Opinion Focus

Washington Post opinion columnist Eugene Robinson was online Tuesday, June 12, at 1 p.m. ET to discuss his recent columns and the latest news.

Fleeting Glory in Albania (Post, June 12) | Discussion Group: Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood

The transcript follows.

Archive: Eugene Robinson discussion transcripts

____________________

Eugene Robinson: Welcome, everyone. Lots of fodder today, as always -- the president is pushing his immigration bill, Alberto Gonzales is still attorney general, and there is an unconfirmed report that the Decider may have had his watch stolen during his triumphant walkabout in Albania the other day. Guy can't catch a break.

_______________________

Eldon, Mo.: The possibility seems ever more likely that Bush will end his tenure without having to deal with another 9/11 event, having led the effort against terrorism successfully thus far in that regard. Whether an administration led by Democrats with your point of view will have a similar successful record regarding a terrorist event remains to be witnessed. If an event similar in scope to 9/11 does happen to occur, I would say that your entire house of cards against Bush regarding his "war against terrorism" precipitously will fall and scatter with the wind.

Eugene Robinson: Quite the contrary: One of my real concerns about the way the "war on terror" has been waged is that it breeds new terrorists. Take the recently uncovered plot to blow up JFK Airport -- leaving aside the fact that their plan likely wouldn't have worked, here was a bunch of 60-ish guys from Guyana, of all places, who got it into their heads to try a spectacular attack. They didn't work for al-Qaeda -- bin Laden never would have hired such amateurs. They weren't would-be terrorists ten years ago, or even five years ago. They were freelancers who got it into their heads that America has declared war on Islam. I worry that one of these days, some freelance scheme actually will work.

_______________________

Arlington, Virginia: No question, I just wanted to commend you on one of the best columns I've seen on this administration. You put into words what's been in the back of my mind for years -- that in the fight against our enemies, both real and perceived, Bush and his gang have reduced us to their level and compromised the very values that make America so special. Thanks to them, talking heads in the Land of the Free can have serious discussions about whether it's okay to torture or keep prisoners locked away with no formal charges and no access to lawyers. Bush longs to be seen as the defender of freedom, but he will be remembered as freedom's destroyer, right here in America.

Eugene Robinson: Thanks so much.

_______________________

Re: Colin Powell: As you mention in your column today, Colin Powell "called for the place [Guantanamo] to be shut down 'this afternoon,' " and he spoke in the past couple of days of the ubiquitous "if I knew then what I know now" -- but I am finding all of this so horrible sad, because he did know then what he knows now, and Guantanamo has been open for five years, and just now, when it has no moral force, when it can do no good at all, he finds a voice to oppose what he supported so long ago. What a hero he would be today -- lauded and applauded -- going down in history with a legacy as secure as any of America's greatest contributors if only, if only, if only he had spoken then what he speaks of today.

washingtonpost.com: Powell Calls for Closure of Military Prison at Guantanamo (Post, June 11)

Eugene Robinson: I, too, wish he had spoken out. Or resigned. Or something. I believe Colin Powell decided that he could do more good working from the inside than the outside, but I wonder what he thinks now about that judgment.

_______________________

Washington: Without getting into the erosion of our values as a nation, an important topic to be sure, why the welcome in Albania? You didn't explore it. Is there a reason, any logical reason on earth, why such a fanatic should be treated like a hero? Is it, dare I say it, something wrong with the Albanians?

washingtonpost.com: Albania Welcomes Bush With Enthusiasm, Affection (Post, June 11)

Eugene Robinson: Albania was for decades one of the most isolated countries in the world, trapped under the iron boot of dictator Enver Hoxha. It was more Maoist than Leninist, as I recall, and essentially cut off from most of the rest of the world. It remains the poorest country in Europe, and it is still trying to recover from its long trauma. That the president of the richest, most powerful country in the world would visit was indeed a big deal for the Albanians. That said, I hope somebody didn't swipe the president's watch...

_______________________

Washington: When it comes to covering terrorism, the media lives in a world of absolutes. Anything the West does that smacks of "fighting fire with fire" against terrorism is viewed as wrong, while the terrorists continue to get away with murder. We must be willing to give up some of our freedom to combat this menace. Otherwise, the open Western democracies are "sitting ducks"!

Eugene Robinson: That's the heart of the matter: "We must be willing to give up some of our freedom to combat this menace." Then what, pray tell, would we be fighting for? Somebody help me, wasn't it Benjamin Franklin who said that a man who would give up liberty for security deserves neither?

_______________________

Washington: I was a few weeks into my first year of law school here when 9/11 happened. Learning the law in the subsequent legal and political climate was a strange experience. At school I was taught the sanctity of the rule of law, but when I opened the newspaper, I saw total disregard for these same principles by the president. Of course, this president was re-elected the same year I graduated from law school.

I am disgusted with my fellow citizens and disheartened that the actions you described in your column, along with many other illegal actions by this administration, have been allowed to happen. Law school hardens most people's hearts, but I know I graduated with a particularly cynical bunch. I wish that as many people cared about the state of justice in this country as care about the ending to "The Sopranos." We'd be in a much better place.

Eugene Robinson: Not everyone is willing to disregard the law and the Constitution, happily. Just yesterday a panel of the U.S. Circuit Court for the 4th Circuit ruled that the president can't jail a U.S. resident arbitrarily without charges. It's a start.

_______________________

Washington: Mr. Robinson, more important than the erosion of values is, perhaps, that the entire conversation has changed. As mentioned above, talking heads argue about specific methods of torture rather than whether we should torture at all. My fear is that even if a Democrat makes it into the White House in 2009, the conversation on values will be so skewed that it will be almost impossible to bring it back, especially when faced with the imminent terror threat. What do you think?

Eugene Robinson: I don't think it's as easy as flicking a switch -- It takes time to change the context. A president who talked about the threat from terrorism in different terms could move the needle considerably, though.

_______________________

District Attorneys: Hi Eugene -- as an opinion writer, I wanted your take on a thought I had. Do you think the recent legal failures the Bush administration has faced (specifically the Guantanamo case where defendants were incorrectly identified as enemy combatants, and the ruling from the Richmond court yesterday regarding indefinite detentions) have anything to do with hiring inexperienced party loyalists as opposed to career prosecutors? By the way, I don't agree with their trampling of our rights and am glad the courts are upholding our rule of law.

washingtonpost.com: Judges Rule Against U.S. On Detained 'Combatant' (Post, June 12)

Eugene Robinson: I think this has less to do with party politics than ideology. The administration sought legal justification for doing all sorts of things, knowing that there were questions of constitutionality. George Bush and Dick Cheney hold what I consider radical views of presidential authority.

_______________________

Verona, Italy: Bush's watch was stolen during his visit to Bulgaria. Italian TV showed the video about 10 times on the Monday night news.

washingtonpost.com: Where's the President's Watch? (AP, June 12)

Eugene Robinson: It was the Albanian visit, and I still haven't seen confirmation.

_______________________

Anonymous: The Albanians appreciate everything that America did under President Reagan to free them from their controlled lives. The thing Americans do not appreciate is that the freedoms that we enjoy so readily have come at a great cost and will continue to cost a great deal to maintain.

Eugene Robinson: I think Americans do appreciate the cost of freedom, and also its value. I don't think freedom is something we should surrender.

_______________________

Falls Church, Va.: I want to know what Jon Stewart wants to know -- all those people in the streets of Albania were touching Bush, yet we can't get into the same room as him to ask questions?

Eugene Robinson: That really was remarkable, and I'll bet there will be some interesting follow-up debate within the Secret Service about the wisdom of letting crowds swarm the president. The Secret Service said at the time that agents felt it was a safe situation, but it's certainly unusual to see George Bush swallowed up by a sea of humanity.

_______________________

Washington: Good morning, Mr. Robinson. In a recent chat, you described Maureen Dowd of the New York Times as your "competition" -- and then of course you quoted one of her many clever lines. Anyway, the more I think about it, the more I think she's your colleague rather than your competition, because -- especially in these days of corrosive talk shows and screaming TV -- those of us who still can read find that reading thoughtful commentary makes us want to read more, not less. Or am I missing something?

Eugene Robinson: Of course Maureen is a colleague, as are all my friends at the New York Times. It's just that at The Washington Post we like the cleverest lines and the scoopiest stories to appear in our paper first. They feel the same way at the NYT. It's the healthy kind of competition.

_______________________

Frederick, Md.: Mr. Robinson, in at least the past 10 years Time, Newsweek and US News have not made the war on drugs the topic of its major, weekly coverage -- this despite the fact that it immensely impacts our lives every day and costs us taxpayers some $70 billion, funds terrorists, gets teens killed, etc. What is your opinion why major media won't touch this issue? Nobody will touch this topic. From a retired police detective.

Eugene Robinson: An interesting question. I suspect that the war on drugs has ceased to be the subject of prominent coverage because there's no longer the sense of a drug crisis. Drug-related violence is way down from its peak (although there seems to have been a recent uptick) and that may have something to do with the lack of focus on the drug war. (Why does everything have to be a war?) You're right, though, that the anti-drug campaign goes on, to little apparent good effect.

_______________________

Tired of the condescension: More of a comment than a question, but I'm tired of the insinuation that maybe a Democratic president would not be as vigilant in protecting America as Bush has been ... I mean, aside from the fact that Bush was in power during the most heinous terrorist attacks on U.S. soil, and that he was in power during similar attacks on our allies in Spain and England.

One thing I can see Republicans and right-wingers already doing is laying the foundation for a response should a Democrat win the 2008 election and should a subsequent terrorist attack occur -- even if the attack occurs on January 21, 2009, one day after the Democrat takes the oath of office, the right-wing will blame the new guy/gal, not the one who just left.

What troubles me is that such a view is so infantile and detached from reality (much like the insistence that Hussein was in cahoots with bin Laden, or that Iraq had stockpiles of WMD) but nevertheless right-wingers go on believing it as if by faith alone they could make it fact.

Eugene Robinson: Thanks, and I think you're basically right. My only observation is that I don't think all those who say that George Bush's excesses have protected us from another 9/11 are being cynical. I think there are people who really believe that, and because they believe the only definitive evidence one way or the other would be another 9/11-style attack on U.S. soil -- and that hasn't happened -- then it becomes a matter of faith. (As opposed to reason, in my opinion.)

_______________________

Donna Britt?: Hi, Gene. I think Donna Britt was one of your finds and I miss her column in Metro. What's she up to these days?

washingtonpost.com: Donna Britt column archive

Eugene Robinson: Donna's on leave, writing a book. And while I'd love to be able to take credit for bringing Donna to The Post, I have to confess that it wasn't me.

_______________________

Franklin Quote: I believe the quote was "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

Also, the Albanians have been big fans of the U.S. since Woodrow Wilson, whom they credit with standing up for them and ensuring their independence after World War I. They also appreciate the actions of the U.S. in Kosovo, which is inhabited by lots of ethnic Albanians. NPR ran a great segment on it the other day.

Eugene Robinson: Thanks for the quote and the background.

_______________________

Richmond, Va.: Please, this is not a facetious question, but there must be some method to the madness of the Democrats spending so much time on non-binding votes -- the Iraq war non-funding and now the Albert Gonzales no confidence. Is there any discussions/maneuvering/legislation being enacted -- by either party -- that actually takes viable steps to end the war in Iraq, that helps non-uberrich Americans in their daily lives, that moves the country along the right track, and finally, that demonstrates that we have a Congress that focuses on protecting the country and not on themselves? Sheesh!

Eugene Robinson: Your question poses the essential challenge that the Democratic-controlled Congress faces: Without 60 votes in the Senate, it's hard for one party to actually do any of the things you cite. Yet voters rightfully become impatient if nothing gets done.

_______________________

California: Speaking of quotes, what do you think of this one? "At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide."

Eugene Robinson: Great quote. Who is it?

_______________________

Desperation: I'm starting to get outrage fatigue.

Eugene Robinson: That happens to me too. And then comes another outrage and I get all worked up again.

_______________________

Eugene Robinson: Well, everyone, my time is up. Thanks so much for participating in a lively hour. I apologize to those whose questions I didn't get to, and I'll try to do better next week. In the meantime, please visit my permanent discussion group, Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood.

_______________________

Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.