston, Jack [GA-1] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Kirk, Mark Steven [IL-10] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Knollenberg, Joe [MI-11] - 10/9/2002
    Rep Kolbe, Jim [AZ-5] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Lantos, Tom [CA-12] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Lewis, Jerry [CA-40] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Linder, John [GA-11] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Lucas, Ken [KY-4] - 10/8/2002
    Rep McCrery, Jim [LA-4] - 10/8/2002
    Rep McHugh, John M. [NY-24] - 10/8/2002
    Rep McInnis, Scott [CO-3] - 10/8/2002
    Rep McKeon, Howard P. "Buck" [CA-25] - 10/8/2002
    Rep McNulty, Michael R. [NY-21] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Miller, Dan [FL-13] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Miller, Gary G. [CA-41] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Miller, Jeff [FL-1] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Myrick, Sue Wilkins [NC-9] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Ney, Robert W. [OH-18] - 10/9/2002
    Rep Northup, Anne M. [KY-3] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Osborne, Tom [NE-3] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Oxley, Michael G. [OH-4] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Pence, Mike [IN-2] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Peterson, John E. [PA-5] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Phelps, David D. [IL-19] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Pickering, Charles W. "Chip" [MS-3] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Pitts, Joseph R. [PA-16] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Platts, Todd Russell [PA-19] - 10/9/2002
    Rep Pombo, Richard W. [CA-11] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Portman, Rob [OH-2] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Pryce, Deborah [OH-15] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Putnam, Adam H. [FL-12] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Radanovich, George [CA-19] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Riley, Bob [AL-3] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Roemer, Tim [IN-3] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Rohrabacher, Dana [CA-45] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana [FL-18] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Ross, Mike [AR-4] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Roukema, Marge [NJ-5] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Royce, Edward R. [CA-39] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Ryun, Jim [KS-2] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Sandlin, Max [TX-1] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Saxton, Jim [NJ-3] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Schrock, Edward L. [VA-2] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Sessions, Pete [TX-5] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Shadegg, John B. [AZ-4] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Shays, Christopher [CT-4] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Shuster, Bill [PA-9] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Simpson, Michael K. [ID-2] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Skeen, Joe [NM-2] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Smith, Christopher H. [NJ-4] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Smith, Nick [MI-7] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Stenholm, Charles W. [TX-17] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Stump, Bob [AZ-3] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Sweeney, John E. [NY-22] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Tancredo, Thomas G. [CO-6] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Thornberry, Mac [TX-13] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Thune, John R. [SD] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Turner, Jim [TX-2] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Vitter, David [LA-1] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Watts, J. C., Jr. [OK-4] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Weldon, Dave [FL-15] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Wicker, Roger F. [MS-1] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Wilson, Joe [SC-2] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Young, C. W. Bill [FL-10] - 10/8/2002
    Rep Young, Don [AK] - 10/8/2002



    Those were the co-sponsors.  Yes, Democrat Gary Ackerman would become a loud opponent of the illegal war, for example. But in real time, when it mattered, he co-sponsored that amendment as did several other Democrats like Dick Gephart and Harold Ford.

    81 Democrats in the House would go on to vote for it (126 against it).  It then went to the Senate where 21 Democrats, 1 Republican and 1 Independent voted against it:


    NAYs ---23
    Akaka (D-HI)
    Bingaman (D-NM)
    Boxer (D-CA)
    Byrd (D-WV)
    Chafee (R-RI)
    Conrad (D-ND)
    Corzine (D-NJ)
    Dayton (D-MN)
    Durbin (D-IL)
    Feingold (D-WI)
    Graham (D-FL)
    Inouye (D-HI)
    Jeffords (I-VT)
    Kennedy (D-MA)
    Leahy (D-VT)
    Levin (D-MI)
    Mikulski (D-MD)
    Murray (D-WA)
    Reed (D-RI)
    Sarbanes (D-MD)
    Stabenow (D-MI)
    Wellstone (D-MN)
    Wyden (D-OR)



    See there, Dems were against it!

    No, they weren't.  Democrats controlled the Senate at the time.  It had been 50-50 with Republican Trent Lott as Senate Majority Leader but Jim Jeffords left the Republican Party and called himself an Independent and began caucusing with Dems in June 2001 making Democrat Tom Daschle Senate Majority Leader.  That meant Dems had 51 votes (counting Jeffords).  Only 22 of the 51 (less than half) voted against the authorization for war.  (Republican Lincoln Chafee voted against the authorization, see list above.)

    Dashle could have prevented the vote.

    That's what Harry Reid did.  Remember when Nancy Pelosi, then House Majority Leader, declared that she does her part, she keeps getting bills passed to try to end the war but Reid won't get the votes for them in the Senate.

    Democrats controlled the Senate and could have buried the bill there.

    They didn't.  There's blood on their hands as surely as it's on the hands of Republican members of Congress.

    So spare the nonsense, Johnny Canada, about how the Iraq War is the fault of Republicans.

    Maybe if Johnny Canada focused on his own country instead of trying to rewrite history to benefit US Democrats or to cover for US President Barack Obama, maybe then Conservative Stephen Harper wouldn't be Prime Minister?  He's been that since 2006.  When do these Canadian liberals plan to get off their asses, stop running defense for US Democrats and start taking back their own country?   Canada likes to pretend its liberal but its allowed conservatives to control the country for seven years now.  And it's shamefully allowed Iraq War resisters to be handed over to the US government and thrown behind bars.

    Is Johnny Canada angry about the Iraq War?

    I can't tell it from his bad Random House blog post which just notes some violence in Iraq while leading with an attack on Republicans over the shutdown of the (US) government.

    Maybe Johnny Canada was actually doing the best journalism he could when he was going around covering a mayor's drug habit?

    How sad if that garbage can digging was the height of his career.  John Michael McGrath, the world's finest dumpster diver.



    Rebecca's "the ridiculous mia farrow" went up last night (but isn't showing up on the links) and the following community posts -- plus Jody Watley, Adam Kokesh, Antiwar.com, Pacifica Evening News and Tavis Smiley -- went up last night or this morning:
























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