GOP (except one) and Fox News Warmongers

By: Murray Sabrin

Last Wednesday in New Hampshire Fox News hosted another GOP presidential debate. Instead of a “fair and balanced” debate, the Fox trio of Hume, Wallace and Goler revealed once again why Fox News has become the cheerleader for death and destruction in Iraq.

This time, Chris Wallace played the role of hatchet man when he asked Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, the only anti-war GOP candidate in the race, if America’s foreign policy should take its marching orders from al Qaeda. Paul had just explained why al Qaeda attacked the Untied States on 9/11. One of the reasons for the attacks on 9/11, according to Bin Laden and other Muslim fundamentalists, is the stationing of American troops on the Arabian Peninsula after the first Gulf War.

The smirky Wallace thought he had a gotcha moment that would sink Ron Paul’s candidacy. It didn’t work. In fact, after the debate Fox’s text message poll gave Ron Paul an overwhelming victory with 33% of the vote, to the consternation of the totally clueless Sean Hannity.

In addition, with the sole exception of Rep. Ron Paul, the other GOP presiedntial candidates justified the (illegal) invasion of Iraq by parroting the Bush line that the “war on terror” had to be brought to the “enemy,” and therefore the overthrow of Saddam Hussein was not only justified but also in the great tradition of America defending liberty and democracy around the world.

Rep. Ron Paul, a ten term congressman, voted against the war’s authorization and the Patriot Act. His candidacy is being virtually ignored by the mainstream media as quirky and irrelevant. Yet, the crowds are building, the funds are pouring in, and he’s winning straw polls or coming in a close second.

The American people got to see the GOP candidates last week, except for Fred Thompson, who announced his candidacy on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

If you missed the fireworks between Ron Paul and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, you missed a classic confrontation between the anti-war Paul and the blood thirsty minister/politician. You also missed the remarks and smirks of the most thuggish politician in America, Rudy Giuliani. You also missed the canned remarks of America’s most plastic politician, Mitt Romney. And finally, you missed the attempt by Fox News to resurrect the sinking candidacy of John McCann, who after seeing the horrors of war four decades ago, still loves war as a tool of American foreign policy.

There is only one GOP presidential candidate who can save the party from itself and the country from a continuation of the welfare/warfare state, and that is Ron Paul.

Murray Sabrin, Ph.D., is professor of finance in the Anisfield School of Business, Ramapo College of New Jersey. He writes for www.njvoices.com and www.usadaily.com