"Anywhere, anytime."
-Barack Obama

After his insulting and bizarre appeaser/Nazi remarks to the Knesset, President Bush has decided to go with an 'I wasn't talking about you, I was talking about someone else' defense. No doubt the response was prompted by the series of beatings he took at the hands of Senators Kerry, Obama, Biden, Reid, Durbin and Clinton, Speaker Pelosi, Rep. Emanuel, the traditional media, the blogs, and just about everyone with an opinion. Bush's mysterious 'some' was spun, first by White House spokesperson Dana Perino, then by Ed Gillespie as a generic slam, but, they claim, not directed at Obama or Pres. Carter or any other individual. Sen. Obama asked who this amorphous 'some' is that the President was referencing, knowing there would be no answer.

Of course, Bush wasn't talking about John McCain, although (unlike Obama who explicitly stated he would not) McCain has said we should engage with Hamas. And Syria. I'm not sure if McCain has actually changed his position on that or if he forgot, in yet another 'senior moment', that he said it. And the President couldn't have been referencing himself, although it was, after all, Bush policies that helped give Hamas their power and become an even greater threat to Israel. But I don't think the President intended to point the finger at either himself or at John McCain with his 'some'. No, I think that was an accidental consequence, brought about by people listening to his words and looking at his policies. In any case, the Nazi reference doesn't fit, even someone who is as wrong as Bush/McCain on foreign policy doesn't deserve to be compared with a Nazi appeaser. Not only is it an insult to 'some', but it's an insult to anyone with a lick of common sense.

Whatever the case, and whoever the 'some', Obama said yesterday that he'd happy to take them both on in a debate on foreign policy. I suggest he write down the date and time for McCain so he doesn't forget, and list out a few other facts like the definitions of diplomacy and appeasement, since neither Bush nor McCain seem to know the difference.

They won't accept Obama's challenge, of course. Bush won't because he's a blowhard who won't back up his words, and McCain because he's just so wrong on foreign policy, he's got to be afraid the American people might learn that he's not the expert the media has made him out to be. It really is time to lay that old canard to rest, and tell the American people the truth about John McCain. To that end, Obama's offered a debate on the topic, so either they put up or shut up. Either debate him on our foreign policy or just stop with the divisive and nasty bully tactics where they spit out distortions then run and hide from their own words.

Something interesting that came from all this was a discussion I heard yesterday between Chris Matthews and Rachel Maddow about the rhetoric that's been used by the right to generate fear and shut down dissent. I have to give Matthews kudos for this, he was spot-on. Years late, but correct nonetheless. It's the same message Senator Kerry had for us in his 'Dissent' speech, and one that needs to be advanced.

To give full credit where it's due, Chris Matthews has been exceptional these last few days. I hope he continues to speak on the right wing's use of language to divide, and the importance of dissent in a democracy. It's a conversation that I think is necessary if we're to move beyond the past eight years, and I'm pretty sure the American people are ready for that change.