Gino Piroli – 9/20/04

This page was last updated on September 21, 2004.

It’s time to evaluate Bush’s performance; Gino Piroli; Beaver County Times; September 20, 2004.

At least Mr. Piroli didn’t insult our intelligence with his “I try to stay away from political commentary” comment he likes to use on us. For the record, this is the sixth political commentary piece by Mr. Piroli in the last five months. That’s over 25% of his 22 columns during this period.

Does anyone believe we’ll see a Piroli column entitled “It’s time to evaluate Kerry’s performance?”

Below is a detailed critique of the subject column.

“Using the words of Mark Twain, ‘Patriotism is supporting your country all the time and your government when it deserves it.’

“After seeing the events of the past month or so and the political shenanigans of the Republican Party, it’s time to examine the performance of this government.”

[RWC] What were those “political shenanigans,” Mr. Piroli? Let’s have some specifics. Aren’t Democrat partisans the ones caught trying to smear a president with forged documents?

“You have to give them their due as they’ve tried to tie in the 9/11 attacks with the ill-advised war in Iraq. They’ve also managed to change the debate on the essential issues of the campaign with the swift-boat ads, and the dispute on National Guard documents by CBS without having to answer questions about service in Vietnam, the reasons for going to Iraq or running up a $400 billion-plus deficit.”

[RWC] Please, Mr. Piroli, show us the proof that the Republican Party “tried to tie in the 9/11 attacks with the ill-advised war in Iraq.” The anti-Bush crowd always makes this claim, but always comes up short on proof.

Regarding the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, its 250+ members are from all political parties.

“Without having to answer questions about service in Vietnam?” I assume Mr. Piroli meant “questions about National Guard service” since President Bush didn’t serve in Vietnam. I guess Mr. Piroli missed the press feeding frenzy earlier this year when for nearly a week straight the only topic the press wanted to cover was President Bush’s National Guard service. In any case, President Bush long ago signed the forms making all his military records available to the public. For reasons known only to him, John Kerry has not signed the forms allowing the Pentagon to make his records public.

I can’t believe Mr. Piroli defends the alleged forged documents CBS used in its attempted smear of President Bush. Mr. Piroli accuses the Republican Party for the dispute over document authenticity. Is Mr. Piroli trying to tell us the Republican Party controls The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, ABC News, et cetera? These are some of the most rabid anti-Bush media outlets on the planet! Even the experts CBS hired warned against using the documents. Does Mr. Piroli expect anyone – especially a sitting president – to answer charges in forged documents?

As I’m writing this, CBS has just admitted they could not vouch for the documents. Quoting Dan Rather, “We made a mistake in judgment, and for that I am sorry.”¹ In fairness, we won’t be sure the documents are forgeries until qualified experts can review the originals. We need to remember it is CBS’s responsibility to prove the documents are authentic. The burden is not on others to prove the documents are fakes.

I don’t defend deficit spending, but I wonder if deficits worried Mr. Piroli during the presidencies of John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton.

“Have you ever seen or heard of an incumbent president who is not running on his record, but sounds like the challenger? Does he forget that he’s been in charge for almost four years and could have enacted all these programs that he is now campaigning on? He flip-flopped almost immediately with a 17 percent increase in Medicare for 2005, which means a monthly reduction in everyone’s Social Security check.”

[RWC] Sorry, Mr. Piroli, President Bush is running both on his record and his plans for a second term. If President Bush didn’t mention plans for the future, he would be criticized for offering nothing new.

Regarding “he’s been in charge for almost four years and could have enacted all these programs that he is now campaigning on,” is Mr. Piroli serious? First, a president is not a dictator; programs first require Congress to pass laws authorizing the programs. Second, does anyone believe any president can accomplish all his goals in one term?

President Bush did not increase the Medicare deductible. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, “Medicare deductibles and premiums are updated annually in accordance with formulas set by law.”² You have to love the way Mr. Piroli parrots Democrat party talking points without checking the facts.

“The greatest deception has been in trying to justify the invasion of Iraq as fighting the war on terrorism. This administration has grudgingly admitted that there weren’t weapons of mass destruction in Iraq - Colin Powell said that a week ago - or that there were any ties to the terrorists involved with 9/11.”

[RWC] What deception? Perhaps Mr. Piroli should read “House Joint Resolution 114 - Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002” if he hasn’t already. The resolution provides justification.

No matter how much the anti-Bush crowd tries to convince us otherwise, Iraq was a terrorist haven.

The Bush administration never claimed Iraq and al-Qaida collaborated on the 9/11 attacks. In fact, the Bush administration stated publicly many times that there was no evidence of 9/11 collaboration. If the Bush administration had believed in the collaboration, it would have been mentioned as justification in House Joint Resolution 114. The resolution mentioned no such collaboration.

“Despite those admissions, there are people who still think that Saddam Hussein was involved. There are terrorist acts throughout the world that continue to occur even though we have Hussein in custody.”

[RWC] I don’t understand the second sentence. Since the elimination of any single terrorist won’t stop terrorism, does Mr. Piroli believe it’s a waste of time to eliminate known terrorists? Should we stop looking for Osama bin Laden because his capture or death won’t stop terrorism? Should we eliminate law enforcement activities because we can’t stop crime?

“I heard an interesting question about what George Bush’s plan is for winning the war on terrorism. He doesn’t answer. Where do we go from here after losing more than 1,000 of our soldiers, spending billions of dollars and who knows how many years in Iraq?”

[RWC] Apparently Mr. Piroli has not been paying attention, or did not want to hear. Does he want President Bush to publish a detailed war plan and timetable so we can share it with the enemy?

“The latest intelligence report to the president says the situation in Iraq is bleak and civil war could break out in 2005. He’s had this information for months, but has not told us about the report or how he’ll act upon the information.”

[RWC] “Latest intelligence report?” Almost exactly the same story was published in January 2004 by The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Seattle Times, the Houston Chronicle, et cetera. Everyone has known civil war was a potential result since long before the war and it has been listed as potential in every CIA assessment since before the war. Indeed, a terrorist document – which was widely reported in the press – captured in 2003 said civil war was a goal. Don’t you love it when people present old information as new in an attempt to mislead you?

“I find fault with his tenure in office, and I agree with Teddy Roosevelt who said ‘to announce that there must be no criticism of the president or that we are to stand by the president right or wrong is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.’”

[RWC] No one claims President Bush can’t be criticized, but folks like Mr. Piroli don’t understand there are right ways and wrong ways to criticize, especially when we are at war with terrorists and have men and women in harm’s way.

“I have a learned friend in Hopewell Township who usually disagrees with my political comments but says that I’ll enjoy reading the 9/11 Commission report.”

[RWC] Mr. Piroli probably won’t enjoy reading the 9-11 Commission Report because it pretty much kills the “Bush lied” BS advanced by Mr. Piroli.

1. CBS: Bush Memo Story A ‘Mistake’; CBS News; September 20, 2004.

2. HHS Announces Medicare Premium and Deductible Rates for 2004; U.S. Department of Health & Human Services; October 16, 2003.