Defending Tedra

Link to McGrath Letter

I'm responding to Corey McGrath's criticism of Tedra Cobb. Ms. Cobb's statement was, "Our actions have long-term ramifications that have escalated tensions in the region ... Congress, and Elise Stefanik in particular, must ensure this Administration puts together a coalition of allies and exhausts all diplomatic efforts before moving forward. The lives of American troops, diplomats and innocent civilians are on the line." Sounds reasonable to me.

Mr. McGrath writes in North Country Now, "She only urged Trump to 'exhaust all diplomatic options' before 'moving forward' with the war." First, does exhausting all diplomatic options really rate an "only?" That sounds like the kind of thorough and comprehensive step that, done properly, prevents war. Second, he overlooks the call for a coalition of allies. Perhaps, it would be a group similar to the one that put together the Iran nuclear agreement that was keeping them from working toward those weapons before being abandoned. The final touch is his dishonest extraction of "moving forward" from the statement and attaching "with the war" to the end of it. There's a term I use for that: Hannitization. It's the sort of thing Sean, and his ilk, frequently does.

Mr. McGrath constructs a strawman by altering Ms. Cobb's release. He then spends the rest of his letter painting her as a warmonger. That's as dishonest as anyone who has lied us into the wars he's against. I hope he finds someone sufficiently virtuous to vote for. Meanwhile, the rest of us who are against unnecessarily going to war, and are aware that the perfect is the enemy of the good, will work to elect Tedra Cobb.