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Ed Shultz shows what a backbone looks like |
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In poker it’s known as calling  and raising. If this were a poker game, Joe Scarborough’s question posed to Ed Shultz, his guest on the Morning Joe show, would be the equivalent of a sizable bluffing bet being made suggesting that he has a strong hand and expects his opponent to fold.
“Do you agree with the CIA director that it’s almost as if Dick Cheney hopes that Americans die so that he gains a political advantage?” Joe Scarborough framed the question to Ed Shultz in its most starkly, alarming, and “I dare you to say yes” form. Surely Ed Shultz wouldn’t go so far as to accuse the former Vice President of wanting to see American men and women die just to be able to say “I told you so.”
Scarborough leaned back, legs crossed, hands clasped around his knees, the only thing missing was the Bilko cap with the sun visor, smug in assuming that he had cornered Ed into having to back off his position as had Leon Panetta the CIA director after having made similar charges against Cheney.
Ed Shultz leaned forward and answered Scarborough in a clear, deep, and that somewhat raspy, firm voice, with which the viewers of his new MSNBC The Ed Show have become quite familiar “Absolutely, absolutely.”
Editor: Joe, clearly taken aback that he hadn’t forced Ed to retract, maintained his composure and re-stated the question making sure to include those sacred buzz words, or to continue in the poker metaphor, Ed had “called and raised,” now Scarborough was “re-raising.”
Scarborough: “So you believe Dick Cheney wants Americans to die”
Editor: Unfazed, Ed was as emphatic in his response as Scarborough was dramatic in feigning astonishment with his question.
Shultz: I want Dick Cheney to come out and say I do not want this country to get hit and I will do anything I can to help the President so we don’t get hit.
Editor: Joe is unaccustomed to this kind of in your face comeback. Usually by this time, after being challenged so aggressively, his guest have capitulated or gone into some form of an obsequies nuanced revision of their position. Continuing with our poker game imagery, Joe now goes “all in ” this is all he’s got and he’s betting it.
Scarborough: You just said absolutely, so again I want this on the record. You believe the former Vice President wants Americans to die in a terrorist attack so he can gain a political advantage?
Shultz: You got it Joe, you got it. I think Dick Cheney is all about power. I think Dick Cheney is all about seeing this country go conservative and a hard right wing and I think he’ll do anything to get it that way.
Editor: This was the most effective smack down of Scarborough since the “stunningly superficial” Brzezinski put down. Scarborough’s next words say as much
Scarborough: Ed do you think that…I must say I’m stunned… I could never imagine thinking that of a democrat or a liberal. And even if I thought it I can’t imagine I would ever voice that opinion that a political opponent of mine wanted blood to be shed of Americans so they could gain an advantage in the polls.
Editor: Flummoxed, but not giving up, Scarborough went for the human decency appeal to no avail. Ed Shultz will not be denied.
Shultz: That’s Dick Cheney,.. that is Dick Cheney. I think he is one of the most ruthless politicians in the history of this country.
Mike Barnicle: But that’s beyond ruthless Ed, that’s beyond ruthless
Mika Brzezinski: There’s another word for that.
Shultz: Well look I’m telling you what I think I’m telling you what I believe. I believe and I got a lot of support when I said that on the Ed program. I got a lot of support overnight when I said it again. I think Leon… Leon Panetta backed off because he probably got a talking to.
Scarborough: Yeah but you know Ed you could also say that America took down that we plotted to destroy and kill Americans on 9-11.
Shultz: I don’t believe that
Scarborough: But you would get a lot of support if you said that to.
Shultz: I don’t believe that. You’re asking me what I believe.
Scarborough: Yeah I did
Shultz: you’re asking me for my opinion. I believe Dick Cheney is ruthless I believe Dick Cheney is the kind of guy that will say anything to gain political power… If I offend people by saying that…I haven’t heard Dick Cheney say I’m going to work with the President I’m going to do everything I can to help this country. He’s setting the narrative up so he can do I told you so. That’s my belief.
Scarborough: well there are some of us that believe that what the President has done regarding the CIA has made us less safe. We have these debates. John Kennedy in 1960 talked about a missile gap,.. accused Eisenhower of a missile gap... said that Eisenhower had made America less safe. That didn’t mean Kennedy wanted America to be nuked. I don’t know… you’re exactly right, I asked you your opinion I can’t imagine thinking that of any political figure.
That was the best Scarborough could do, choosing the elementary school argument. “they did it too.”
When reflecting on the Vice President’s record, there’s little to suggest that the Vice President is above throwing America’s national security or the American people’s lives under the bus if it serves his agenda. The record speaks for itself.
* Cheney displayed little concern for national security when it came to blowing the cover of CIA operative Valerie Plame—a move he made to punish her husband for bringing back information from Niger denying Saddam’s pursuit of yellow cake Uranium.
* As far as Cheney being concerned about the loss of American lives, there is no decision that is more guaranteed to result in the loss of American lives than sending our troops to war. As V ice President it’s a matter of record that Dick Cheney engaged in lies and manipulations to take us to war.
* CIA memos have revealed that as Vice President, Cheney ordered torture to elicit confessions that would justify our going to war with Iraq.
* When Cheney had the opportunity to serve his country in the military he sought and received five successive deferments.
There’s little in Cheney’s résumé to refute Ed Shultz’s contention. It’s refreshing to see that Ed Shultz did not back down and was not intimidated by that age old ploy of daring a person to be politically incorrect in stating their opinion. Scarborough tried the equivalent of “are you calling me a liar” gambit. His attempt to use that tactic in an effort to win a debating point went up against someone that was unfazed by that approach. If only more of those on the left would show that kind of backbone.
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