Geoff Davis and The Way We Were

Yesterday we discussed how odd it was that Rep. Geoff Davis would spend 8 years vilifying critics of the Iraq War as al-Qaeda appeasing cut-and-runners who don’t support the troops, and then casually said that the Iraq War was a mistake yesterday. Without being prefaced by, you know, a big apology.

Well, we’ve had more time to dip into the archives, and boy did we find some more stuff. This is from November 3rd, 2005 on the House floor, as Republicans sought to show the “truth” about the War in Iraq. Iraq was going swimmingly, you see, unlike what those liars in the liberal media and cut-and-running Democrats were saying.

One of the speakers that day to explain the treachery of those who criticized the war was Rep. Geoff Davis. Enjoy:

The whole thing is quite fascinating. But here’s some of the fun parts:

Mr. Speaker, I want to take a moment to share a perspective that I think is often lost in the freedoms we enjoy, the freedom to meet in this Chamber, the freedom to reflect upon the great decisions that have been made here through the generations, The decision to enter into a war, to provide freedom and the maintenance of our union, the decision to free peoples in Europe and ultimately preserve our security at home.

On December 7, 1941, President Roosevelt stood in this Chamber and declared that December 7 was a day of infamy. He shared that this unprovoked attack which moved the United States to war, eventually into Europe as well. In the Korean War, we stopped Communist aggression. In Vietnam, the American people responded. During Operation Desert Storm, the American people responded.

In this Chamber in September of 2001, President Bush responded to an attack that was not brought about, my friends, by some nebulous global war on terror. I think it is important that we understand this war is not about some nebulous terrorist concept. This is about Islamic extremism that chooses to impose itself on the world. These people who largely act as agents of states, these non-state actors do not follow the teachings that they purport. Yet if we look more deeply, we see that they are seeking to be true to their interpretation of that religion.

*****

More than that, I would suggest to you that these same people who want to talk about numbers and these liberal reporters who do not care about this Nation, who do not care about the price that was paid for the freedoms that they enjoy, where were you for the last 25 years? Where were you when 16,000 American soldiers died between 1983 and 1996 in service to this Nation? Where were you when 24,000 American men and women gave their lives between 1980 and 2004? Your comments, frankly, are despicable, dishonorable, uninformed, unhistorical, anti-intellectual and, frankly, un-American. But I respect your freedom to make those statements, because they were purchased with the blood of all of those who served.

*****

But now you disagree with the policy when our Nation is threatened by extremists, and soldiers and Marines and airmen and sailors have responded to that call, and you sit here mouthing your empty words.

*****

To me, I think the lesson that we have to ask ourselves is how do we get around this, how do we avoid this problem. Well, the media is not going to be helpful to this country because I think they have lost their connection with the heartland of this Nation, with the people who have borne the burden of the price of freedom through the generations.

*****

That is the contrast that we have here: freedom, opportunity, hope, true faith, or extremism, persecution, tyranny and hatred. Thank you for you who serve.

So there’s that…

What’s that word I’m looking for that describes Geoff Davis?