Rudy!

MANIFESTO

The most inane story of the day has to do with America's mayor and his contention that

if a Democrat is elected president in 2008, America will be at risk for another terrorist attack on the scale of Sept. 11, 2001.

But if a Republican is elected, he said, especially if it is him, terrorist attacks can be anticipated and stopped ...

"I listen a little to the Democrats and if one of them gets elected ..." Giuliani continued, "we will wave the white flag on Iraq. We will cut back on the Patriot Act, electronic surveillance, interrogation and we will be back to our pre-Sept. 11 attitude of defense."

And we should think this is a bad idea because ...?

It's pretty clear where Rudy Rudy Rudy (and, for that matter, a vast majority of Republicans) stands on the kind of society he wants—one where citizens' civil liberties are curtailed, where presumed "enemies" are brutally interrogated, where sovereign nations are invaded for no reason, and where paranoia reigns.

I think we already saw in the 2006 election where Americans stand on this kind of culture.

UPDATE — Kevin Drum chimes in.