In 2005, Karl Rove told an audience in New York that “In the wake of 9/11, conservatives believed it was time to unleash the might and power of the United States military against the Taliban; in the wake of 9/11 liberals believed it was time to submit a petition.” He went on, “I am not joking. Submitting a petition is precisely what MoveOn.org did. It was a petition imploring the powers that be to ‘use moderation and restraint in responding to the terrorist attacks against the United States.’ ” MoveOn called Rove a liar, but he wasn’t lying. As Byron York noted at the time, there was a petition and it did in fact call on the U.S. government to use any means other than military force:
So not terribly surprised at Greg Sargent’s report that MoveOn is asking its members to write the White House and “tell them we need a clear exit strategy-not tens of thousands more US troops stuck in a quagmire.” The email says “Pro-war advocates both inside and outside the admistration – including John McCain and Joe Lieberman – are calling for a big escalation,” but the group refrains from criticizing Obama for the big escalation he already approved earlier this year — wouldn’t want to let pacifist principles interfere with partisan loyalties. So what will be MoveOn’s ‘General Betray Us’ equivalent for General McChrystal?
