Comments on: Time To Act Like Grownups

By: Ben

Ben — Thu, 27 Oct 2005 20:50:17 +0000

Add my name to those celebrating. Not because there was corruption – certainly nothing in which to rejoice, and we knew about it years ago anyway – but because it’s coming out, and justice is (finally) being served. We liberals have had precious few moments to embrace these last five or so years, and I’m not gonna worry about what the rightists (or anyone, for that matter) thinks right now. Shut up and let me have my schadenfreude; this is nothing like Clinton’s impeachment. (Besides, last I checked, no one cares what we long-haired hippie freaks think anyway; it’s not as if we’re the big movers and shakers. The Democratic Party elected officials are saying the right things, so don’t worry about being perceived as hypocritical or too gleeful.)

I love your site and almost all of your opinions, Greg, but I really think you’re in the minority (at least among liberals) on this one.

By: mdhåtter

mdhåtter — Thu, 27 Oct 2005 02:16:35 +0000

I like it, and you can’t stop me from smiling about it.

color me cautiously-not-entirely-pessimistic.

If you can’t enjoy losing, how much will you enjoy winning? Celebration takes practice, celebrate little things too.

the term is a bit overused though, must be the company I keep.

By: Royko

Royko — Wed, 26 Oct 2005 21:53:46 +0000

I agree with you that “Fitzmas” is a pretty silly term, but I disagree about the rejoicing.

The indictments aren’t the trajedy. The outing was the trajedy, and the outrage on that is still going strong after two years. That somebody may be held accountable for it, especially in these acountability-free days, is certainly cause for celebration.

More broadly, the real trajedy is that Bush was ever elected (let alone twice) and that these people should have ever walked the halls of power. There’s a sickness in this country, and I think we all see it. Momentary happiness doesn’t obscure that.

Pardon the analogy, but I don’t think you chastize troops for celebrating a battle victory just because the war isn’t over yet. People need to feel good about SOMETHING once in awhile, or they lose hope. I think it would be wiser to simply remind everyone to dig deep, because we still have a long way to go.

But at this point, we need the morale boost.

By: Joe

Joe — Wed, 26 Oct 2005 20:31:41 +0000

What a strange collection of comments on an equally strange post.
Perhaps in the insular world of the blogs “Fitzmas” is as big an issue as “Happy Holidays” was last year on Fox, but outside the blogosphere most people are unaware of this scandle, and certainly clueless about the name of the prosecuter.
So often liberal Democrats imagine that Republicans, or undecided voters, or perhaps some imaginary impartial academic somewhere, is watching and paying attention to their behaviour, checking for signs of moral immaturity, a lack of level-headedness, unfairness, or partisanship. It is typcal of the delusional fantasy world in which so many Democrats live. No one who matters knows or cares whether you invent clever names for this happy occasion. This is not the type of thing that worries someone who has anything important to think about or do.
It is fantastic that Fitzgerald thinks he can bring these criminals to justice. I am elated, and you should be as well. Am I happy because criminals control the federal government, and this has finally been shown to be true? Of course not. You and I and everyone we know has been saying this, without pause, for years. It is hardly our fault that the rest of the country needs a handful of indictments to wake them out of the incurious stupor, and it is hardly improper to be happy about it, sense it is no fault of ours that these indictments are being made.
As for the indictments themselves, they are the result of a lot of hard, patient work. Just because no one in the liberal blogosphere was paying attention to this investigation six months ago does not give them a reason to behave as if Chistmas has come early. On the contrary, as Greg pointed out, what Fitzgerald has accomplished is a perfect example of everything liberals and leftists fail at: patient, hard work, being in it for the long-haul, real open-mindedness, and a dedication to law and order as the basis of government. Enjoy the occasion, throw a pary if you like, but be sure and learn the lesson well: patience, hard work and intelligence win the game.

By: Agent 99

Agent 99 — Wed, 26 Oct 2005 19:55:48 +0000

Everything is NOT a partisan game. The attitude that it is most certainly contributes to the fundamental decline of democracy here. The Patriot Act, treated as a partisan game, insures its unamerican nature can prevail. I don’t care what party you’re in, or what you think about any issues: I WANT YOU TO LOOK AT THE FACTS AND DO WHATEVER YOU CAN TO REGAIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA OUT OF THIS FASCIST QUAGMIRE. Our country is broken. This is not a partisan game! Our country is broken. Rip out all the subversions of our Bill of Rights, our Constitution, make it bulletproof, and then play all the partisan games you want. The neocons have proved to the world our democracy is not solid. March them into jail and nail up the CONSTITUTION, not the flag, all over the country. Stars and stripes do not symbolize this country. Guts, heart and that document do…. That’s supposed to be true for everyone in all parties. So. I repeat: Everyting is NOT a partisan game.

By: empty chair

empty chair — Wed, 26 Oct 2005 19:42:34 +0000

i dont think there is anything wrong in being happy bout these creeps finally being “busted” or “outed” as the crooks they are. so many people have swallowed the BS from these guys and from fox news, but they can’t delude themselves any longer. and that is why i’m glad – no one would listen to us “traitors” criticizing bushco or trying to expose their duplicity… they thought it was all “politics” or sour grapes. but now they are beginning to see the corruption that too many were afraid to expose… and i’m glad they’re getting caught at doing what they’ve always done – destroy any critics and intimidate anyone who dares question them or speak against them.

By: gas head

gas head — Wed, 26 Oct 2005 19:31:18 +0000

I disagree that it’s not a partisan game. Everything is a partisan game. You’re telling me when Fox News repeats the phrase “The Criminalization of Politics” over and over…that’s not partisan?

Some things should just be “American”, but that’s not the way it works in today’s political environment. The other side has milked the tragedy of 9/11 over and over again for political gain, so I don’t feel the least bit sorry for Karl Rove getting indicted. ‘Tis the season to be jolly!

By: dr

dr — Wed, 26 Oct 2005 18:32:27 +0000

It’s a damn good point, Greg.

Expecting mature restraint to be considered, much less appreciated, is another story altogether.

It’s like the sad-sack team that’s on an unprecedented losing string, but they finally win a game — by forfeit.

Does that prevent the sad-sacks from screaming from the tree-tops like howler monkeys about getting off the snide?

Like they actually accomplished something?

Like it somehow vindicates their unprecedented failure?

Course not.

Like every other opportunity, Dems/libs are sure to find a way to squander this one, too.

Sort of sad, but it is what it is.

By: greg

greg — Wed, 26 Oct 2005 18:05:20 +0000

Your article is one of the biggest pieces of shit I have ever seen on the internet.

If you think this one is bad, don’t go to FreeRepublic.com. Your head will explode.

The Bush Administration is one of the most dangerous political organizations ever to walk the earth.

Gosh, really? Thanks for bringing that to my attention. Maybe one of these days I’ll get around to writing about it.

By: ESOTH

ESOTH — Wed, 26 Oct 2005 18:02:33 +0000

One of the things I admired about WJC, was the way he just kept on working despite all of the sniping coming from seemingly every angle. Governing well is the best revenge. Crowing over some soon-to-be-pardoned indictments is for pathetic losers. The Bush Administration is an ongoing criminal enterprise and must be held subject to the rule of law. This infantile and trivializing nah-nah-nahing subverts the entire effort. We are in a sad state of affairs and it will be a sad day if and when half the cabinet is frog-marched out. This “Fitzmas” braying just plays to the Right, as they will spin it as proof that the democrats are defeatist deadheads with no positive ideas of their own.