James Woolsey is a democrat, who knew?

[Bombtrack]

I was just watching "this week" on ABC, and they have probably the best panel on TV, foriegn policy wise. Fareed Zakaria, Woolsey, Richard Holbrooke, and George Will.

Woolsey just called himself a "Scoop Jackson democrat". I always assumed Woolsey was a republican.

[FlashHarry]

1. So, too, apparently, are Richard Perle and Bob Novak.

Remember, many 'neocons' were disillusioned radical (Trotskyite) democrats from the sixties. Google Leo Strauss to find out more. And, don't ever forget, the neocon ideal is neither compassionate nor conservative. It's why paleo-cons such as Pat Buchanan are up in arms. Harpers editor Lewis Lapham said it best when he called them Utopian Anarchists.

[Tim_in_HK]

3. If you can find anything that says

Perle and/or Novak are Dems I'd be VERY surprised. Especially Novak. I went to college with Novak's kid, and there was never any doubt which party he (and his father) supported.

And Leo Strauss deosn't fit into any Dem or Repub matrix.

[FlashHarry]

7. See here

ABC News interview with Perle here.

<snip>
JONATHAN HOLMES: Of course all of you I think moved over to the Republican Party probably towards the end of the Cardiff Residency, beginning of the Reagan years, what what was it that decided you to move across?


RICHARD PERLE: Well I didn't, I remain a 'Democrat' to this day.


JONATHAN HOLMES: Is that right?


RICHARD PERLE: It's a while since I voted for Democrat for President but it's a kind of nostalgia, respect for Scoop Jackson who should've been President but wasn't so I'm still a Democrat, I think Paul has changed his registration. I know Jeanne Kirkpatrick changed hers some years ago so did Eliot Abrams and others...
</snip>

Novak lets it slip on CNN

<snip>
MOYNIHAN: Bob Novak, are you a Republican?


NOVAK: I'm a registered Democrat actually.


(LAUGHTER)


SHIELDS: Sailing under false colors...
</snip>

On edit: Strauss stuff here

[Tim_in_HK]

9. Wow . . .

I stand corrected.

Although in both cases it looks like the reason is that the two are just too lazy or something to officially make the switch.

[FlashHarry]

12. Actually, I think they keep their cards...

...just so they can say, "actually, I'm a Democrat." Even though, they're about as Democratic as Zell Miller. DINOs, through and through.

[MAlibdem]

10. Well, they do represent

The logical progression of Wilsonian internationalism...Wilson was a democrat.

Sort of New Republic democrat-style. (I guess I fall in there too.)

I would say it's people who weren't as affected by Vietnam as most Democrats (I'm 18, so that would include me).

We should spread democracy and development (sanitation, housing, electricity, etc) around the world, it's our duty as the standard-bearer of democracy in the world. And now that the Cold War is over, we can actually do so, as opposed to using this rhetoric to prop up pro-western dictators.

*...bout to get flammed...*

[FlashHarry]

14. George Will just called the Bush Admin. "Wilson's third term."

Bingo.

[Tim_in_HK]

17. Well . . .

I don't think there's any question that Dems would agree with bringing democracy, human rights and development around the world.

It's more about how we do it. And where we do it. I've never seen Perle or his ilk advocate a large increase in the USAID budget as a way to strengthen democratization.

Nor have I heard them make an argument that we should be bringing democracy and human rights to places such as the Congo or even China. They are pretty selective as to when and where they roll out this argument.

[UTUSN]

21. Scoop JACKSON Gave Birth to Several NeoCons n/t

[justsam]

22. Richard Perle has

made a statement that there are 2 things that he likes about Bush
(1) he is not very smart
(2) He knows it

[lastknowngood]

2. Yea so is turn tail Zel

n/t

[FlashHarry]

4. I prefer to refer to him as...

He, who shall not be named.

[HFishbine]

5. Yes and no

He's contributed to Joe Lieberman's campaign.

[isbister]

6. I would've liked

to have seen Scott Ritter sitting and talking with those fellows.

[FlashHarry]

8. Kick

:kick:

[jpgpenn]

11. This is surprising to me.

Didn't Woolsey sign the PNAC letter?

[FlashHarry]

13. I think so. See my first post, though.

Remember, these guys aren't conservative Republicans. Technically, they're ultra-liberal, where foreign policy is concerned. (That's liberal with a small 'L'). The idea of spreading 'American values' across the globe by force (the "New American Century") is anything but conservative.)

[mobuto]

15. A Scoop Jackson Democrat

is like a Zell Miller Democrat, as opposed to a John/Lincoln Chafee Republican. In other words, a Scoop Jackson Democrat isn't.

[Merlin]

16. Yeah, so is a poisonous snake in the grass. This guy is a slime ball.

He is one of the rotten apples in the entire barrel. He is a pathological sychophant who has done absolutely nothing good in the public arena. All of his contributions have been diabolical.

[Bombtrack]

18. that's sort of an extreme assertion

I probably disagree with the guy on alot of things. But people here just have no problem demonizing people for differing worldviews.

Of course it would be stereotypically unliberal to not be suspicious of all spooks, but I have tried to overcome my guilt by association biases. And Woolsey was actually pretty funny one time on Bill Maher, it was the first time I ever heard him interviewed. He actually was on with Harold Ford(both as different talking heads over sattelite) and he was more witty and insightful than Ford, which is not easy

[JNelson6563]

19. That's why we have the term DINO

There are too many who like to call themselves Dems (when politcally expediant) but they are not.

And Woolsey least of all. He must be a descendent of another famous Wolsey (with slight adjustment to the spelling of name) and this one was a henchman for a king with despotic tendencies.

Sad.

Julie

[FlashHarry]

20. Cardinal Wolsey, perhaps?

Hmm... Maybe Jim should move to Hampton Court...