William Rivers Pitt, t r u t h o u t , June 5, 2007
Politics in the American style has never been particularly sane, to be sure. Every so often, however, the usual level of strangeness we’re accustomed to reaches a new gear, and the whole show just goes right over the moon. Over the last few years, we’ve pretty much been permanently locked into that higher gear, so it takes something exceptionally deranged to ring the cherries.
Leave it to a Republican Party official, of course, to spelunk our national dialogue into a whole new low. This latest installment for the You-Gotta-Be-Kidding-Me file came on Sunday, courtesy of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, in an interview with that state’s new Republican Party chairman. His name is Dennis Milligan, he runs a water treatment business, and he is very much hoping for more terrorist attacks on US soil so the policies of George W. Bush can be vindicated.
Yes, you read that correctly. Here’s the quote:
“At the end of the day, I believe fully the president is doing the right thing, and I think all we need is some attacks on American soil like we had on (September 11, 2001), and the naysayers will come around very quickly to appreciate not only the commitment for President Bush, but the sacrifice that has been made by men and women to protect this country.”
Be warned: trying to wrap your mind around that thought-bomb is a perilous undertaking. In truth, an apology from me to you is in order, because everyone who reads that dreck will come away a little bit dumber for the effort. I’m sorry, but it had to be done.
Seriously, though, chew on that one for a while and try to ignore the taste. For the dwindling cadre of Bush supporters – defenders of the indefensible, one might say – it has come to this. Most Americans would probably agree that anyone actively and publicly cheerleading for another September 11 needs therapy, or maybe a good punch in the nose. For the Bush bitter-enders, however, such venal comments are now acceptable talking points.