Making Political Hay.

Many commentators condemn politicians for "politicizing" issues. I have to work hard not to role my eyes and yell

DUH!

After all, they are politicians.

Of course they will turn things into a political issue. Politics is the art of convincing people to follow your ideas, to adopt your opinions, to get them to do what you want them to do. If two people disagree on the best course of action then it gets turned into politics.

For example, Sean Hannity often bemoans how the Democrats have politicized the War on Terror. Well, you all know I support the President on the WOT and hence I support Sean's side. Wish as we might, the left does not support the President, Sean, and myself on the WOT. There is nothing to suggest this is about to change one way or the other, after all, our position can also be likened (in fact this is just as common for leftists to lob that cheesy accusation our way) to playing politics. The politics on the War on Terror will end when both the left and the right come into agreement on the War on Terror. This could mean surrender as well as developing a resolute stand.

For instance. Jim Sensenbrenner recently accused Senator Feingold of playing politics with the Patriot Act. So? Senator Feingold, after all, is a politician. I believe Senator Feingold's stand is a legitimate and principaled. That said I also believe it to be completely wrong and potentially dangerous. However, I do not like sentiments such as:

"He can't have it both ways," Sensenbrenner said. "He can't complain about civil liberties violations in the Patriot Act that don't exist, and then try to defeat an amendment to the Patriot Act that provides additional civil liberties protections.

"Russ Feingold is playing politics with the security of the American people," [emphasis added] he added.

Source: Duluth News Tribune - Patriot Act passage will cap long Feingold-Sensenbrenner battle (AP - FREDERIC J. FROMMER) That phrase says nothing more than "He disagrees with me" and is dressed up to make it sound more trivial than it is.

So tell us why Senator Feingold is wrong, but a politician accusing another politician (or any partisan) of playing politics is plain silly.