BuzzMachine... by Jeff Jarvis

May 04, 2003

Bob Graham and homeland security
: The Washington Post magazine tries to portray presidential candidate Bob Graham as a bit of a Chicken Little regarding homeland security. They paint a picture of a dull, plodding guy who freaks out over the risk to us at home. Of course, this was a man who headed the Intelligence Committee; he knows things we don't; he could have reason to freak out; so could we.

He supported the first Gulf War, and only opposed the second one because he had a long list of countries he believed were more dangerous than Iraq, and didn't want to jack up the risk of terrorism for a low-priority target. He hints that he could support military action against known terrorists -- al Qaeda in Yemen, Hezbollah in Syria, Lebanon and Iran, and even Hamas in the West Bank and Gaza. His message is simple: There are many people with the ability and desire to kill Americans, so we'd better kill them first. "We've taken the pressure off al Qaeda," he complains. "We haven't done anything about Hezbollah. We need to take the fight to the terrorists."
In fact, few people who have followed Graham's career -- and few people who have seen the same classified material that he has -- think politics has much to do with his preachings. They say Bob Graham is no Jack Kennedy -- and the threat of terrorism is no made-up missile gap. "The thing is, he's a serious man, not a showboat, and he's absolutely right to be concerned," says Sen. Richard Shelby, an Alabama Republican who worked closely with Graham on the intelligence committee.
House intelligence committee Chairman Porter Goss of Florida, another Republican, says he can't understand why Graham's dire warnings haven't gotten more attention: "Bob Graham is not a grandstander. He's one of the most responsible people I know. He's sounding the alarm, loud and clear, and no one seems to be listening."
In this edgy era of duct tape, sleeper cells and Cipro, the alternative to the opportunist-demagogue theory of Bob Graham's transformation is much more disturbing: Maybe the former Senate intelligence chairman is genuinely convinced that something awful is going to happen.
"Bob is a responsible guy; if he says something, it's true," says Buddy Shorstein, his former chief of staff and one of his best friends. "I'll tell you, that's what scares the hell out of me." ...
I tell people: As you go about your day, look at all the vulnerabilities in your community, your workplace, your home," he says. "Drive under a bridge. Walk into a building . . . My point is it's impossible to secure our homeland without doing away with our liberties."
That's the cheery message Graham has been sharing with his friends. He's encouraged some of them to read The Age of Sacred Terror, a frightening book about the rise of militant Islam. "He's got me scared for my children and grandchildren," says his neighbor and former campaign manager Aaron Podhurst. Arva Moore Parks, a Miami historian and a close friend of the Grahams, says she's never seen Bob so worried. "I wonder: What's got him so frightened? What does he know that I don't know?"

If, God forbid, we suffer another terrible attack, the entire game called the presidential race will change again. The Demo doves will fade away. The hawks will fly.Language Extender mpx200

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What makes America great
: Bottomless coffee cups.Language Extender mpx200

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Iranian humor
: On Iranian.com, a very good site, they cleverly make a pitch for contributions when you click on a headline to see a story. One such pitch has a picture of Bush and these words: "You're either with iranian.com or you're with the terrrists." True in more ways than one.Language Extender mpx200

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The camel never forgets
: At The Iranian, Massud Alemi writes about the effect of time on the memory of Iranians regarding America:

Ever since the CIA-backed coup of 1953 against a popular government, which resulted in 25 years of dictatorship, Iranians held a long grudge against the U.S. for having ignored their democratic aspirations, a bitterness that translated itself into the American hostage crisis at the beginning of the Islamic Republic.
However, as the behavior of the revolutionary regime resulted in alienating America with its continuous export of terrorism and pursuit of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), domestically it alienated the Iranian people with oppression so brutal that it makes the Shah's torture chambers look like a stupid mistake.
As a result of this ironic twist of fate, a quarter century after taking part in the most popular and vehement anti-American revolutions in the world, the Iranian people are feeling closer to America in their hearts and minds than most other nations on earth. Judging from the emails and faxes and telephone messages that are left on the answering machine of the Persian Service at the Voice of America, George Bush now enjoys more support in Iran than here at home.
Given the intensity of the anti-American fervor 25 years ago in Iran, one would never have imagined such a reversal of sentiments after just one generation. Can America afford to ignore such overflow of support and enthusiasm in what must be the most hostile region of the world?

From this side of the glass, it's also important to say that Americans have not forgotten the "hostage crisis" and so there is a similar fear and trepidation regarding Iran. But I do sense a warmth and openness to dialogue and friendship in my links to Iranian weblogs.
Alemi is right: This is a historic opportunity to wipe the slate and start again. What does that mean? He argues that Bush must press Tehran for democratic reform while the opportunity is ripe.Language Extender mpx200

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What goes around
: Hooman, an Iranian blogger, can't understand why folks are in a tizzy about us not having found Iraq's weapons of mass destruction yet: "Hey people what's the rush? Calm down. You have to give the weapon inspections more time ;)"Language Extender mpx200

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Polls closed
: Oliver Willis sends word that FX has decided not to go ahead with the American Candidate series, which promised to pick a presidential candidate a la American Idol. FX says it's too expensive. The producer says he's going to find a home. I still like the idea, populist that I am. Language Extender mpx200

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