Rep. Anthony Weiner Favors Action in Libya. Next Target: Imus
Imus almost didn’t recognize Rep. Anthony Weiner this morning because the Democrat from New York was so composed. “Ordinarily when you see Congressman Weiner, he’s screaming at some poor Fox host,” Imus noted.
Naturally, Weiner was defensive. “I come on when I’m invited, and I fight back,” he said. “They’re used to have people roll over, and that’s not my style.”
Weiner also refused to roll over for Imus, insisting that U.S. participation in Libya was necessary to stop the massacre of innocent citizens. “I don’t think we should necessarily take the lead in every operation around the world, but if we’re a powerful country, one of the ways we use our power is for good,” Weiner said.
He is more comfortable with Operation Odyssey Dawn, as it is known, than with some other conflicts the U.S. has involved itself in over the last few years. In Iraq, for instance, “we went it alone, we didn’t have any real coalition support,” Weiner said.
And sometimes, in his view, the United States has to respond to the call of history. In Rwanda and during the run-up to World War II and the Holocaust, America resisted using force to defend people who couldn’t defend themselves. In retrospect, doing so could have saved countless lives.
“We’re part of a coalition that includes the Arab states—for once, they’re picking up their own mess,” Weiner noted. “As long as we’re not the only entity in there, and we’re not the ones taking charge of the whole operation, I’m in support of it.”
Weiner lamented that President Obama did not ask permission from Congress to intervene in Libya, but he had no issue with Obama initially saying Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi had to go, but then backing off that pronouncement in recent days.
“If it ends with Gaddafi dead, I don’t think anyone will be that upset,” Weiner observed. “What I understand of the mission right now, it’s to defend the people and allow them the ability to defend themselves.”
As for why the U.S. doesn’t intervene in other countries where innocent civilians are suffering at the hands of dictators or other such lunatics, Weiner crowed, “That’s a great question!” thereby ingratiating himself with Imus so much that it hardly mattered what kind of asinine reply he provided.
Weiner acknowledged that the U.S. could intervene in a country like Yemen, where it has a greater national interest. “These are tough calls,” he said. “That’s why we have the great President we do to try to make them, and the extraordinary Secretary of State.”
Weiner also congratulated Obama on creating more jobs in two years than President Bush did in eight, and on contributing to the stock market’s stellar performance last year. “Are you telling me this stuff because you know I don’t know any better, or do you, like everybody else, think I’m just an idiot?” Imus wondered.
Actually, neither. “If I give you enough positive statistics, sooner or later your eyes will glaze over, you’ll start talking about the Ranch or your cancer, and we’re off to the races,” Weiner said.
A Verizon customer, Weiner had no strong position on AT&T merging with T-Mobile, other than to ensure the deal was not somehow harmful to consumers. “I’m going to be monitoring Fox Business throughout the day,” Weiner promised. “Because it’s the power to perspire. Or something like that.”
-Julie Kanfer
Anthony Weiner 
Reader Comments (1)
Well the Imus show has a ban(I THINK) on Canadian email
SO I will use this Forum while we get the snow off our protest sign
It's the reason Imus is leaving New York City...he's a scared!!!!!
While the Wheels are falling off the World...Imus is talkin bout slamming hamsters...oh yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1