Destroying the One Bit of Foreign Policy Good to Come Out of the Bush Administration

The second Bush term has featured a somewhat more flexible approach when it comes to negotiating a verifiable nuclear disarmament with North Korea. Naturally, John McCain picks this issue on which to "Break with Bush" when it comes to foreign policy. Not the tightening of family travel rules to Cuba, not our policy in Darfur or sub-Saharan Africa, not our batsh*t insane policy towards Pakistan, not the ballistic missile defense that doesn't work. No, it's the one case where Team Bush has actually engaged in some successful diplomacy. Well, okay, we give him half a point for global warming, where he supports doing something, but opposes getting involved in the already-existing international agreement to control CO2 emissions.

This is a basic feature of McCain's foreign policy, as expressed during the campaign: never move to the center, ever. Whether a hypothetical McCain presidency would actually follow through on this increase in bluster is unclear, but he's been singing from this hymnal since at least the 2000 campaign.

I also note that Joe Lieberman continues his descent into maximum hawkishness by putting his name to this latest foreign policy document. It's said that Lieberman, who on a number of issues is a solidly progressive Democrat, has descended into maximum hawkishness so quickly.

Comments

[Crissa]

said... sad?

[Sir Charles]

You've got to like a guy who is going to run to Bush's right on foreign policy. What's next -- von Ribbentrop for Secretary of State? (Does that set off an alert on Jonah Goldberg's web site?) When I say "you've got to like" what I mean is, "oh my fucking god, this lunatic is running to the right of Bush on foreign policy."

I think you meant to say "sad" rather than "said" with respect to Lieberman. And sad he is.

[Joe Klein's conscience]

von Ribbentrop? Do you think Doughy Pantload even knows who he is?

[Sir Charles]

You just reminded me of one of my favorite Python routines -- the North Minehead by-election (in which Mr. Hilter is running.)

They introduce Ron -- Ron Ribbentrop. Great fun.

[Stephen]

I've got some friends who are in and out of North Korea on a regular basis, and this stuff just really pisses me off.

We were doing so well at the end of the 90s, too. So much progress, so many opportunities, just lost because of a small group of evil men and women.

[Corvus9]

You know, a lot of people seem to hate the Dowd/Paglia approach to political analysis as psychodrama, but I think the case of Lieberman points out it's utility (If not the precision of most of it's practitioners). I really can't think of a way to account for what's happened to Lieberman, why he now holds the views he holds, and is doing the things he is doing, without partaking of some type of psychoanalysis of the man, because there way he could have ended up like this through a cold, logical, unbiased analysis of the facts.

[Scott K]

Hmmm, it seems almost like Lieberman is inching his way towards an socially/economically liberal, administratively authoritarian position... the first name that comes to mind is Lenin. Not so extreme, of course, but let's just say some thanks that the current alignment of the parties pretty much ensures that Lieberman isn't going to be in a position to wield actual power (except, of course, when it comes to influencing the Broders of the world).