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[Eric-GCA]

XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX SUN AUG 22, 2004 16:35:43 ET XXXXX

BUCHANAN BOOK DECLARES: 'NO CONSERVATIVE PARTY LEFT IN WASHINGTON'

After warning about the "Death of the West," bestselling author and former presidential candidate Pat Buchanan now declares: "There is no conservative party left in Washington."

Buchanan is set to launch his new work WHERE THE RIGHT WENT WRONG: How Neoconservatives Subverted The Reagan Revolution And Hijacked the Bush Presidency -- a work ripe with cutting observation and opinion.

On the Neoconservatives:

“[T]he boat people of the McGovern revolution.” (37)

“Kristol’s warning that neoconservatives could go to Kerry was an admission of what many have long recognized. The neoconservatives are not really conservatives at all. They are impostors and opportunists.” (250)

“Nine days after an attack on the United States, this tiny clique of intellectuals was telling the President of the United States...that if he did not follow their war plans, he would be charged publicly with a ‘decisive surrender’ to terrorism.” (48)

On the Bush Doctrine:

“[A] prescription for permanent war for permanent peace, though wars are the death of republics.” (6)

The Bush National Security Strategy “is the imperial edict of a superpower out to exploit its present supremacy to make itself permanent Lord Protector of the universe.” (26)

“This is democratic imperialism. This will bleed, bankrupt and isolate this republic. This overthrows the wisdom of the Founding Fathers about what America should be all about.” (35)

On the War in Iraq:

“[L]istening to the neoconservatives, Bush invaded Iraq, united the Arab world against us, isolated us from Europe, and fulfilled to the letter bin Laden’s prophecy as to what we were about. We won the war in three weeks -- and we may have lost the Islamic world for a generation. (84)

“f Iraq collapses in chaos and civil war, there will be a ferocious fight in this country over who misled us and who may have lied us, into war....into the dock will go the neoconservatives whose class project this was...” (236)

On the War on Terrorism:

“Terrorism is the price of empire. If we do not wish to pay it, we must give up the empire.” (237)

“America’s enemy in the Islamic world is not a state we can crush with sanctions or an enemy we can defeat with force of arms. The enemy is a cause, a movement, an idea.” (87)

“[T]errorism is not a nation, a regime, or an army. Terrorism is a tactic, a technique, a weapon fanatics, dictators and warriors have resorted to through history. If...war is the continuation of politics by other means, terrorism is the continuation of war by other means.” (89)

“We are not hated for who we are. We are hated for what we do. It is not our principles that have spawned pandemic hatred of America in the Islamic world. It is our policies.” (80)

“U.S. dominance of the Middle East is not the corrective to terror. It is a cause of terror. Were we not over there, the 9/11 terrorists would not have been over here.” (236)

“Often, terrorism succeeded in the 20th century, and, when it did, the ex-terrorists achieved power, glory and immortality, with streets, towns and cities named for them....America today recognizes every regime to come out of these wars where terrorism was a common tactic.” (123)

On Israel & the Middle East:

“The Sharon Plan is not a peace plan. It is a unilateral solution to be imposed by Israel....A Palestinian leader who signs on to this surrender of land and rights would be signing his death warrant.” (242)

On China-U.S. Collision:

“In Asia, China is the rising power, America the receding one.” (127)

“As China is the one nation with the size, population, ideology and power to contest the United States for hegemony in Asia, is war inevitable? “Answer: No more inevitable than was war between Germany and Great Britain in 1914.” (144)

On Bush “Free Trade” Policies:

“It is false to say President Bush presided over a ‘jobless recovery.’ His trade deficits have created many millions of jobs in China.” (167)

“Free trade is the serial killer of American manufacturing and the Trojan Horse of World Government. It is the primrose path to the loss of economic independence and national sovereignty. Free trade is a bright shining lie.” (171)

Globalization “is the economic treason that dare not speak it name.” (173)

“The Republican Party has signed off on economic treason.” (8)

On Bush-Republican Fiscal Policy:

“Bush has compiled a fiscal record of startling recklessness.” (175)

“There is no conservative party in Washington. There is a Democratic Party of tax-and-spend and a Republican Party of guns and butter and tax cuts, too. Washington is all accelerator, the brakes are gone.” (177)

“Like Thelma and Louise, Medicare and Social Security are headed for the cliff. And we are in the back seat.” (187)

“Alongside the Gingrich Republicans, Bill Clinton was Bob Taft.” (191)

Interesting stuff.

 

[xsarien]

Jesus. When I find myself on the same side of an argument as Pat Buchanan, you know something's going really wrong in Washington.

 

[ge-man]

Jesus. When I find myself on the same side of an argument as Pat Buchanan, you know something's going really wrong in Washington.

I was thinking the exact same thing. Hell has frozen over.

 

[Prospero]

The important thing is to note that Pat Buchanan hasn't suddenly become a liberal--he hasn't changed his political stance in any real way in recent years (like, say, Zell Miller, who's now a Democrat in name only). It's just that the people who are now in charge of the Republican Party are no longer aligned with the serious hardline conservatives, who believe in things like states' rights, isolationism, and small government.

 

[ge-man]

The important thing is to note that Pat Buchanan hasn't suddenly become a liberal--he hasn't changed his political stance in any real way in recent years (like, say, Zell Miller, who's now a Democrat in name only). It's just that the people who are now in charge of the Republican Party are no longer aligned with the serious hardline conservatives, who believe in things like states' rights, isolationism, and small government.

I understand that quite clearly. It's just surprising to see hardline conservatives realize that the White House has been hijacked. Neo-cons don't serve either party or the public.

 

[human5892]

The important thing is to note that Pat Buchanan hasn't suddenly become a liberal--he hasn't changed his political stance in any real way in recent years (like, say, Zell Miller, who's now a Democrat in name only).

I think he has eased up a bit on some of his hard-line conservative policies, though. There was a time when I actually would've considered him to be a neoconservative in some areas (immigration being one that springs to mind immediately). It's kind of strange to see a preview of a book of his decrying them.

 

[xsarien]

The important thing is to note that Pat Buchanan hasn't suddenly become a liberal--he hasn't changed his political stance in any real way in recent years (like, say, Zell Miller, who's now a Democrat in name only). It's just that the people who are now in charge of the Republican Party are no longer aligned with the serious hardline conservatives, who believe in things like states' rights, isolationism, and small government.

Well, that goes without saying. It's more the principle of winding up on the same side of the argument as him.

 

[capslock]

Like someone said, Buchanan's views aren't surprising (he's always been an anti-globalist, an isolationist, culutural conservative and anti-imperialist), but the force with which he is expressing these views is indeed surprising, especially knowing that the book is being published at a critical moment for Bush.

 

[Ripclawe]

Zell Miller is still the same southern democrat, its the party around him that has changed.

Pat B is still spouting the same old Anti_israel, isolationalism, fear the global economy soundbites that have moved him and the dying amount of paleo-conservatives to the fringes of the party. He still believes in the wall across the mexico/US border, he still believes in the same nonsense of the failing empire that has been proven wrong time and time again.
The hatred of American over the islamic world garbage is just another angle for him to attack Israel who he still believes is this evil puppet master. He is one notch below larouche at this point.

 

[xsarien]

Zell Miller is still the same southern democrat, its the party around him that has changed.

Pat B is still spouting the same old Anti_israel, isolationalism, fear the global economy soundbites that have moved him and the dying amount of paleo-conservatives to the fringes of the party. He still believes in the wall across the mexico/US border, he still believes in the same nonsense of the failing empire that has been proven wrong time and time again.
The hatred of American over the islamic world garbage is just another angle for him to attack Israel who he still believes is this evil puppet master. He is one notch below larouche at this point.

Right on time, attacking the guy and not the specifics of what he's saying.

 

[Mandark]

Bleh. Buchanan doesn't really offer any decent alternatives, and he's the one guy for whom neocon bashing might actually be a front for anti-semitism. And aside from a handful of writers for the American Conservative, there isn't really a base of conservatives against the war.

Buchanan's kind of been milking this as his new gimmick, although it's nice to see support from an unexpected source.

 

[Ripclawe]

Right on time, attacking the guy and not the specifics of what he's saying.

I did attack his specifics, its the same damn ones he has been bitching about since forever, in some cases like his Islamic world whatever, its just the same Anti_Israel bits he has been spouting for years.

http://www.issues2000.org/2000/Republic_Not_an_Empire.htm

Hell, read the bits there from one of his other books and just change around the names and the whole thing fits. Different year, same stupid shit from him.

 

[Mandark]

Rip: Zell Miller is not the same old Democrat, unless by that you mean he's always been a politician most concerned with his own political survival. When he was appointed to the Senate, the DLC wanted someone else because they thought he was too liberal.

Anti_Israel? Why the underscore? Looks weird.

 

[xsarien]

I did attack his specifics, its the same damn ones he has been bitching about since forever, in some cases like his Islamic world whatever, its just the same Anti_Israel bits he has been spouting for years.

:: looks at original post ::

I see nothing "Anti-Israel" per se about those particular remarks, although yes, he has made more direct statements in the past. But I was talking about the ratio of "Reacting to stuff actually mentioned in the selected quotes," vs. "Generic swipes about stuff he's said in the past.

Make no mistake about it, I'm not really a fan of Pat Buchanan (to say the least), but that doesn't preclude me from saying "You know, he's got a point or two on Iraq and the Neocons."

 

[Hamfam]

In that whole statement by Pat, I think it's perfectly possible that he's actually using "Neo-con" as a monicker for "Jew". Example:

“Kristol’s warning that "jews" could go to Kerry was an admission of what many have long recognized. The "jews" are not really conservatives at all. They are impostors and opportunists.” (250)

 

[Dilbert]

Ripclawe:

First of all, there is nothing in those quotes which is specifically anti-Israel. Pointing out that Sharon's peace plan is problematic for a future Palestinian leader to accept is so obvious that it barely rates a mention.

Second, dismissing Buchanan as "fringe" misses the point. Yes, his views have always been ultra-conservative -- no one is going to argue that. But his point is that the MAINSTREAM party has been hijacked by the so-called "neocons," whose views are even MORE fringe than his own! Yet, through some clever manipulation, "Republican Party" has become synonymous with views that would seem paranoid or reactionary to Republicans of only a few years ago.

Finally, you did NOT respond to his specifics. You simply discounted everything he said, based on your perception of his politics. And the annoying thing is that it's what you do ALL THE F?CKING TIME. Buchanan: [list of quotes] Ripclawe: "It's the same old crap he's been saying for years!" That doesn't make it any less true, now, does it?

 

[rastex]

uh... you could do that with ANY identifiable group. Straw man much?

edit: in reply to Hamfam

 

[3rdman]

Jesus...what a state to be in that I actually find myself agreeing with Pat Buchanan. Reminds me so much of a recent article I read entitled "I am a Conservative."

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/article.php?sid=17433

 

[Drensch]

All these Liberals like Pat Buchanan trying to sell bokks makes me sick.

Zell Miller is still the same southern democrat, its the party around him that has changed.

I believe the word i'm looking for is bullshit. Zell Miller doesn't belive in one thing that democrats do, he did during Clinton's years. I'd expect him to flip parties at the RNC.

 

[3rdman]

“Kristol’s warning that "Nazis" could go to Kerry was an admission of what many have long recognized. The "Nazis" are not really conservatives at all. They are impostors and opportunists.” (250)

Hey, it works for Nazi's too...

“Kristol’s warning that "Gafs" could go to Kerry was an admission of what many have long recognized. The "Gafs" are not really conservatives at all. They are impostors and opportunists.” (250)

Oh my God, we're imposters and opportunists!

 

[Doc Holliday]

Buchanan is right?!!?! wtf is going on in the world??