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Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, July 2008, pages 62-63 Waging Peace Gore Vidal Backs Byron DeLear in Missouri Race
WHENEVER GORE VIDAL agrees to speak at an event, progressives are assured of being entertained with a scathing review of George W. Bush’s presidential performance. There were plenty of laughs and applause when the historian, novelist and critic of American affairs of state spoke at a May 4 fund-raiser for Missouri congressional hopeful Byron DeLear in the Beverly Hills home of Dr. Robert Siegel and Theresa DeBell. Former TV newscaster Bree Walker, who hosts a progressive talk show Saturdays on KTLK AM, opened the program by noting the media has been consolidated into ownership by six corporations. “This means the propaganda machine has been finalized—exactly as what happened in Nazi Germany,” stated the newswoman, who last year purchased Cindy Sheehan’s Camp Casey in Crawford, TX. Walker said she has publicly offered President Bush riding lessons. “He’s afraid of horses. Horses are afraid of him. George Bush is certainly not a farmer,” she exclaimed. “He grows nothing, he only kills.” Marci Winograd, emcee and chair of Progressive Democrats of Los Angeles, introduced Vidal and DeLear, who hopes to fill the seat of Republican Todd Akin of Missouri’s 2nd Congressional District in greater St. Louis. “Todd Akin supports all of George Bush’s legislation,” stated DeLear. “We’re suffering from decades of pollution by Big Money that shuts out the public interest,” he continued. “Imagine, 67,000 lobbyists are orbiting Congress—that’s about 153 lobbyists for each legislator. Fifty million Americans are denied health care, while we waste our resources on the war in Iraq and the $430 billion a year debt payment on that war. “If elected,” DeLear vowed, “I will demand a corporate withdrawal from Iraq.”
When the emcee asked Vidal if he could remember a time as desperate as this, the iconoclastic icon replied: “Thank God, no. We’ve never sunk so low. We have a commander in chief whining, ‘I’m a war president’ when in normal times, he would be in court being tried for starting an unwarranted war.” Vidal switched the topic to Israel. “All my life, Jews have been my closest friends. I lived with a Jewish man for more than 50 years, but I don’t like the stuff Israel is doing now. Watch how Hillary and Obama must pay homage to Israel. As for the much maligned Jimmy Carter, I like him and he’s trying to make peace.” Many in the audience called out for DeLear to protect himself from AIPAC and not express an opinion on Israel. Nevertheless, DeLear went on to say, ”We should build a common ground on which a resolution can occur. The common need for both sides is the safety of their children.” Asked whether he foresees an “October surprise” pulled by the Bush administration to retain power, Vidal commented: “We’re dealing with a declining nation. The U.S. is out of money. I don’t like anything that’s going on. Bush can’t even talk or pronounce words. Electronic voting machines are operated by vicious organizations.” The Washington Report asked Walker how she came to buy Camp Casey. She explained that, around Memorial Day 2007, Cindy Sheehan announced she was about to retire from the peace movement and sell the five acres she purchased next to George W. Bush’s Crawford ranch. For two years, Camp Casey, named for Sheehan’s son, who was killed on duty in April 2004 in Iraq, was a rallying place for Iraq war protesters. Upon learning that the right-wing “Moving America Forward” was about to offer Sheehan a seven-figure price so it could erect a monument to Bush, Walker paid Sheehan $87,000, the amount Sheehan paid plus expenses for paving roads. “Camp Casey will remain a peace monument,” Walker said firmly. “Soldiers from Fort Hood are welcome to stay there. George Bush detests the site; he refuses to drive past it. Instead, he and his entourage fly into his ranch in five helicopters.” Walker has planted much of the site with perennial flowers. Gardeners have removed enough of the blooming plants to form a giant peace sign which is difficult for GWB and his cohorts not to view when descending on Crawford. For more information, visit <www.byrondelearforcongress.org> and <www.breewalker.com>. —Pat Twair |
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