American Idol

Tonight on MSNBC’s “Hardball,” Chris Mathews hosted a debate on Afghanistan policy between polar opposites on the political spectrum: a liberal, Ron Reagan, and a neo-conservative Frank Gaffney, leader of right-wing think tank called The Center for Security Policy specializing in military policy.

The discussion between Gaffney and Reagan was predictably loud, as each made their cases for why the US war in Afghanistan has or has not been effective. However, as the two were talking over one another trying to get in the last word before commercial, Gaffney told Reagan very pointedly “Your father would be ashamed of you.”

Beyond Gaffney’s comment being what it was—obnoxious—I found it pretty revealing as to the neo-con image of the late Ronald Reagan as a near-divine figure symbolizing everything they believe America should be: a nation which strides godlike across the earth spreading democracy and Jesus through the barrel of a gun (or nuclear warhead).

And as this is a position that Ron Reagan openly rejects, Gaffney and other neo-cons clearly take umbrage with the young man by: a) apparently feeling they knew President Reagan better than his own son did, and; b) voicing—as Gaffney did on “Hardball” tonight--a bitter disappointment with Ron Reagan for foolishly rejecting his conservative birthright when instead he should be proudly goose-stepping alongside his true brethren (e.g. Cheney, Libby, Feith, Rumsfeld, et al. – y’know, all the dumbasses who pushed the US into Iraq based on fictional weapons stockpiles, and by focusing so heavily on said theatre are the major reason why Afghanistan is now twisting in the wind.)

Just in case you were wondering, Ron Reagan’s response to Gaffney’s aforementioned statement was to say that he’d better watch his mouth.

Personally, were they not separated by a satellite link-up, I’d have preferred to see Ron just knock Gaffney on his pompous ass.

But then again, I doubt his father would have wanted that.