Maybe it’s not his fault. Maybe the stress of having been the mayor of New York, the false idolatry that celebrity provides, and the mental decay of advanced age have turned Ed Koch into the blight on the Democratic Party that he is today.
(Originally posted at Near Earth Object)
Who, Ed? Not Ed!
Well, my friend, just look at what Ed's been up to. He sent out an e-mail commentary this past weekend in support of Hillary Clinton's candidacy. Did he stick to the new "healing" tenor the campaigns are now supposed to be adopting? Take a look at some juicy bits, and decide for yourself.
- "I simply do not trust Senator Obama's judgment."
- "We are now engaged in a war against Islamic terrorism and are in need of someone who can be trusted to advocate on behalf of the United States. Senator Obama, regrettably, was silent [about Rev. Wright] for too long."
- "We now know just how far Senator Obama is prepared to go to defend our friends and allies. It is not far enough."
Hey, thanks, Ed! No way that's going to get used by, say, Republicans!
Okay, so Ed just hates Barack Obama. I mean, no one can be liked by everyone, right? It's probably just a personal thing about Obama, you know, he doesn't respect a man who can't bowl. This is an isolated incident.
Doh! Not so fast. Remember, the Democrats also wanted to win the White House in 2004, not that it was always obvious. Take a look at what Ed had to say in 2003 on "Scarborough Country":
"Well, firstly, because I believe in truth in packaging, even though I'm a good Democrat, I'm voting for George Bush, because I don't believe the Democrats have the stomach to go after international terrorism. And Al Gore appears to be the worst."
He also told some conservative e-rag that "the Democratic Party just doesn't have the stomach to go after terrorists." Go, Ed, go!
I also recall that on one of the cable shows before the party had a nominee, Ed called the entire Democratic presidential field a bunch of "clowns" or "jokers." I can't seem to find the transcript, so you'll just have to trust me on that one. Good thing I'm not a real journalist, eh?
So I think it's time to make it formal. Howard Dean (who Koch called "McGovern II," whatever that means) or Nancy Pelosi need to write him a nice note, or pay him a quiet visit, and tell him in the most polite, professional manner to officially get bent.