01-28-2024, 07:14 PM
(01-28-2024, 04:45 PM)Matt_Crimson Wrote: What's interesting is Reuters cuts out part of Senator Tom Cotton's quote. In the Reueters article he's quoted as saying,"The only answer to these attacks must be devastating military retaliation against Iran’s terrorist forces ... Anything less will confirm Joe Biden as a coward," said Republican Senator Tom Cotton in a statement."
But what he actually said in full was, “The only answer to these attacks must be devastating military retaliation against Iran’s terrorist forces, both in Iran and across the Middle East. Anything less will confirm Joe Biden as a coward unworthy of being commander in chief".
That's a significantly different quote.
Other than the degree/span of response, it doesn't seem that different to me. They didn't cut that many words, which makes it an interesting editorial choice, but seems like the takeaway there is the over-the-top hyperbole from Cotton.
It gives Cotton and the Repubs the range to criticize most any other response from Biden as "cowardly" or "not enough".
Pretty pathetic on the part of Cotton. This is a very serious escalation and neither the time nor place for Cotton to undermine Biden in the name of politics.
On the other hand, it could actually be a coordinated response to become an important messaging that a severe smackdown is on the table. Only a Republican could deliver that, which makes a very real threat of potential escalation beyond what Biden actually does to make Iran get in line. But I have little faith there still exists that level of bipartisanship for that to actually be the case.
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