This article is from the source 'rtcom' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.rt.com/usa/529671-khanna-kristol-democrat-neocon-twitter/
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Ro Khanna and... Bill Kristol? Progressive Democrat draws outrage over choice of new best friend in ‘defending liberalism’ | Ro Khanna and... Bill Kristol? Progressive Democrat draws outrage over choice of new best friend in ‘defending liberalism’ |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| Liberal and conservative Americans alike were dismayed after progressive Congressman Rohit Khanna (D-California) praised none other than neoconservative imperialist Bill Kristol as a defender of democracy and liberal values. | Liberal and conservative Americans alike were dismayed after progressive Congressman Rohit Khanna (D-California) praised none other than neoconservative imperialist Bill Kristol as a defender of democracy and liberal values. |
| Kristol “is one of the most thoughtful voices in defending liberalism and democratic institutions in our country,” Khanna tweeted on Monday, adding he “learned a lot” from him about “shaping… an inclusive narrative around American patriotism.” | Kristol “is one of the most thoughtful voices in defending liberalism and democratic institutions in our country,” Khanna tweeted on Monday, adding he “learned a lot” from him about “shaping… an inclusive narrative around American patriotism.” |
| Khanna added that he was a “strong and early critic of the war in Iraq” – which Kristol promoted – and that they have “very different worldviews on foreign policy,” but having “a discussion about strengthening liberalism and liberal institutions with people you disagree” is important for pluralistic democracy. | Khanna added that he was a “strong and early critic of the war in Iraq” – which Kristol promoted – and that they have “very different worldviews on foreign policy,” but having “a discussion about strengthening liberalism and liberal institutions with people you disagree” is important for pluralistic democracy. |
| That a former national chairman of progressive Senator Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vermont) campaign for president would consort with a neoconservative interventionist was a bridge too far for many of Khanna’s fellow leftists, whose angry replies vastly outnumbered the likes he got on Twitter by a ratio of 3:1. | That a former national chairman of progressive Senator Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vermont) campaign for president would consort with a neoconservative interventionist was a bridge too far for many of Khanna’s fellow leftists, whose angry replies vastly outnumbered the likes he got on Twitter by a ratio of 3:1. |
| Kristol is “a blood-soaked neoconservative war criminal” who helped launch the invasion in which a million Iraqis died and co-founded “the ultra-imperialist Project for the New American Century (whose goal was US military domination of the entire planet),” tweeted the Grayzone’s Ben Norton, for example. | Kristol is “a blood-soaked neoconservative war criminal” who helped launch the invasion in which a million Iraqis died and co-founded “the ultra-imperialist Project for the New American Century (whose goal was US military domination of the entire planet),” tweeted the Grayzone’s Ben Norton, for example. |
| Another progressive asked Khanna if he was being held hostage, to which the California congressmen replied “hahaha.” | Another progressive asked Khanna if he was being held hostage, to which the California congressmen replied “hahaha.” |
| “We disagree strongly on the Iraq war, but I believe you engage where there is common ground and he has been a voice on strengthening safeguards against executive abuse,” Khanna added, doubling down. | “We disagree strongly on the Iraq war, but I believe you engage where there is common ground and he has been a voice on strengthening safeguards against executive abuse,” Khanna added, doubling down. |
| Kristol has become a fixture on CNN and MSNBC for the last several years, having reinvented himself as a ‘principled conservative’ critic of President Donald Trump’s administration. The former editor of the now-defunct Weekly Standard also cashed in on the anti-Trump #Resistance by serving on the board of the Alliance for Securing Democracy, an outfit uniting neocons and liberals that’s behind the “Hamilton68 dashboard” Twitter witch hunt for “Russian trolls.” All of his concerns about executive overreach evaporated with the inauguration of President Joe Biden, however. | Kristol has become a fixture on CNN and MSNBC for the last several years, having reinvented himself as a ‘principled conservative’ critic of President Donald Trump’s administration. The former editor of the now-defunct Weekly Standard also cashed in on the anti-Trump #Resistance by serving on the board of the Alliance for Securing Democracy, an outfit uniting neocons and liberals that’s behind the “Hamilton68 dashboard” Twitter witch hunt for “Russian trolls.” All of his concerns about executive overreach evaporated with the inauguration of President Joe Biden, however. |
| Kristol actually waded into the Twitter controversy himself, saying he had a “stimulating” lunch with Khanna and admired his “willingness to argue—and occasionally (gasp!) agree.” | Kristol actually waded into the Twitter controversy himself, saying he had a “stimulating” lunch with Khanna and admired his “willingness to argue—and occasionally (gasp!) agree.” |
| “You are a war criminal. That’s the end of it,” podcast host and self-described leftist Tina Desiree Berg shot back. “It’s not fine and you absolutely do not hold up democratic institutions with your imperialist nonsense.” | “You are a war criminal. That’s the end of it,” podcast host and self-described leftist Tina Desiree Berg shot back. “It’s not fine and you absolutely do not hold up democratic institutions with your imperialist nonsense.” |
| One of the reasons Khanna’s tweet drew such a strong response is that the California Democrat has cultivated an image of someone who opposed foreign wars – Yemen, in particular – and a progressive seeking to push the party further to the left. A former deputy assistant secretary for commerce in President Barack Obama’s first term, Khanna was elected to Congress after beating the eight-term incumbent Mike Honda in the 2016 primary. | One of the reasons Khanna’s tweet drew such a strong response is that the California Democrat has cultivated an image of someone who opposed foreign wars – Yemen, in particular – and a progressive seeking to push the party further to the left. A former deputy assistant secretary for commerce in President Barack Obama’s first term, Khanna was elected to Congress after beating the eight-term incumbent Mike Honda in the 2016 primary. |
| He has now managed to “completely discredit the myth of the progressive Democrat in a single tweet,” quipped journalist Caitlin Johnstone. | He has now managed to “completely discredit the myth of the progressive Democrat in a single tweet,” quipped journalist Caitlin Johnstone. |
| The revulsion wasn’t limited to Democrats, either, as Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-Florida), a Trump Republican, asked Khanna if he’d asked Kristol “what country he wants to invade next.” | The revulsion wasn’t limited to Democrats, either, as Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-Florida), a Trump Republican, asked Khanna if he’d asked Kristol “what country he wants to invade next.” |
| Back in March, long before the anti-government protests in Cuba, Kristol had advocated annexing the Caribbean island nation, along with giving statehood to Washington, DC and Puerto Rico – championed by Democrats as a way of obtaining a permanent majority in the US Senate. | Back in March, long before the anti-government protests in Cuba, Kristol had advocated annexing the Caribbean island nation, along with giving statehood to Washington, DC and Puerto Rico – championed by Democrats as a way of obtaining a permanent majority in the US Senate. |
| Nor was that Kristol’s first venture into imperialism under a Democrat administration. Back in 1996, he co-authored an article with Robert Kagan – husband of future State Department official and Kiev cookie distributor Victoria Nuland – arguing for “benevolent global hegemony” by Washington in the unipolar moment following the end of the Cold War. | Nor was that Kristol’s first venture into imperialism under a Democrat administration. Back in 1996, he co-authored an article with Robert Kagan – husband of future State Department official and Kiev cookie distributor Victoria Nuland – arguing for “benevolent global hegemony” by Washington in the unipolar moment following the end of the Cold War. |
| Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! | Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! |
| Dear readers and commenters, | |
| We have implemented a new engine for our comment section. We hope the transition goes smoothly for all of you. Unfortunately, the comments made before the change have been lost due to a technical problem. We are working on restoring them, and hoping to see you fill up the comment section with new ones. You should still be able to log in to comment using your social-media profiles, but if you signed up under an RT profile before, you are invited to create a new profile with the new commenting system. | |
| Sorry for the inconvenience, and looking forward to your future comments, | |
| RT Team. |