Brent Budowsky -- Washington 2006, Nixon Redux: Haldemann, Ehrlichman and Kissinger Are Back In Town

A BUZZFLASH GUEST CONTRIBUTION
by Brent Budowksy

An unpopular war sold with falsehood and failing as policy. Major scandal involving the Nation's ruling party. Threats and intimidation towards those who dissent. Name calling and partisanship of historic proportions. An angry electorate ready to revolt against the corrupt class of insiders. We even have an expose by Bob Woodward exposing the words of leaders as tissues of untruth. Sound familiar?

In the Nixon years, as in the Bush years, a small inner circle with an obsession for their own power moved far from the mainstream of Americanism to take our nation down some dangerous paths.

In the Nixon years, as in the Bush years, an intolerance for independence and integrity intimidated Republicans who know better into supporting the unsupportable, at great cost to their party, and our country.

In the Nixon years, as in the Bush years, a "do anything to win" partisanship polluted our politics, leading to a victory in 1972 but a devastation for Republicans in 1974.

In the Nixon years, as in the Bush years, those who questioned the war had their patriotism questioned by those who promoted the war and led our country and our troops down a wrong and deadly path.

In the Nixon years, as in the Bush years, an obsession with controlling the Supreme Court went hand in hand with "I am the law" presidents.

In the Nixon years, as in the Bush years, the press and the First Amendment came under attack for trying to report the truth, by those trying to withhold the truth.

In the Nixon years, as in the Bush years, an obsession with secrecy and wiretapping led to unwise war and dangerous policies beyond the rule of law, and beyond the checks and balances envisioned by Washington, Jefferson and Madison.

In the Nixon years, as in the Bush years, the coverup became the rule, and Republican leaders in Congress today have Haldemanns and Ehrlichmans monopolizing power, operating in secret, covering up wrongdoing, and now pointing fingers at each other like snakes locked in a bottle.

In the Nixon years, as in the Bush years, there are enemies lists, where partisans demonize political opponents until, when the jig is up, they demonize each other by telling Bob Woodward about Iraq and telling ABC about abuse of congressional pages.

In the Nixon years, as in the Bush years, nothing is sacred, nothing is holy, except winning, and if winning must be done through dirty deeds, covering up those deeds even though the truth eventually will come out.

In the Nixon years, as in the Bush years, a foreign policy Svengali massages an obsessive President into extending disasters of war, while that President maneuvers to push back the date of that disaster, until the next election is over.

Can one imagine a more horrible reality and more fitting though disastrous metaphor, than Henry Kissinger sneaking into another White House, to advise another President, about another unwise war, using Vietnam as his argument?

Doesn't it ring a bell, to have a Republican Congressman committing abuses against young pages, while he funnels a $100,000 campaign contribution to the Campaign Committee of the Republican Party, while leaders of that party are hushing up the dirty deeds he committed against the pages?

Now the Haldemanns and Ehrlichmans are pointing fingers at each other on the Hill, using words about "overly friendly emails" in conversations about wrongs "which are not my recollection" and are described as "naughty" by the press secretary to the president.

Now the Kissingers walk through the White House gates again, saying the president must never change the policy, because change would be like eating salted peanuts, while Iraqi police house death squads and torturers, their academy is flooded with feces and urine, more blood is spilled by the hour, and the Republican Congress budgets $20 million for a celebration parade.

In the Nixon years, as in the Bush years, negativity and obsession ruled the day, and truth was the casualty of partisanship and propaganda.

But the Nixon victories of 1972 were followed by the Republican disasters of 1974.

Periods of abuse will be followed by periods of reform.

They never learn.

And we should never forget.

Brent Budowsky

A BUZZFLASH GUEST CONTRIBUTION

Brent Budowsky served as Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen, responsible for commerce and intelligence matters, including one of the core drafters of the CIA Identities Law. Served as Legislative Director to Congressman Bill Alexander, then Chief Deputy Whip, House of Representatives. Currently a member of the International Advisory Council of the Intelligence Summit. Left goverment in 1990 for marketing and public affairs business including major corporate entertainment and talent management. He can be reached at brentbbi@webtv.net.

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