Bill Kristol, John Bolton, Joe Lieberman

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen greets Sens. Jack Reed and Joe Lieberman prior to his reconfirmation hearing for his second term as chairman at the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C., Sept. 15, 2009. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley/Released)

Originally posted June 1, 2012.

The Iraq and Afghan wars have been a mistake for America, just as were the Korean and Vietnam disasters.Almost without exception, the entrenched politicians in Washington, bullied by big industry and Wall Street lobbyists, toe the military/industrial complex line. Bill Kristol is the leading cheerleader, and John Bolton and Joe Lieberman are vocal supporters of fanning the flames of American military intrusion. In his essay, Pat Buchanan offers cogent input on the wrong course these three are taking.

After taping John Stossel’s show on May 16 in New York, the Mrs. and I took the 10 a.m. Acela back to Washington. Once we had boarded the train, who should come waddling up the aisle but Bill Kristol.

The Weekly Standard editor seemed cheerful, and we chatted about the surge in Mitt Romney’s popularity and prospects.

I did not ask what he had been doing in New York, but thanks to the website Mondoweiss, I found out. Kristol was there for a May 15 “debate” with Jeremy Ben-Ami of J Street, the pro-Israel organization, at B’nai Jeshurun synagogue on the Upper West Side.

After listening to Kristol, writes Phil Weiss, “I am still reeling.”

“Kristol was treated like royalty and came off as … a Republican Party warlord,” bragging “about how all the hostile elements to Israel inside the Republican Party were purged over the last 30 years — (and) no one (now) dared to question the power of the Israeli lobby.”

“The big story in the Republican Party over the last 30 years, and I’m very happy about this,” said Kristol, is the “eclipsing” of the George H.W. Bush-James Baker-Brent Scowcroft realists, “an Arabist old-fashioned Republican Party … very concerned about relations with Arab states that were not friendly with Israel … .”

That Bush crowd is yesterday, said Kristol. And not only had the “Arabists” like President Bush been shoved aside by the neocons, the “Pat Buchanan/Ron Paul type” of Republican has been purged.