Search For WMD Ends, Search For Outrage Begins

by Steve Young

Well, the fat lady sang. Sang? She belted it out: "No WMD in Iraq." The main reason we invaded Iraq was wrong, she warbled. The main reason we were scared into being scared shitless was no reason at all, went the lyrics. The main reason over 1,300 U.S. soldiers died doesn't even exist. The "proof" we received for over 10,000 U.S. soldiers injured was (and I think I can speak for the entire United Nations when I say) groundless. The justification for 100,000 dead Iraqi citizens, who would never receive the freedom we promised, was...a smidgen off.

The bloggers would be incensed. Debunking Dan Rather weren't nuthin'.

The Swift-Boaters would be hard at work on volume two. This time their brothers are still in harm's way due to an erroneous story.

And talk radio? Well, their lines are probably busting with truly irate callers needing their broadcast heros to tell them how to express their grief, their sorrow, and, if I know my talk show devotees...anger. Can you blame them? The crown jewels of our country -- our fighting men and women -- were thrown a sucker punch, and so many will never again be able to throw one in return.

As I normally do when big news abounds, I ran to the radio to hear the outrage that I was sure our purveyors of the truth you need to know, but can not find anywhere else, would be screaming bloody murder...and who was directly responsible for the bloody murder.

Could not wait for Rush to bombast. For Sean to pontificate. For Bill to boycott. For Savage to kill someone, anyone.

It would be beautiful. They'll be on this one for weeks. Perhaps they'll be bringing on some of the dead soldier's families who are royally pissed. Not pissed that their child, or husband/wife, or dad/mom died in vain. No soldier dies in vain. Even a liberal or progressive knows that. But still, to hear them tell how their now courageous, now dead, veteran stood before them proudly when he/she told them he was going to war so that those WMD wouldn't be used against our country.

If one thing I knew for sure, it was that my Lords of Loud, few of whom had the privilege to volunteer their services and bodies to protect their freedom of speech, would not let the President off the hook. Why would they? Certainly, this would become one of the most egregious events ever put upon our nation by the people who are supposed to be protecting our lives. Could the pain of the parents of our casualties be any less than profound? Would the young wives of the National Guard weekenders ever dream that their dreams would die this young for a blunder? What about the children of the new amputees who will never be held again by their dad?

Go to it, boys and girls of Talk Radio!! Your fans await your lead from the Ground Zero of righteous indignation. I finally got to the radio and started to tune in all my favorites -- and here is what I heard:

Hannity: Senator Kennedy made a speech extolling democrats to be even more...democratic.

Limbaugh: Dan Rather has to go.

Elder: Blacks are pulling the race card.

Prager: George Bush is moral.

O'Reilly: American dissent to the war must be limited.

Ingram: Something that sounded sarcastic.

And so, George Bush and Karl Rove better take the hint. The people, especially those who speak to and for so many people, are "mad as hell and aren't going to take it anymore." There's no question about it. If President Bush ever expects to be elected again he had better knock it off.