THE GLOBAL TEST

Tell me. Are the Repubos deaf, liars, or just plain outright stupid? It pleases me to no end that they are taking one line from the Kerry/Bush debate about "Global Tests" and running it into the ground, posturing that Kerry says we must "take an international poll before we defend our country." This is what Kerry said during the debate:

"No president, through all of American history, has ever ceded -- and nor would I -- the right to preempt in any way necessary, to protect the United States of America. But if and when you do it, you've got to do it in a way that passes the global test where your countrymen, your people, understand fully why you're doing what you're doing, and you can prove to the world that you did it for legitimate reasons."

I'll give you an example of a "Global Test" - Adlai Stevensen's address concerning the American blockade of Cuba to the United Nations given during the October 1962 Cuban Missile Crises, where Stevensen showed the UN photographs of the missile sites on Cuban soil and ships carrying them on their decks, heading to Cuba.

This is the "Global Test" John Kerry spoke of. A test that proves America is taking action for REAL reasons.

Now, compare that to Colin Powell's address to the UN where he declared emphatically and without doubt that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and was linked to al Queda. He tried to sell that arguement, without any significant proof, as Bush's reason to invade Iraq. The UN didn't buy into Powel's logic. That's why outside of the United Kingdom, none of the main European, Arabic, or Eastern Powers joined Bush in his invasion of a basically unprotected Iraq.

Which case to the UN passed the "Global Test?" Stevensen's or Powell's? Is it really that difficult to understand what Kerry was talking about? Is it possible to confuse this with asking other nations to approve our going to war in our country's defense?

The only intelligent answer is a loud, "No!" But the Repubos have hit on nothing else since the debate. I'm sure you'll hear Cheney say it again tomorrow night. The Repubos have no real defensible position. They have to lie, deceive, twist and warp the truth in order to get Americans to believe them.

Kerry's comment drew immediate criticism from Bush:

"I'm not exactly sure what he means, 'passes the global test'. That you take preemptive action if you pass a global test.' My attitude is you take preemptive action in order to protect the American people, that you act in order to make this country secure."

During an appearance in Ohio late last week, Bush added:

"When our country is in danger, it is not the job of the president to take an international poll; it's to defend our country."

And this is the man that must justify American actions to the world! Our Commander-in-Chief. He doesn't even understand that the world will hold us as accountable for our actions as any other country. We can't lie to the world about our actions and have them accept it as truth without proof of what we're talking about. We would expect that of other countries and they expect it of us. Apparently, our President doesn't understand that. Geeze Louise.

And do you know what Condoleezza Rice said about it? "I heard Senator Kerry say that there was some kind of 'global test' that you ought to be able to pass to support preemption, and I don't understand what that means. I don't understand 'proving to the world that you did it for legitimate reasons.'"