Zellip Flop

Zell Miller
September 1, 2004:

This is the man who wants to be the Commander in Chief of our U.S. Armed Forces?
U.S. forces armed with what? Spitballs?
. . .
John Kerry, who says he doesn’t like outsourcing, wants to outsource our national security.
That’s the most dangerous outsourcing of all. This politician wants to be leader of the free world.
Free for how long?
For more than 20 years, on every one of the great issues of freedom and security, John Kerry has been more wrong, more weak and more wobbly than any other national figure.
As a war protester, Kerry blamed our military.
As a Senator, he voted to weaken our military.

March 1, 2001 (via Eschaton):

My job tonight is an easy one: to present to you one of this nation’s authentic heroes, one of this party’s best-known and greatest leaders � and a good friend.
. . .
In his 16 years in the Senate, John Kerry has fought against government waste and worked hard to bring some accountability to Washington.
. . .
John has worked to strengthen our military, reform public education, boost the economy and protect the environment. Business Week magazine named him one of the top pro-technology legislators and made him a member of its “Digital Dozen.”
. . .
John is a graduate of Yale University and was a gunboat officer in the Navy. He received a Silver Star, Bronze Star and three awards of the Purple Heart for combat duty in Vietnam. He later co-founded the Vietnam Veterans of America.

Of course for Miller, as for all of us, 9/11 changed everything–including the meaning of “John has worked to strengthen our military.”
After the “Land of Opportunity” program concluded, Miller proceeded to make the TV circuit and dig his hole even deeper. First I saw him on CNN where the anchors rightly pointed out that once upon a time Dick Cheney had also opposed some of the weapons systems Miller blasted Kerry for voting against. Miller couldn’t put together a coherent rationalization explaining why Kerry was wrong but Cheney was right.
Next, it was over to MSNBC, where the Miller meltdown was completed. After fumbling with Chris Matthew’s straightforward questions on whether or not he actually believed Kerry wanted to defend America with spitballs, Miller resort to yelling, “Get out of my face.” Then things turned really bizarre: “I wish we lived in the day when you could challenge a person to a duel.” Fortunately, Matthews was interviewing Miller from a remote location, so no shots were actually fired.
Overall, I thought “A Land of Opportunity” night worked to Kerry/Edwards’ benefit. I don’t see Miller’s over-the-top rhetoric playing well with undecideds. And Cheney’s flip flop speech didn’t seem all that more effective. The Bush campaign is working hard to shore up the base. There’s a real opportunity for Kerry to hone in on the middle if he can focus his message.

Tom DeLay Sighting

I think I spotted Tom DeLay at the GOP convention . . . he was in one of the crowd shots during the Ronald Reagan tribute video.
Anyone know where the House Majority Leader has been? Perhaps he switched places with Cheney and went to the undisclosed location. Interesting how a party convention yields the stage to an actor, a figure skater, a gymnast, a football player, but not one of its most power leaders.

Resonance Physical Fitness Challenge

I don’t consume alcohol, so I thought I’d come up with a healthier version of the drinking game:

I will bicycle 25 miles for every mention of “Osama bin Laden” by either Vice President Cheney or President Bush in his acceptance speech at the GOP convention.

Better go pump up those tires.
Feel free to set your own personal challenge. And tune in as our leaders recite their efforts in bringing the head 9/11 perpetrator to justice.
UPDATE: I’ve searched Cheney’s speech and no Osama. Guess Cheney was too busy going after America’s real enemy–John Kerry. But, not to worry. I’m sure our wartime president will level with us tonight and offer a candid update on his pledge to located Osama “wanted dead or alive” bin Laden.
UPDATE 2: Alas, it’s 0 for 2 in the speeches. But I suppose I can do a nice long ride anyway.
Back in October 2001, who would have imagined that in his re-election convention speech President Bush would place a much greater emphasis on Iraqi elections than on Osama bin Laden?