A Penguin in the Orchard

When A Little Less “Backbone” Is A Good Thing

First Read - MSNBC.com

The Vice President stepped into the carefully managed spotlight with a speech echoing Bush’s criticism of Democrats on Iraq: “The President and I cannot prevent certain politicians from losing their memory, or their backbone - but we’re not going to sit by and let them rewrite history.” He also suggested that Democrats are hurting US troops’ morale. Bush backed him up from Asia by charging war critics with “irresponsibly using their positions and playing politics.”

“Backbone” on the part of the administration is the last thing we need right now. But, this is a classic Bush view of the world. If you admit you’re wrong, you’re a spineless coward. It’s better to be wrong and strong than right. Once again, it’s a sign of the personal and institutional insecurity of this administration that they’re blindly compelled to demean their critics - including those of you who might think this war is wrong.