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8 November 2001  

Phil Donahue on the War

Rosie O’Donnell had Phil Donahue on today. I had either forgotten or never really realized how far to the left he is. He spent several minutes explaining why the US should stop the bombing and focus all its efforts on giving humanitarian aid to the Afghans over the holiday season. It would show the world what a compassionate people Americans are, he said. Imagine how much better we’ll feel on Christmas Eve knowing we’ve helped feed and clothe Afghan children. How are bombs making our children any safer? he asked.

Of course, it’s ludicrous to think that sending any amount of aid will sway the terrorists or their supporters from their belief that Americans are evil personified. But what bugs me just as much as this idiocy is that you just know Mr. Donahue wouldn’t be on national television advocating massive relief efforts for the Afghans if we weren’t at war with them. So, it comes down to helping them because we are at war with them, sending them our money because their leaders facilitated the slaughter of thousands of Americans. Hmm, where have I heard that before? Yes, Phil certainly got the message of his Catholic education, loud and clear.

God love her, Rosie wasn’t budging on her support of the bombing, and for a moment I thought it was going to be another Tom Selleck moment. But her respect for the daytime talk-show pioneer and the fact that, as she said, she would like to be on Phil’s side of the issue (where her political views normally place her) prevented any serious flare-up. Unfortunately, her defense of the war amounted to roughly: I’m angry and we have to do something. But it was still more than Mr. Compassion offered, and it was good to see any vestige of that American impulse to fight back self-confidently when attacked—especially when expressed by someone who voted for Al Gore.

09:23 PM