Those who defend McCain's amendment and attack Cheney and Bush feel a nice warm glow, as if they're basking in virtue, as in a hot tub, sipping Cabernet. But there is no virtue in joining a crowd, even if the crowd is right — and this one isn't.
McCain is a bona fide hero. But there's nothing courageous in standing firm with virtually the whole cultural leadership of this nation and the Western world, under any circumstances. It's too easy. To take a principled stand that you know will make people loathe and vilify you — that's what integrity, leadership and moral courage are all about. This time Cheney is the hero. McCain is taking the easy out.
(Emphasis added) Some notes:
1. Does this mean that Gelernter enjoys the "integrity, leadership, and moral courage" of al-Qaeda? Who's more loathed and villified than those guys? Oh, I know who! I forgot that Gelernter hates liberals more!
2. Don't you get the impression that Gelernter is for torture just because the rest of the Yale faculty is against it? This passage makes me think that he prefers al-Qaeda to liberals (or "liberals") -- al-Qaeda neither hot tubs, nor Cabernets, after all.
3. The hot tub-Cabernet line in general: tou-fuckin-che, dude. You nailed me. But when you're as fat as I am, you don't get into a hot tub unless everyone's been drinking, believe me.
4. If right-wing froth were in short supply I could understand why the LAT is keeping this guy and losing the left-wing froth of Scheer. But it isn't. No wonder the circulation's dwindling -- LAT management think this guy and Plaschke (and if Gelernter wrote shorter paragraphs he would be Plaschke) commit quality journalism.
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