Dear Robin Toner: About That “Anti-War Left”…
Oy. Here we go again.
Writing in the Sunday New York Times, right out of the gate Robin Toner leaves the following mouse dropping:
JOHNSTOWN, Pa., Feb. 23 — As Democratic Congressional leaders escalate their challenge to the Bush administration’s policy in Iraq, one of the most influential players will be that unlikely darling of the antiwar left, Representative John P. Murtha of Pennsylvania.
Sigh. Robin, just yesterday, Glenn Greenwald pointed out the following: not only do 53%, a clear majority, of Americans want troops out of Iraq,
“Among Democrats, roughly two-thirds (68%) want Congress to stop funding in an effort to block the troop buildup” and “more Democrats also support a troop withdrawal than did so in January (74% now, 66% then).” So apparently, 3 out of 4 Democrats — along with a majority of independents — are now part of the “antiwar left.”
And they’re not the only ones: “By roughly three-to-one (71%-23%), Republicans believe that U.S. forces should remain in Iraq until the situation there is stable.” So almost a quarter of Republicans are now part of the “antiwar Left.” And this December, 2006 CNN poll makes the point clearer still.
Mr. Murtha is NOT a member of the antiwar left. Mr. Murtha, in his many years in Congress, has supported military action repeatedly, including the first Gulf War, the Bosnia Adventure, and the 2003 invasion of Iraq. To call Murtha “anti-war” is ridiculous. Considering his hostility to reproductive rights, his support for the NRA, and his abyssmal ratings on government reform, it would be silly to call him a member of the left as well.
Robin Toner, stop being so lazy and do your job. Or was Stephen Colbert right after all?
