Thomas wonders where his conservatism went  

 Mr. Lieberman’s one “sin,” in the eyes of the Taliban Democrats, was that he supported the effort to defeat the insurgent-terrorists in Iraq. As a Jew, Mr. Lieberman is particularly sensitive to those who have targeted the Jewish people for extinction. But even if he weren’t Jewish, he would still “get it,” because he understands what’s at stake in the region and has correctly concluded that the consequences of American failure in Iraq would be catastrophic. ~Cal Thomas 

Via Doug Bandow

Taliban Democrats?  What would Mr. Thomas think if I referred to his party as the Hizbullah Republicans?  Of course, when it comes to purging their own, nobody has the Red Republicans beat–they purge their researchers and intellectuals, while making sure that the ‘wrong’ kind of people never get on the ballot in the first place.  

Now I remember the outrage on the right when Julian Bond, then president of the NAACP, referred to Mr. Bush and Co. as representing the “Taliban wing” of American politics.  That was in the old days before 9/11, but it was still an offensive comparison.  Conservatives were right to be outraged at the time at this preposterous comparison.  If there are conservative pundits with any integrity who objected to that then, I look forward to reading their critiques of Thomas’ blithering. 

Also, have the Sunni insurgents been particular preoccupied with attacking Jews or have they focused on American soldiers and Iraqis who work with the new government?  In conservative punditry these days it’s always a good time to imply that the Iraqis we are fighting hate Jews (which may be true but is usually irrelevant to the problems at hand) so therefore, I suppose the thinking will go, anyone who wants us to leave Iraq must somehow approve of that view.  

Update: Doug Bandow has a good moniker for the proponents of indefinite American presence in Iraq: the Stay and Die Republicans.  A bit catchier than “cut and run,” wouldn’t you say?  I can already see their motto: it will be an adaptation of then-PM Thatcher’s infamous speech: “We will go on and on and on…”