Sometimes -- not often, but on occasion -- the Washington Post reminds me of the great paper it used to be.
Today's op-ed by Harold Meyerson represents one of those occasions. Meyerson's angry, and he wastes no time going after the source of that anger: "Anyone searching for the highest forms of invertebrate life need look no further than the floor of the U.S. Senate," he says, proclaiming the premier "spineless specimens" to be GOP Senators Dick Lugar, John Warner, Pete Domenici, George Voinovich.
I've posted some highlights of Meyerson's piece below. Do yourself a favor, though, and read the whole thing.
None of the four oh-so-sage Senators, Meyerson writes,
... is willing to challenge the White House on the conduct of the war in the only way that counts -- by mandating a shift in policy. Instead, these senior Republicans speak loudly and carry no stick -- indeed, they speak loudly precisely because they are so stickless.
"Stickless?" Where have I heard that term before before?
Oh, yeah...
STANTZ: Everything was fine with our system until the power grid was cut off by [stickless] here.
MAYOR: Is this true?
VENKMAN: Yes, it's true. This man has no [stick].
Meyerson compares Warner's worthless "leadership" of the Senate Armed Services Committee to that of Senator Bill Fullbright, whose hearings in 1966 started the unraveling of the lies supporting the Vietnam War. Fullbright paid a price: Warner just continues to bloviate. Meyerson calls Warner and his buddies the "gutless wonders of today's GOP."
Like I said, read the whole thing. Then send Meyerson a note of thanks. This is the sort of incivility likely to make David Broder faint dead away.
