August 20, 2007
by Robert Fantina

A generation ago there was a comedy team known as the Three Stooges. It appears they have been replaced today, but by a team that is not nearly as funny.

The members of this new act are listed among the vast multitudes currently seeking the Republican nomination for president. Two are considered the frontrunners, and a third has stumbled but is still thought of as in the top tier.

One can only be puzzled when looking at the top three candidates: former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, and Arizona Senator John McCain, still considered in the top three despite his floundering campaign.

What is it, one may ask, that the voters are seeking in their candidate? If honesty, credibility and straight-talk are being sought, the voters would be better served listening to Moe, Larry and Curly. John, Rudy and Mitt just don't cut it.

A quick glance at some of these candidates' statements is instructive.

In early April of this year, Mr. McCain and three of his Congressional colleagues visited Baghdad.  They spent about an hour strolling through Shorja, a major market in that city. The senator extolled his feelings of safety and security. Said he: "I've been here many times over the years. Never have I been able to drive from the airport. Never have I been able to go out into the city as I was today."

The average Iraqi citizen going into Shorja to purchase goods does not have the advantages that Mr. McCain brought with him during his visit: 100 heavily armed soldiers, attack helicopters overhead and sharpshooters posted on rooftops. Unfortunately, most of them are not provided bullet-proof vests and helmets, as were Mr. McCain and his associates. And, unlike the time during which he spent there, most Iraqis shop at Shorja when it has not been closed off by American soldiers. That the senator would marvel at the progress in safety during such a highly protected trip is indeed amazing.

It was during the second Republican debate that Mr. Giuliani showed either his lack of knowledge, limited respect for the voters, or both. In an exchange with Texas Representative Ron Paul about the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, Mr. Giuliani said this: they ".came here and killed us because of our freedom of religion, freedom for women, because they hate us." Mr. Paul, referring to the 9/11 Commission Report, implied thoughtfully that the attacks might possibly be at least partly in response to the United States' long history of imperial aggression against Middle Eastern countries. Mr. Giuliani, either unfamiliar with the 9/11 Commission Report or choosing to ignore it, called such a suggestion 'absurd.'

The next incredible statement to be considered was uttered by Mr. Romney. Like Mr. Giuliani, Mr. McCain and everyone's Republican hero, President Bush, he appears to consider facts as bothersome items not worthy of his notice. During the June 6 debate, always an opportunity for would-be presidential candidates to demonstrate both their grasp of the issues and how they would handle them, Mr. Romney made an alarming statement.

(Article Continues Below)

The question concerned whether, knowing what the world knows now, that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction - the stated reason for Mr. Bush's war - it was a mistake to invade Iraq. Certainly, such a reasonable question deserves a reasonable response, but Mr. Romney was unable to provide it. Said he: if ".Saddam Hussein had opened up his country to IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) inspectors and they'd come in and they'd found that there were no weapons of mass destruction -- had Saddam Hussein therefore not violated United Nations resolutions -- we wouldn't be in the conflict we're in. But he didn't do those things, and we knew what we knew at the point we made the decision to get in."

Mr. Romney apparently didn't know, has forgotten or simply chose to ignore the fact that more than 250 IAEA inspectors, under the direction of the highly-respected Hans Blix, entered Iraq on September 12, 2002 and, with uncharacteristic cooperation from the Iraqi government, searched in vain for such weapons. Perhaps Mr. Romney forgets that while the inspectors were still busy six months later, Mr. Bush advised the U.N. that they should leave Iraq: his bombs were on the way. Perhaps Mr. Romney somehow does not realize that if they had been allowed to continue their work, a war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people, displaced millions more, and destabilized an entire, already-volatile area of the world could have been avoided.

These three candidates apparently feel that honesty and intelligence are not what the voters want, or at least expect. Mr. McCain continues to drift along, barely afloat, on his record as a prisoner of war during America's Vietnam disaster. No one questions his loyalty or service to the country, but his past actions hardly excuse his present incompetence.

Mr. Giuliani proclaims his leadership during the September 11 attack on New York City. While that leadership may have been laudable, it does not excuse him from thoughtful consideration of the reasons behind that attack. Perhaps those reasons are not yet clearly understood, but to give the glib, trite explanation of 'they hate us for our freedom' does a disservice to everyone who genuinely wants to prevent another such disaster.

Mr. Romney's claim to fame, other than an uneventful, but worth exploring, tenure as Massachusetts governor, is his work in managing the 2000 Olympics, which were in a sorry state prior to his involvement. One must believe that he had a clearer grasp of the issues involved in running the Olympic games than he has of the situation leading to the Iraq War, or the games would have been a disaster.

Much has been said and written about Mr. McCain's and Mr. Giuliani's tangled marital histories. Nearly as much has been written about Mr. Romney's religious beliefs. These issues only detract from what is important: the candidates' knowledge of the facts and their visions for the United States. Messrs McCain, Giuliani and Romney have demonstrated either an ignorance of or disregard for the facts, and have presented a dangerous vision for America, one that, if implemented, will negatively impact the world for decades to come. The Republican voters, those dwindling numbers who continue to align themselves with that party, will be well-served by looking to the other candidates for one that will bring peace, progress and prosperity to the county. The three considered the top contenders are incapable of doing so.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider the following:

1. Make a donation of $1 or more to help keep this website active.


   click here

2. Click Here to Subscribe to the Free Populist Party Newsletter

3. Share this page or get the Populist Party RSS Feed

Robert Fantina [send him email] is a long-time activist for peace and social justice. He has worked with the Coalition for Peace Action in New Jersey. Following the 2004 presidential election, he moved to Canada, where he now resides. Robert is the author of Desertion and the American Solder: 1776-2006.