Hyped nothing, more likely

After seeing how quickly the warmongering politicians and pundits have jumped on the alleged terror plot in England, I'm now more likely to believe that is was a lot more "alleged" than "terror plot." From the WaPo, whose main web page could be shortened to "Be Afraid!", comes this:

Campaigning in Connecticut, Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, who lost Tuesday's Democratic primary and is now running as an independent, said the antiwar views of primary winner Ned Lamont would be "taken as a tremendous victory by the same people who wanted to blow up these planes in this plot hatched in England."

Because maybe with slightly less crazy people in the Senate, these alleged terrorists may no longer see the need to blow themselves up?

Rep. Mark Kennedy, the Republican Senate candidate in Minnesota, used the alleged plot as a campaign wedge only hours after it was disclosed.

"The arrests this morning in Great Britain make it clear that now, more than ever, this is an ongoing battle and we need leaders in Washington who remain committed to doing what is right instead of what may be seen as politically advantageous," he said. To amplify the point, Kennedy endorsed Lieberman over the GOP candidate in the race, Alan Schlesinger.

I'm sure the voters of Connecticut care more about what some jackass Repug from Minnesota thinks than what they think themselves.

"This country is safer than it was prior to 9/11," Bush said with Air Force One behind him. "We've taken a lot of measures to protect the American people. But obviously we're still not completely safe, because there are people that still plot and people who want to harm us for what we believe in."

In what was an apparent reference to this year's controversies over the administration's surveillance programs, Bush told reporters: "It is a mistake to believe there is no threat to the United States of America. And that is why we have given our officials the tools they need to protect our people."

You go, George. The Brits arrest a bunch of guys for some alleged terror plot, and you use it as an excuse for destroying the Constitution.

"It brings all those realities home and brings back some of the memories of 9/11 that got us into the war on terrorism in the first place," said Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds (N.Y.), chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee.
...
Peter H. Wehner, the White House director of strategic initiatives, distributed an e-mail to allies and reporters calling the alleged London plot a "clarifying moment" that should be, as he put it in the subject line, "a reminder of the stakes in this struggle." He argued that it underscores the fallacy of Democratic attacks on Bush's leadership in the fight against terrorism.

In addition to the usual lunatic ravings from Charles Krauthammer, the Post also has an op-ed from Newt Gingrich.