ALTERING BUSH

Lots of liberals--Eric Alterman among them--have been selectively quoting and distorting a passage from one of President Bush's recent speeches. In it, he says:

"Al-Qaida is on the run,” President Bush said on May 5. “Right now, about half of all the top al-Qaida operatives are either jailed or dead. In either case, they’re not a problem anymore."

Now, anyone who can read above a second grade level understands who he's saying are "not a problem anymore"--the high-ranking ones we've captured or killed. The statement is in every way true to the facts--the dead and captured are no longer a threat. He never said al Qaeda as a whole is not a problem--just the terrorists that have been taken out of the war one way or the other.

Well, since the recent attack in Saudi Arabia, liberals like Alterman have been abusing that quote, twisting it and generally lying through their teeth about it. Alterman quotes, then links to a few stories that say al Qaeda may have 17,000 operatives still in action, still planning, etc.

Of course, any honest person with an IQ above room temperature can figure out that al Qaeda doesn't have--and never had--17,000 "top operatives." The 17,000, if that number is even accurate (how can you count the members of a cowardly underground stateless quasi-army--ask the French?), are grunts of the type that the top people send away to blow themselves up, crash into things, and get themselves killed in other spectacularly murderous ways. I had assumed Alterman had the sufficient brain batteries to understand the distinction between al Qaeda leaders and their walking bombs. Guess not.

Besides, it's disingenuous (and here I'm being extremely charitable) for an anti-war lefty like Alterman, who supported Bill Clinton at every perjurious turn, to try and hit President Bush for not being effective enough against terrorism. Bush has gone after--and probably already killed--Osama bin Laden. Clinton had the chance to apprehend bin Laden, and had even drawn up plans to wipe him out--but he and his administration lost the nerve. Three thousand died on US soil as a direct result. We have been at war since 9-11 as a direct result. Nearly 200 Americans died liberating--note the lack of quotes surrounding that word--Iraq, and scores of others die liberating--again, no quotes--Afghanistan as a direct result.

Liberals like Alterman should look into the old saw about glass houses being inappropriate places from which to throw stones. And they should stop lying about what President Bush says.

We're facting checking your sorry backsides.

(thanks to Hanks on the ABC link, and for this link to a Spinsantiy round-up of liberals and journalists outrageously distorting the "on the run" quote. These people are shameless liars, nothing more and nothing less.)