James Taranto On Sen. John Kerry

From Best of the Web Today (12/14/03), James Taranto offers his thoughts on what Sen. Kerry had to say on the "Fox News Sunday" program.

Kerry has a rather blinkered view of diplomacy; he seems to equate it to "making nice with your adversaries." Sometimes, of course, that's a wise thing to do, but this isn't one of them. This is a time for recrimination and finger-pointing! The French and others actively worked to obstruct the liberation of Iraq and keep this vicious tyrant in power. We didn't need their help, we did it without them, and rewarding them now would send precisely the wrong message to all the nations of the world. They must pay for their perfidy so that everyone else will know such betrayal has a price. That's diplomacy too.

Taranto's observations are fundamental and it's sad that a man who wants to be President is so completely wrong. It's nonsensical to share the rewards with those who actively obstructed your efforts.

With Kerry's logic, the $25,000,000 reward for the capture of Saddam Hussein should be divided among France, Germany, and Russia, along with the person who actually deserves the reward.