outrageous

“Outrageous” seems to be the word of choice for Republican grandstanders (AKA presidential candidates) when evaluating Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s request to tour the World Trade Center site—I’m sorry, Ground Zero—while here for the meeting of the United Nations General Assembly next week.

"This is a man who has made threats against America and Israel, is harboring bin Laden's son and other Al-Qaeda leaders, is shipping arms to Iraqi insurgents and is pursuing the development of nuclear weapons," Giuliani said. "Assisting Ahmadinejad in touring Ground Zero -- hallowed ground for all Americans -- is outrageous," he said.

Another Republican hopeful, Senator Sam Brownback, blasted Ahmadinejad's request as "outrageous and unacceptable," describing the Iranian regime in a statement as "the biggest state sponsor of terror in the world."

At this point, it would be proper to take these two morons to task for their fact-free warmongering, but really, who has the time? (Here’s the shorthand: Rudy—Iran=Shiite, Al-Qaeda=Sunni; Sam—Saudi Arabians funded and executed the 9/11 attacks, Pakistan shelters bin Laden, al-Zawahiri, and various Taliban bigwigs. . . OK?) Rather, I think our very own ambassador to the UN, Zalmay Khalilzad, says it best:

We do not support. . . a site where so many people lost their lives be[ing] used as a photo op.

Absolutely, ZK! Why, that would be. . . outrageous!

(Photo: AP via the BBC)

(cross-posted to Daily Kos)