Syndicated columnist Gene Lyons discusses the demonization of Iran’s powerless president, the state of their democracy compared to the neighbors, consequences of recent elections around the Middle East, Bush’s lifelong hostility to learning, the impossibility of the American Empire’s survival of a war in Persia, possible domestic consequences, the neocon “idea” that the Iranians would take our side if we bombed them, the abject ignorance and gullibility of the American population, the rift between the Ayatollahs and al Qaeda, the fact that Iranians are human individuals and Hillary Clinton’s vote for Kyle-Lieberman, dogs, Mike Huckabee, Iran again, and Wesley Clarke’s predictions about what would happen in Iraq back in 2002.
MP3 here. (44:10)
Gene Lyons, National Magazine Award winner and columnist for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, writes a weekly column for Newspaper Enterprise Association. A Southerner with a liberal viewpoint, Lyons comments on politics and national issues with a distinct voice. Lyons has been a columnist with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette since 1994. He previously spent five years as general editor at Newsweek, and was associate editor at Texas Monthly for a year. In 1980, he won the National Magazine Award for Public Service for the Texas Monthly article “Why Teachers Can’t Teach.” A prolific author, Lyons has written hundreds of articles, essays and reviews for such magazines as Harper’s, The New York Times Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, Esquire, Slate and Salon. His books include The Higher Illiteracy (University of Arkansas, 1988), Widow’s Web (Simon & Schuster, 1993), Fools for Scandal (Franklin Square, 1996) and, with Joe Conason, The Hunting of the President: The Ten Year Campaign to Destroy Bill and Hillary Clinton (St. Martin’s, 2000). Mozark Productions’ “The Hunting of the President,” a documentary based on the book of the same title and produced and directed by Harry Thomason, is an official selection of the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. Lyons graduated from Rutgers University and earned a Ph.D. in English from the University of Virginia. He taught at the Universities of Massachusetts, Arkansas and Texas before becoming a full-time writer. A native of New Jersey, Lyons has lived in Little Rock with his wife Diane, an administrative vice president at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, since 1972. They have two sons.
It was truly amazing to hear Senator Hillary Clinton last night on Keith Olbermann answer him, in so many words, that she voted for the defiant Kyle-Libermann Amendment in order for the USA to be better able to negotiate. What???? Who is she fooling?
While there (only ) may be females desrving to be president. I as a former democrat will sit out the coming election if she is the party’s candidate. Her lack of candor in aligignment with the defacto Israeli traitor Lieberman , speaks volumes about keeping realistic . Especially where changing or ANY reform of the two party system. About 40 years back I left the Army . And I am happy as hell I did every four years. What monotonous liars are served up endlessly. That Liberman ( Israeli traitor) is not vice president is the sole grace of teh 2004 election.
In DROVEs ,retirees are coming to Mexico to avoid the economic blowback of chronic incompetence . Where national politics is concerned , incompetence and expediency are mistaken for virtue Ron Paul OR Russ Feingold should be DRAFTED for president. It should be a constitional law that any congressperson voting for war . is to spend all weekends changing bedpans at veterans hospitals. And SLEEP there instead of Congress . Nothng but CRAP from our leaders !
Steve Sulkanen
Former taxpayer