Still Living in the Past

The foreign policy pronouncements of the Democrats, and their presumptive leader JFKerry, continue to exhibit either a cluelessness regarding the present situation or an intentional attempt to deceive. Bill Kristol looks at some recent statements from Kerry and the Democratic leadership.

LAST THURSDAY, CNN's Larry King asked John Kerry whether he would want former President Bill Clinton to campaign on his behalf. Kerry said yes. "What American would not trade the economy we had in the 1990s, the fact that we were not at war and young Americans were not deployed?"

Kerry's answer is revealing. We were, in fact, at war. The Clinton administration, with the exception of a few cruise missiles, had simply chosen not to fight back. Osama bin Laden, a sworn enemy of the United States, had launched attacks on our embassies and on a warship of the U.S. Navy. Saddam Hussein had defied U.N. weapons inspections, repeatedly threatened America, and attempted to assassinate former President Bush.

Kerry does not believe that we were at war in the '90s. That may be excusable, since most people did not see the numerous attacks on US interests as part of a larger war. What is inexcusable, however, is the fact that Kerry still does not see that we are at war. He and the Democrats have repeatedly stated that the risk of terrorism is overstated and that, anyways, this is more a police matter than a war. One wonders what needs to happen before they do consider us at war?

There are many issues in this election campaign, but there is one that is more important than all others - the fight against global Islamic terrorism. And on this issue, the Democrats repeatedly demonstrate that they are simply not serious.