I join with Andrew Sullivan in ridiculing William Kristol’s o’erwrought take on the tragedy of Chuck Hagel’s appointment as secretary of defense. Quoth* Bill
The plain is darkling. The world grows more dangerous. Yet we heedlessly slash our military preparedness. Iran hastens toward a nuclear weapon, which would pose an existential threat to Israel and signal a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. Yet the president nominates for secretary of defense a man who is patently unqualified for the position, who despises Israel, and who has a record of being exceedingly solicitous of Iran. We win in Iraq and make progress in Afghanistan, thanks to the valor and sacrifice of our troops, and the president puts these accomplishments at great risk because he chooses to pander to public war weariness rather than attend to America’s national interests.
It’s hard to believe that the newly emerged double-Likudist right can take Hagel’s appointment so seriously. AIPAC, which I’ve frequently derided as the source and center of right-wing neocon nonsense, shrewdly sat out the whole thing. They know they can deal with Hagel, and with Obama. Sure, he’s no Dubya, but Dubya didn’t last, did he? Maybe he was too much of a good thing. Who wants desserts three times a day? It isn’t good for you!
Hagel’s selection seems to have split the Likudist right in ways I never would have imagined. Kristol, Jennifer Rubin,† and Lee Smith all appear to feel genuinely betrayed by AIPAC’s refusal to respond to Hagel’s selection with an all-out, balls-out temper tantrum. Unless you respond to every adversity (“adversity” aka “reality check”) with the innocent intensity of a two-year-old, it seems, you’re a damn phony. Moans Jennifer, “Sometimes, even the most cynical of us find that Washington hypocrisy is truly stomach-turning.” So true, Jennie, so true.
Afterwords
Did Obama plan this? Is’t possible? Barack, you are one smooth son of a bitch.
*Word doesn’t know how to spell “quoth”? What’s the deal with that?
† I try to avoid making fun of Jennie, because it’s too damn easy, but, well, sometimes I fall off the wagon. Because it’s too damn easy.
