The Hypocrisy of Norm Coleman's "Kofi Must Go" Line

[mdhunter]

Consider the following, from Coleman's recent statement about the Oil-For-Food Scandal and Kofi Annan.

"While many questions concerning Oil-for-Food remain unanswered, one conclusion has become abundantly clear: Kofi Annan should resign. The decision to call for his resignation does not come easily, but I have arrived at this conclusion because the most extensive fraud in the history of the U.N. occurred on his watch. In addition, and perhaps more importantly, as long as Mr. Annan remains in charge, the world will never be able to learn the full extent of the bribes, kickbacks and under-the-table payments that took place under the U.N.’s collective nose."

Stop. Are you still alive? That is, did you not die from laughter at reading this?

The hypocrisy of it all is actually humorous. What if, pray tell, his same rationale were applied to the United States. What if there were no double standard, and the principles he outlines were universally held?

What if the Bush administration were held accountable for the most extensive intelligence failure in the country's history - it did, after all, happen on their watch. And, unlike the case with Kofi, we know concretely their involvement with that failure. Does anyone doubt that this administration is the most secretive of the modern era; that we'll never know, while they are in power, a myriad of things that happened under our collective nose? Is anyone holding the war planners responsible for their debacle that is Iraq - was anyone taking seriously the calls that Rumsfeld should go amidst Abu Gharib? Why then I should care what Norm Colemans thinks of Kofi Annan, I do not know.

Annan's real involvement with the scandal remains to be seen, and Coleman's investigation is worthwhile, and, in fact, should be asking questions and being critical of the secretary general. But, I refuse to admit as valid these principles of dismissal that, frankly, are scoffed at by the Right at home.