Pete Stark Does The Right Thing

The Whistler • October 23, 2007

Rep. Pete Stark needs to be applauded for apologizing
for his remarks about President Bush sending troops to Iraq to have their
"heads blown off for the president’s amusement." He initially dug
in and, with nutroots support, refused to back down. But sanity prevailed, and
Stark did the right thing. He should be rewarded for turning toward civility,
and not castigated for his intemperate remarks. The right should not engage
in smug triumphalism here: this should instead be a ‘teachable moment’ for leftists
everywhere instructing them that the American people respect and value dissent,
but draw the line at unreasoned hatred. Accusing the President of sending troops
to their death for his own amusement is indeed hate, Stark has realized that,
and has retreated from his malignant opinion.

His extremist followers need a good lesson in decency, and Stark should be
encouraged to set a good example.

Crossposted from Ken McCracken

Update by Rob: It’s worth noting that Stark apologized…to those that “might” have been offended.

Which, frankly, isn’t all that much of an apology in my book.

Update by Ken: For a Democrat on the floor of the house to give even a mealy-mouthed apology for anything is a landmark moment. He may as well have pulled out a wakizashi and committed seppuku as far as the nutroots are concerned. He should be commended for this, not condemned.

Update by Ken: It appears that the nutroots’ ire is being directed at Nancy Pelosi over this and not Stark.

Tags: Uncategorized

http://www.kenmccracken.blogspot.com/ Ken McCracken

That may be so, but when the guy actually does the right thing, we shouldn’t kick him when he’s down.

It’s rare for a Democrat to ever apologize about anything, it should be encouraged.
http://www.bikebubba.blogspot.com/ Bike Bubba

That would be the implication of his financial statement, yes. If you’d like to take a look at it and point to something related to petroleum, be my guest.

While certainly the Bushes have done well for themselves in the oil business, it simultaneously appears that they’ve gotten out of it to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest in official policy. Most of his wealth appears to be in government bonds and index funds.

Again, whiff whiff whiff, and what color is the sun on your planet? Enquiring minds want to know.
Humanbeer

Do you have any evidence that this was his reasoning?

It is impossible to prove without a doubt what another person is thinking at any given moment. But if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck…
http://sayanythingblog.com/readers/author/Anna/ Anna

Ahh come on … give him credit, he’s a guy and I’m surprised the word “sorry” is even in his vocabulary!

OK, OK, OK… seriously, I’m just teasing so don’t bite my head off, (but I am still laughing all the same)
Humanbeer

Bubba

So now you’re say that not only will the Bush family not profit from the war in Iraq, but now they have no stake in oil?
http://sayanythingblog.com/ likwidshoe

Apology not accepted. This was a cold calculated political move from someone who has a lot of “unreasoned hate”.

And you fell for it.
http://www.wethepeopleforum.com/forum/forums.asp golfmann

I’m not lying, I’m not trolling, and I’m not shouting.

No, you’re simply wrong and ignorant.

As for Stark, had he apologized BEFORE censure proceedings were started it might have carried more weight, not to mention the 5 DAY lag time.
2Hotel9

Ken, kicking Stark when he is down is exactly what needs done. He did not, DID NOT, apologize. He spun and equivocated and squeezed out a couple of tears because his Party ordered him to. Period. And this is not Stark’s first time to the dance. He has a history of this kind of crap.
http://sayanythingblog.com/ likwidshoe

The troll starts off calling our President a “psychopath” and then makes a couple of lies about him.

Now he says that he is “enthralled with the intelligent debate here”.

Any question that he’s a troll?

How obvious.
http://www.bikebubba.blogspot.com/ Bike Bubba

I’ll tell you the same thing I told Bubba… Tell me the Bush family does not now, and will not ever, profit from the war in Iraq.

It doesn’t matter, as this isn’t the claim you made. You claimed that his motive in starting the war was to benefit his oilmen friends. You know that you have no evidence to prove this.

You libeled the President.

Oh, and will the Bush family profit from the war in Iraq? Well, here’s his financial disclosure, and it doesn’t seem to indicate any significant oil investments, let alone any that would clearly benefit from the uncertainties inherent in war.

http://www.opensecrets.org/pfds/pfd2006/N00008072_2006.pdf

You’re batting zero, fella. Might be better to give it up.
Humanbeer

docdave

So now you’re saying that not only will the Bush family not profit from the war in Iraq, but now they have no stake in oil?
http://sayanythingblog.com/ likwidshoe

Trolling: changing the subject, lying, “Our Dear Leader”.

Troll. You’re not here for any kind of “intelligent debate”. You’re here to piss in the punchbowl and then complain about the piss.

Troll. Amateur.
Humanbeer

Proof

megalomanic (sic)

You got me there… I’m just so enthralled with the intelligent debate here (telling me to shut up, calling me a troll, etc.) that I’m making typos left and right!
HumanBeer

docdave

What am I lying about? My assertion is that an oil baron occupies the white house and that a war that makes available one trillion barrels of oil that the US would have had no access to under the previous regime is bound to profit said oil baron.
Humanbeer

likwidshoe

I’m not lying, I’m not trolling, and I’m not shouting.

And real quick like, get off your high horse about Our Dear Leader and libel. I’m sure you spoke with nothing short of bended knee reverence when “Your President” was Bill Clinton.
http://sayanythingblog.com/ likwidshoe

Well,..if the “Our Dear Leader” slur wasn’t proof enough that “Humanbeer” is amateur troll, the “bushbot” crack sure clears it up.

You misread the little saying “Humanbeer”. It’s asking for courage to debate with honest opponents. You, clearly, are not.

Keywords you still haven’t used: warmonger, imperialism, military industrial complex, among others.

Your script is already written because you’re an amateur. You don’t even have to spew it all out. It’s all been said before by those with more talent than you.
http://sayanythingblog.com/ likwidshoe

Wow. An insulting troll. How original.

Did you come over from 4chan as well?
docdave

Maybe don’t understand how the real world works.

inhuman, your world is a fantasy land where one builds false strawmen to justify their lies. You’ll get no support here for your wild assertions. I recommend dkos where lies are more fashionable [perhaps that is where you crawled from]
http://www.bikebubba.blogspot.com/ Bike Bubba

First of all, Bush’s base is not fundamentalists–there are simply not enough of us to have elected him. Furthermore, as a fundamental Baptist myself, I assure you that if I were presented with credible evidence of the nonsense you claim, I would have letters to my Congressman and Senators out within an hour demanding Bush’s ouster.

But again, you’re dealing in nonsense. If you’d be so kind as to be quiet until you re-enter the real world, it would be greatly appreciated.
HumanBeer

Bubba,

Before I hush up, I just want to hear you say that you think the Bush oil empire will in no way benefit from the war in Iraq.

If you can do that with a straight face, you might want to think twice about accusing other people of living in a fantasy world.
Creasy

I couldn’t care less if Stark “apologized” for his comments or not. If he would have kept his mouth shut in the first place, he wouldn’t have anything to apologize for.

If you agree with the reasons for our troops being in Iraq or not, the bottom line is that they need our support. Right now the last thing the troops need to here is idiotic comments like Stark’s.

I have relatives and friends over in Iraq right now. I will be nothing but supportive of them. It doesn’t matter if I agree with our government and our President sending them over there or not. Fact is, our troops are there right now. Nothing can change this fact.

The troops need our support. Not elected officials making stupid comments. Stark should not be commended for his “apology”. To me, it was an insincere apology at best.

He should really be apologizing to the families that have lost loved ones in the war for his insensitive comments.
docdave

I agree with those that doubt Stark’s sincerity. Seems that we have seen the same ploy from other Dhimmicrats that were caught by their misdeeds. Apology to ‘those that were offended’, indeed!!
http://sayanythingblog.com/ likwidshoe

Oh, and about Pete Stark – the guy pulls the racist card against those opposed to socialism. He apologized for that as well.

I don’t buy his other apology either. The guy is a racist hateful being. He doesn’t hide it. He only apologizes when he gets called on it. It’s not like he changes.
Humanbeer

likwidshoe

Shut up HumanBeer.

Hmmm…
http://www.bikebubba.blogspot.com/ Bike Bubba

I’m going to hold you to what you claimed; that W started a war to increase his family’s profit. Do you have any evidence that this was his reasoning?

If not, you have, like Rep. Stark, libeled the President.

Keep in mind that if Pelosi and others had ANY evidence that clearly implicated the President in the nonsense you claim, impeachment proceedings would take about 15 minutes and would end with votes of 435-0 and 100-0 to remove him.
HumanBeer

I’ll tell you the same thing I told Bubba… Tell me the Bush family does not now, and will not ever, profit from the war in Iraq.
http://www.bikebubba.blogspot.com/ Bike Bubba

Ken, an “apology” after severe political pressure is rarely a real apology, and this is no exception to the rule. Sorry, but if I were in his district, I’d be keeping this as ammunition for his opponent come next year. Stark’s got a long list of intemperate comments that would get most people from a less “safe” district bounced in a minute.
coffee260

So Stark apologized…to those that “might” have been offended.

Let’s flip it around and translate what he really said.

Stark didn’t apologize…to those who weren’t offended.
HumanBeer

I’d be happy to apologize to the President. Let me know when you can find one who was legitimately elected.

And where is the bin Laden feller, anyhoo?
http://sayanythingblog.com/readers/author/Anna/ Anna

But.. but, sheesh… the guy actually did something morally correct, socially expected, set a good example… oh wait, maybe those actions are no longer important to people?
:-/
http://www.bikebubba.blogspot.com/ Bike Bubba

Humanbeer, what about an apology for your libel of the President? Sorry, but there is no credible evidence that the President started wars to enrich friends, just the rantings on MoRon.org, HuffingtonPost, and Kot.

Sauce for the goose, jerk.
Matt

Stark didn’t apologize…to those who weren’t offended.

Those who weren’t offended do not need apologies.
HumanBeer

How about an apology from the psychopath at 1600 Pennsylvania, for the waste of nearly 4000 American servicemen for the sole purpose of lining the pockets of his family and friends?
http://www.bikebubba.blogspot.com/ Bike Bubba

Ken, a true apology is a statement of regret for a real offense; if you “hedge” it in “to those who were offended,” you deny that your offense was real.

In doing so, you have made no apology whatsoever.
http://sayanythingblog.com/ likwidshoe

BDS suffering people should shut up. They’re one track thinkers who have a pride issue. To make it simple for you to understand “Humanbeer”, people don’t appreciate liars who shout over the conversation. That would be you.
docdave

My assertion is that an oil baron occupies the white house

Of which you have no proof. If that is the grounds for your assertions, I csn call you an idiot without presenting any proof of said statement, although your presistent attempts to defame a ‘lame duck’ president could be considered as proof.
Humanbeer

One trillion. Typo, my bad.

Maybe don’t understand how the real world works.

FYI, the potential ultimate amount of recoverable petroleum in Iraq is now estimated to be as much as one trillion barrels. Reworking of seismic data on an old, decrepit field southeast of Baghdad raised the estimate on that field alone by 15 billion barrels. A new, major field has just been discovered in Northern Iraq by a Norwegian company, and there is a newly discovered string of classic salt dome structures stretching from Taji right across Anbar Province to the Saudi border. It’s anybody’s guess what that might hold, but it’s going to be a whole sh*tload.

Simply put, Iraq is the last major, easily-explored and produced oil province on the planet with reserves easily five times or more than what was known before the invasion, and it’s been in limbo for almost twenty years.

One trillion barrels of oil is a lot of oil, and I imagine you can do the math once you get the snot off your keyboard.

To make it simple for you to understand, the petroleum yet to be produced from Iraq will keep the global economy going for another generation. And you’re high if you don’t think the Bush family will directly profit.
http://www.bikebubba.blogspot.com/ Bike Bubba

Humanbeer, unless you can prove the allegations, you are knowingly making a false claim about the President. That is libel.

You want to talk about apologies? Great. Go to http://www.whitehouse.gov and you can apologize. There is a form there for your use.

Nice try at diversion with making the absurd claim that he wasn’t legitimately elected, but even if that were true, you still owe an apology. You libeled him.
Humanbeer

Proof

I’d rather have a pervert than a megalomanic in the Whitehouse any day of the week.
http://sayanythingblog.com/ likwidshoe

15 trillion? Wow. That’s an amazingly high bullshit number.

The story isn’t about Bush or the mythical 15 trillion you think he’s pocketing.

Troll.
docdave

“Courage to debate”, my ass.

Indeed, my ass. You aren’t interested in a debate. You are only interested in pushing your Bush hating assertions.

Anyway this thread is about Starks alleged apology. If you have different issues to present, become a guest blogger and post them. Until then, f**k off!!
http://sayanythingblog.com/ likwidshoe

Ken McCracken – It’s rare for a Democrat to ever apologize about anything, it should be encouraged.

Yeah, I seem to remember another serial Democrat apologizer. His name was Bill Clinton.

These apologies aren’t cutting it. They’re not sincere.
http://proof-proofpositive.blogspot.com/ proof_positive

How about an apology from the psychopath at 1600 Pennsylvania,

But, Bubba doesn’t live there anymore!
HumanBeer

Let me see if I have this right, Bubba, the Bush regime, a family BUILT ON THE OIL INDUSTRY, has no stake or interest in the 15 TRILLION new barrels of oil discovered in Iraq?
HumanBeer

impeachment proceedings would take about 15 minutes

Not true. There is nothing Bush could do to lose the support of his fundamentalist base.
http://proof-proofpositive.blogspot.com/ proof_positive

I’d rather have a pervert than a megalomanic (sic)in the Whitehouse any day of the week.

And with Bill and Hillary…you got both!
Humanbeer: Despite its amber color, what you mistake for “beer” has, in fact, been filtered through your kidneys first!
http://sayanythingblog.com/ likwidshoe

Shut up HumanBeer.

Goodness. Another BDS sufferer.
Humanbeer

I love it. If you’re not a bushbot, you’re a troll. “Courage to debate”, my ass.
halatbis

When apologizing and using the phrase, “those who might have been offended” is very much like the phrase, “I didn’t say anything wrong, and I won’t say it again”.

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