Miller Wets Himself In Public

Zell Miller's performance on stage at the Republican National Cabal deserves a second look. While moderation and compassionate conservatism were the convention themes trotted out for CableSpews consumption, Repubs on stage and off stage were savaging John Kerry with a continuous fusillade of lies and distortions. Many were couched in the sly, out-of-the side-of-the-mouth style Dick Cheney favors, but a few were head-on bashing.

Giuliani's speech contained below the belt barbs, plus a complete fabrication all of his own making, how in the midst of collapsing buildings and panicked New Yorkers, Rudy had an epiphany involving Shrub. He claims that he said to himself "Thank god GW Shrub is our president." Of course, this apocryphal story only appeared in recent Rudy remarks to the public and media, which contradicts the Roodster's claim that the tale appeared in press accounts soon after 9/11.

But a disingenuous story from a self-promoting guy now doing business with the administration is one thing, a demagogic assault on the character and credentials of the political opponent in this election is quite another. Zell Miller stood at the podium and delivererd a speech worthy of segregationists George Wallace and Lester Maddox, full of bile and hatred, lies and slurs. Sure, it looked and sounded impressive - a southern firebrand haranguing the entranced delegates about John Kerry and his traitorous ways. Impressive, but loaded with outright lies and skewed facts about Kerry's Senate record, military service, and current platform positions.

The transcript of the speech does little service to Miller's wild-eyed delivery, and gives no indication of the bizarre performance by Miller in interviews later that night, where barely a single coherent sentence passed the Senators lips. (He even threatenened Chris Matthews of Hardball, wishing they were in bygone days so he could challenge Matthews to a duel, presumably so Miller could kill him.) Miller engaged in the lowest form of political attack, saying quite clearly that a Kerry presidency would aid and abet terrorism, and that Kerry himself would abdicate the principles of United States sovereignty and turn the country's military over to UN control. None of this was obliquely implied - the implications were clear, and much of this trash was stated directly.

The inevitable consequence of Miller's contribution to the political discourse is clear - impugn the motives of the opponent by making claims without merit, malign the other as unpatriotic and even treasonous, then declare him, based on those slanderous lies as being "unfit for command."

At least there is a factual basis for criticisms of Shrub's motives for war, his taxation policies, and social policies. There is much in the public record that reflects a president who rewards rich friends and uses government as a moral club to beat Americans who refuse to comply with his religious conservative social agenda. Plenty of evidence exists to prove this president is looting the public treasury on behalf of the corporate superstructure, of which he is a member. Evidence exists that this president had a hankering to go to war with Saddam Hussein long before 9/11, and used that awful day to advance that agenda. There is evidence that he and his administration concocted a tailor made intelligence recipe to justify that war, and to link Iraq and the terrorists responsible for 9/11.

None of these criticisms involve denigrating Shrub's patriotism, nor do they state or imply that he is giving aid and comfort to the enemy. It is worthy of note that Shrub has priased Kerry's service record from one side of his mouth, while refusing to repudiate the Swift Boat ads that have been factually annihilated. Nor has he chosen to make comment on others in his own party who have suggested that Kerry is unfit for command. That last phrase carries a powerful meaning for anyone who has worn a military uniform, a meaning lost on Shrub and the chickenhawk handlers who pull his strings.