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Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Of Moose, Mice and Men

The Moose plays the devil's advocate and mischievously suggests that the Congressional Democrats are a bunch of spineless politicians who are unmanly and refuse to take risks and avoid conflict.

Has the Moose gone beserk and been transformed into a kossak? No, he just wonders whether it might be better for the donkey to undertake an experiment. Let's see if the voting public will embrace a confrontational, left-wing take no prisoners party. Maybe, America longs for manly men and women of the left.

There is one issue and one book that prompted the Moose's strange suggestion. The issue is whether the donkey should embrace the Feingold censure resolution over the NSA intercepts. The Moose has not been enamored with the resolution. Of course, full disclosure is necessary. The Moose is also not bothered by the NSA program and doesn't believe that the American people will punish the President for being overly-zealous in defending the country against Al -Qaeda.

But, there is a legitimate argument that those Democrats who do believe that the President violated the law, should embrace the Feingold resolution. If they refuse to support this resolution which is a reflection of their position, perhaps they are just wimps and "unmanly".

And this brings the Moose to the book of the moment - Straussian Harvard Professor Harvey Mansfield's "Manliness". Yesterday, Ruth Marcus in the Washington Post cited the book,arguing that President Bush has too much of the subject of the book. Dr. Mansfield argues that the traits of risk and conflict which are embodied by manliness are unappreciated. But, before charges of sexism are leveled, the book's author maintains that women can exhibit "manly" virtues, and Mansfield has even made the cover of Oprah magazine.

Oprah meets Strauss!

And maybe the Democrats need an injection of "Manliness" - and the solution is the embrace of the Feingold resolution. Republicans are eagerly goading Democrats to take up the resolution suggesting that if they do not they are - "unmanly" wimps.

Indeed, the main frustration of the donkey has come down to this - many Democrats believe that the President is too "manly" and their own leaders are insufficiently "manly." The Moose, however, is not insecure about his masculinity and opts for the conservative virtue of prudence.

Real men aren't suicidal.
-- Posted at 6:05 AM | Link to this post | Email this post