Crafty, Wily, Deceitful: Who Could That Be?

Devious women and their hidden agendas annoy me. But I can understand how and why some women have opted to be underhanded and sly. A world run by men has rarely looked with favor on forthright, strong, truth-telling women. And in particular, the Roman Catholic Church has taught women to seem to be compliant and fawning of the men who believe women are second-class citizens, if women do not want to be treated like witches, temptresses, whores and demons. Saint Augustine’s analysis of the sins of the world was that they were caused by the “concupiscence” of women. But devious men are a particular abomination to me. Yes, I mean Senator Joseph Lieberman…as in, I-CT. As the New York Times pointed out in its article this morning about the first post-election hearing on the Iraq war (“With Politics as Subtext, Senators Clash on Iraq”), “Was that red tie a hint?” The NYT went on to say, “But no sooner had Mr. Levin outlined his case for a phased pullout of troops beginning in four to six months than the new Independent Democratic hero of the hawkish wing, Senator Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut, began acting the role of cross-examiner, leading Gen. John P. Abizaid, the top American military commander in the Middle East, to say that such a withdrawal would increase violence and instability. “I take it by your answer that you profoundly disagree?” Mr. Lieberman asked. With the Democrats, he meant. “We have a window of opportunity and, really, responsibility now, after the election,” he said, “to find a bipartisan consensus for being supportive of the efforts of our troops and our diplomats there to achieve success.” The Lieberman modus operandi is now clear: Talk the bipartisan talk while walking the partisan walk. Mention supporting our troops as often as possible while meaning we should stay in Iraq for the foreseeable future and killing more American soldiers is inevitable. Imply that “success” by any criterion is possible, which it isn’t. Do the highroad rhetoric while pandering to the lowest lowlifes in Washington, DC. Trot out the let-us-reason-together façade while, in fact, being as unreasonable, inflexible, intransigent and stubborn as Vice President Dick Cheney. I used to think William Kristol was the most smug devious sack of crap in the GOP. That honor now belongs to Joe Lieberman.