Pat Buchanan: Democrats will fall in line with 'popular' war on Iran David Edwards and Muriel Kane

Published: Monday August 27, 2007





Print This Email This Former Congressman Joe Scarborough discussed the possibility of an American attack on Iran with guest Pat Buchanan, an old-line conservative who has often been skeptical of Bush administration policies, on his MSNBC program Monday. Both men agreed that an attack on Iranian Revolutionary Guard camps was not only likely but would be generally popular with the American people. Buchanan pointed to recent claims by the US military that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (al-Quds) is the source of explosive devices that are killing American soldiers in Iraq, saying, "They're laying down a predicate for military strikes on the al-Quds camps inside Iran. ... And I think then they'd go for the nuclear sites. " Buchanan believes that an attack on Iran would be well received by Americans and that the Democratic Party would not offer any meaningful opposition. "My guess would be that Barack Obama and Miss Hillary and the others would be in a state of paralysis," he stated, "because it might be a very popular initial move and elements of the Democratic Party would support. You take Joe Liberman, would cheer his head off." "I think if you took polls of the American people, they would put Iran right up at the top of America's enemies list," Buchanan continued. "So I think in the Democratic Party, of course, you've got the -- with due respect, you've got the Israeli Lobby and Israel, and you've got the hardline like Lieberman, and you've got the Neoconservatives, and you've got a lot of evangelical Christians and others who think this is a real menace and you ought to hit them." Buchanan has often been accused of anti-Semitism, a charge which he denies, and has regularly stated that American involvement in the Middle East has more to do with Israel's interests than its own. Blogger Ana Marie Cox, who is cohosting Scarborough's show this week, objected to Buchanan's argument, stating, "You said that Americans backed, you know, the invasion of Iraq because they thought Iraq was responsible for 9/11. So you're saying, like, if the president lies to the American people -- again -- then it would be popular..." Buchanan replied, "I don't see politicians in this city standing up and saying, 'That was an outrageous thing to do, Mr. President.' ... I think the initial reaction would be 'the president's the leader and we're at war.'" "That's the classic script," insisted Cox. "I think the Democrats may have learned something..." Scarborough broke out in laughter at this, saying, "No, the Democrats haven't learned anything. ... Their own base is upset because they won't stand up to George Bush. ... They not standing up to Bush on Iraq. ... They're afraid to be taking a stand because they don't want to be seen as weak on defense." The following video is from MSNBC's Morning Joe, broadcast on August 27.



