Thanks For Nothing, John McCain and Lindsey Graham

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by: Colorado Pols

Sens. John McCain, Lindsey Graham.

The Denver Post’s John Frank reports obligingly on an upcoming event sponsored by his newspaper and developer Larry Mizel’s pet “education” project, the Counterterrorism Education Learning Lab (CELL):

A former Republican presidential candidate and a White House hopeful will visit Denver next month to discuss violent extremism in the world and how the United States should respond.

U.S. Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina are the featured speakers at the April 1 event hosted by The CELL and The Denver Post. Ed Henry, the chief White House correspondent for Fox News, will moderate the 7 p.m. program at the Denver Performing Arts complex.

The discussion will include the Islamic State, al-Qaeda, Iran and the growth of extremism in Europe, according to the organizers.

Anyone. Anytime. Anywhere. Be afraid!

It’s surprising–or maybe it’s not, depending on how cynical you are–that Frank fails to mention Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham’s most recent contribution to the debate over American foreign policy. McCain and Graham are both signers of the now-infamous letter from 47 Republican Senators to the government of Iran, attempting to undermine President Barack Obama’s authority to broker an agreement to halt that nation’s nuclear weapons program. The fierce backlash by the public against this letter has since caused McCain to backtrack, claiming the letter was signed in haste as Senators were leaving Washington ahead of bad weather–but not actually admitting it was a bad idea like more or less every responsible outside observer has.

Then again, a whitewash of this recent foreign policy embarrassment would be about right considering the event’s hosts. Mizel’s Counterterrorism Education “Learning Lab” has been described by critics as more of a propaganda tool for spreading fear of the tactic of terrorism among the public–thus short-circuiting discussion of underlying issues–than a legitimate public education project. The central exhibit’s name “Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere” captures the sense of paranoia “awareness” the place is meant to foster.

All of which we have to assume is fine with McCain and Graham, who would rather you be afraid like the CELL teaches visitors to be than think critically about American foreign policy. Especially when that might lead to pointed questions for them personally.

15 thoughts on “Thanks For Nothing, John McCain and Lindsey Graham”

Phoenix Rising says:

March 17, 2015 at 11:51 am

Sens. Graham and McCain represent a “fair and balanced” pair for the panel as well. Nothing like having a wide-ranging discussion with two Senators who might as well be linked at the lizard brain.

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Moderatus says:

March 17, 2015 at 12:03 pm

Pols, is terrorism no longer a threat, or do we just need to start listening to the terrorists? I’m not sure which it is from your vague blog post but I disagree either way.

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1. FrankUnderwood says:
  
  March 17, 2015 at 12:14 pm
  
  Terrorism is a threat which should be dealt with responsibility and rationally. Need I remind you that the most serious terrorist attack to occur on US soil occurred during the Republican administration of George W. Bush. And how did our fearless leader respond to that? He announced that we would “smoke out” Osama bin Laden, told people to go shopping in malls, and invaded Iraq looking for phantom WMDs. Oh, and by the way, it was Obama who actually brought bin Laden to justice.
  
  That photo of these two clowns (McCain and Graham) remind me of the Caped Crusader and the Boy Wonder.
  
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  1. Zappatero says:
    
    March 17, 2015 at 1:16 pm
    
    hey Repubs, Moderatus, and AC: wear your diapers for this one.
    
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2. BlueCat says:
  
  March 17, 2015 at 12:26 pm
  
  So you actually admit that you don’t know WTF ColPols is saying but that’s no reason not to be sure you disagree. Either way. So if Colpols is saying black you say white or the other way around. The content doesn’t matter. The very definition of a knee jerk response, one which entirely bypasses any mental processing whatsoever. You should join speaking guests Dumb and Dumber as Dumbest and take it on the road.
  
  PS: Try reading it over again very slowly. It’s not that complicated.
  
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  1. Moderatus says:
    
    March 18, 2015 at 11:26 am
    
    I have been to the CELL, it’s highly informative. It’s not meant to frighten, but to empower citizens to understand terrorism and how to prevent it. What is your problem with that?
    
    I don’t knee jerk anything, that’s the echo chamber on this blog and whatever the shills who run it tell you to believe.
    
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    1. BlueCat says:
      
      March 18, 2015 at 12:18 pm
      
      You haven’t addressed anything to do with the subject of the diary and you cannot back up what you say about me being a shill who believes anything I’m told. I invite you to go through , not only my comments but the comments of others in which you will find us disagreeing with one another and criticizing Dem elected officials and pols. I have been highly critical of the way Obama has handled many issues, of HRC, of Andrew Romanoff to name the first few that pop into my head. I have been critical of Dem political maneuvers and messaging, never accepting that Dems problems are all the fault of the big bad Rs. No one could possibly back up any accusation that I think what I’m told to think. I present and demand accurate facts. “Echo chamber” is just one of your spoon fed knee jerk insults. As usual you are attempting to deploy one of the few techniques at your disposal, look over there, and doing so clumsily and inaccurately.
      
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Diogenesdemar says:

March 17, 2015 at 12:34 pm

I have often wondered what that weird “CELL” falderal was about? Mizel! Now it all makes sense (in a nonsensical sense) . . .

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1. Zappatero says:
  
  March 17, 2015 at 3:04 pm
  
  so there’s a Republican sponsored terrorism cell (oops, CELL, ha ha!) here in Denver? Double diapers for AC and Moddy. And, btw, what noise does Lindsey make when he wets his jodhpurs?
  
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Half Glass Full says:

March 17, 2015 at 12:34 pm

Talk about your April Fools!

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1. Duke Cox says:
  
  March 17, 2015 at 7:32 pm
  
  yes… right….
  
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Zappatero says:

March 17, 2015 at 3:09 pm

bad grammer everywhere:

The discussion will include the Islamic State, al-Qaeda, Iran and the growth of extremism in Europe, according to the organizers.

Must assume that “discussion topics” will include Isis and AQ. If the discussion includes them sitting on stage with Lindsey and McCain……now that I would pay to see.

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1. BlueCat says:
  
  March 17, 2015 at 3:10 pm
  
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2. Zappatero says:
  
  March 17, 2015 at 3:10 pm
  
  how is it the danged editor will show my bold and italics in preview, but eliminate them when published?
  
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Duke Cox says:

March 17, 2015 at 7:28 pm

The graphic has the look of a Jehovahs’ Witness magazine cover to it….

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