A Nation of Sheep

I'm watching CNN and Walter Rogers, normally their reliable foreign correspondent has reports that seem heavily edited, he mentions the Iraqi debacle being the primary cause of Blair's defeat. He says that there is a feeling that Blair is "economical" with the truth. But no mention is made of the "smoking gun" that shows that the Brits knew and went along with the United States Cherry Picking evidence and being determined to go to war, months before any public policy shift came about. And, of course, the anchor, besweatered Carol Costello is clueless at asking any follow up questions, as she has to keep her pretty mind sharp for her tête-á-tête with Chad McChad the Weather-Cad about Paula Abdul banging an American Idol contestant!

This, of course, would put the lie to the Bush Administration which has denied such things over and over.

Sully and others may wring their hands over George Galloway, but the Labour outcast was another big winner tonight. Sully cannot seem to understand, that there was another British character who mananged to be right about ONE THING and turned that into a huge political advantage. The scale was different and the stakes are different and therefore, the political payoffs will be different, but Galloway is on the Iraq war issue was as much a voice in the wilderness as Churchill. A prophet.

I'm not a big fan of Galloway's style by and large, he is a verbal bomb thrower and has some other qualities I don't like particularly much.

But, facts are facts, and though they have tried to tar and feather the man falsely, the establishment has not been able to bring him down. On the Iraqi War he has been the voice of the prophet. You may not like him, Sully and other Tories, but he has been proven right on this, and whether you wish it or not, the man must be given his due.

And this year Galloway had a nearly impossible task in a London Labour safe seat, running as a fringe candidate (remember he had been booted from the Labour Party). But he won anyway:

The Respect Party's George Galloway has taken the Labour safe seat of Bethnal Green & Bow in east London.

Oona King was deposed as the MP after former Labour MP Mr Galloway forced a 26.2% swing in his favour, following a bitterly fought campaign.

Mr Galloway, who attacked Tony Blair in his acceptance speech, fought on an anti-Iraq war manifesto which appealed to the large local Muslim population.

Ms King was one of Tony Blair's most loyal supporters and backed the war.

And in true style of the prophet, Galloway did not take any prisoners in his speech:

Taking to the podium after his victory was announced, Mr Galloway said: "Mr Blair, this defeat is for Iraq and the other defeats that New Labour has received this evening are for Iraq.

"All the people you have killed and all the loss of life have come back to haunt you and the best thing that the Labour Party can do is sack you tomorrow morning."

He then attacked returning officer Christine Gilbert saying she had presided over a "shambles of an election which would disgrace a banana republic".

Tower Hamlets council electoral office was also criticised for publishing an electoral roll "so shot through with errors and anomalies... as to be almost meaningless".

No one from the council has so far been available to respond.

In April, Mr Galloway claimed he was the victim of death threats by a gang of Islamic extremists as he canvassed in the constituency.

Ms King had her car tyres slashed and was pelted with eggs and vegetables.

Mr Galloway, who has said he will stand down at the next election, said the result was "sensational".

Mr Galloway, 50, overturned a 10,057 majority for Ms King at the last election, polling 15,801 votes to Ms King's 14,978.

Galloway is the kind of target that the mainstream hard-right likes to pillory, let's called them the "Freespectable" types. Sort of like Michael Moore with an elected office. They are always portrayed by the media as some sort of crazy-eyed nutjob (and in certain respects Galloway certainly meets their expectations). But there is an essential truth and purity in their message and they symbolize someone that has uncovered an essential truth, one that exposes the "respectable types" and their castigators as the lazy, excuse makings cretins they are at heart.

And Galloway has that in spades.

I only wish the American Democratic Party had more of them. Has any prominant Democrat jumped on the exposure of the Blair Memo? Is anyone beating Bush over the head with it...who is not an anonymous blogger?

Not that I can see, certainly the media isn't -- and they will not until a prominant Democrat stands up and stakes their political future upon it. Somebody needs the courage of George Galloway, whether somebody likes it or not.


The Current Prophet