CNS Wags the Dog
Topic: CNSNews.com
A March 17 CNSNews.com article by Randy Hall looks at how "officials from the Bush administration fended off reporters' assertions that the main goal of "Operation Swarmer" was political, not military, in nature." Which is funny, because about this time seven years ago (and even after 9/11), CNS writers were making the same allegation regarding President Clinton:

-- "What has not sunk in as yet is the fact that America is at war – and it is a war – not merely to save Clinton's political skin by driving his scandals of the front pages but to supply him with the kind of legacy for which he desperately craves." -- James Henry, April 19, 1999

-- "Fearing a loss in ratings, the WH network rushed 'Kosovo Hope' into production, ordering an unprecedented full year of episodes. Based on the pilot series 'The Bosnia Hillbillies,' it was reportedly hand-picked by network chief Bill Clinton." -- David Burge, May 7, 1999

-- "In order to divert attention from his own impeachment trial, Clinton, in typical 'wag the dog' fashion, started the military bombing of Baghdad." -- Lisa Dean, May 3, 1999

-- "Was it Clinton's plan to 'wag the dog' with a war in order to shift media and public attention away from his personal, contempt-of court, campaign-finance, and espionage-coverup scandals? If so, it certainly succeeded." -- Phyllis Schlafly, April 29, 1999

-- "Clinton's bombing of Yugoslavia is a "wag the dog" scheme that has successfully diverted media coverage away from China's espionage and the Clinton Administration's cover-up, and away from the connection between China's campaign cash and its acquisition of U.S. missile technology." -- Phyllis Schlafly, April 15, 1999

-- "As the summer drew to a close in August, and Bill had to testify before the grand jury, Wag the Dog #1 followed. Ms. Madeleine [Albright] had been lied to about Monica but she blindly stayed with her boss as she got on the airwaves to tell us the bombings weren't wagging the dog but a sustained effort to rid Osama Bin Laden of his capability to harm the U.S. and it's worldwide presence. No one knew how to pronounce his name or who he was, but Bill and Maddie promised it was in the country's vital security interest. Whatever happened to that Bin Laden guy anyway? ... And then it happened again. Yes, Wag the Dog #2. This time it was Saddam Hussein who was threatening our vital national interest. Again, Bill was jeopardizing the lives of our military men and women. ... Now it's Wag the Dog #3, except this time it's not a person whose name we can't pronounce but a place we can't pronounce or find-Kosovo. Again, our military men and women are put in harm's way for political salvation." -- Timothy N. Tardibono, March 26, 1999

-- "Do you remember the Persian Gulf War and the women POWs that say they were raped as part of their torture? You've trashed the women's movement enough already, are you going to force NOW to again be deafeningly silent this time about women being raped and tortured to fulfill your 'wag the dog' games?" -- Timothy N. Tardibono, April 16, 1999

-- "But coming at the height of the controversy over Monica Lewinsky, the news media thought his actions resembled the scripting of the movie 'Wag the Dog,' staging military action to deflect attention from his personal problems at home. In retrospect, they were right because Bill's record on confronting terrorism -- or rather, his lack of one -- since that address, makes one wonder just how sincere and comprehending he was about the true threat of terrorism." -- Paul Weyrich, Dec. 5, 2002