Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Sound and Fury Signifying . . .
What is one to make of George Galloway's appearance before the Senate? A thunderous victory for opponents of the war? A damning indictment of the anti-war opposition and the UN?
Both, probably.
Lefties savoring Galloway's damn-the-torpedoes replies to Norm Coleman's inquisition can go to bed happy, not pausing to ask themselves who they just got into bed with (a contemptible blowhard who mourns the fall of Soviet communism, who offered his public support of Saddam throughout the 1990s, and who - when given the choice to target any MP in Britain - happened to run against one who is both black and Jewish). Some readers at Daily Kos seemed aware of this; others, too many, didn't. Atrios seems to rather like the man.
Righties may be shaken by the inevitably jarring consequence of putting a vitriolic, bombastic MP in an institution that prides itself on stodgy civility. But in the end, Coleman and the administration benefit from displaying the likes of Galloway before American audiences. A GOP that linked Lynne Stewart to Harry Reid will relish having yet another dodgy boogeyman. It won't hurt if the left is visibly gleeful about Galloway's predictable few minutes of fame. Whoops.
Meanwhile the real work goes on. The Senate isn't going to determine Galloway's future; the Volcker inquiry is the key one for getting to the bottom of the oil for food scandal. Galloway and Coleman just got to play off of each other for ratings - Gorgeous George can trumpet his latest explosion to supporters at home and Coleman can run for reelection as a proud American confronting devious foreign friends of terrorism. Win-win. Is it any wonder that Democrat Carl Levin looked to be the most irked guy in the room?
Both, probably.
Lefties savoring Galloway's damn-the-torpedoes replies to Norm Coleman's inquisition can go to bed happy, not pausing to ask themselves who they just got into bed with (a contemptible blowhard who mourns the fall of Soviet communism, who offered his public support of Saddam throughout the 1990s, and who - when given the choice to target any MP in Britain - happened to run against one who is both black and Jewish). Some readers at Daily Kos seemed aware of this; others, too many, didn't. Atrios seems to rather like the man.
Righties may be shaken by the inevitably jarring consequence of putting a vitriolic, bombastic MP in an institution that prides itself on stodgy civility. But in the end, Coleman and the administration benefit from displaying the likes of Galloway before American audiences. A GOP that linked Lynne Stewart to Harry Reid will relish having yet another dodgy boogeyman. It won't hurt if the left is visibly gleeful about Galloway's predictable few minutes of fame. Whoops.
Meanwhile the real work goes on. The Senate isn't going to determine Galloway's future; the Volcker inquiry is the key one for getting to the bottom of the oil for food scandal. Galloway and Coleman just got to play off of each other for ratings - Gorgeous George can trumpet his latest explosion to supporters at home and Coleman can run for reelection as a proud American confronting devious foreign friends of terrorism. Win-win. Is it any wonder that Democrat Carl Levin looked to be the most irked guy in the room?
