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February 12, 2007

The 2008 Campaign Goes International

What is it about U.S. elections that induces foreigners to butt in? (Rhetorical question; please don't answer it.) Australian Prime Minister John Howard decided to make the argument al Qaeda is hoping for a Democratic victory in 2008 in the U.S., a comment that insults all Americans. I know that politics never really did end at the water's edge, but I confess that it would be nice to see Americans of all stripes stand up and tell the rest of the world to stay the heck out of our internal affairs (admittedly a stance that would be abetted by our staying out of the rest of the world's affairs).

I disagree with the Democratic Party about a lot of things. There's an inordinate number of things I don't like about the Democrats in general. But I would like to explain to Mr. Howard and the rest of the world that, regardless about how I may feel about Democrats, there's one thing that stands above the rest: they are my countrymen. We may disagree about just about everything; we may fight like cats and dogs and we may despise each other on certain levels. But we are all Americans, and I find it insulting and highly improper for the leader of any nation, and especially one of our allies and friends, to suggest for one second that the Democrats are in any way an ally, however unwilling, of America's enemies.

Mr. Howard owes the Democratic Party and all Americans an apology. And he and the rest of the world would do well to keep their opinions regarding who we ought to elect to themselves. It's none of my business who Australians elect to run their government. It's none of their business who we elect to run ours.