Highest ranking Republican wants troops out of Iraq

[Garfield1966]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/26/washingt...tojcARVWq1bA9kA

"We’re heading into a very partisan era," Mr. Lugar said in an interview today, following a speech he delivered on the Senate floor on Monday night in which he called on the administration to rethink its Iraq strategy. "The president has the opportunity now to bring about a bipartisan foreign policy. I don’t think he’ll have that option very long."







If I am reading this correctly, Mr. Lugar seems to know the Republican Party will not have a say in 2009 because they will loose the White House and they will loose even more seats in Congress. In other words, try and make a difference while you still can.

Bush is truly a President standing all alone and no one in his administration seems to have the balls to tell him to shut up and play ball.

Cheney does not seem to understand that it's election time and there are some folks in DC who would still like to have a job come Nov of 2008. I bet the RNC is just about ready to pack it in and take their toys home.

I wonder if a real independent will show up and make a run for it.

 

[Gilding the Lily]

"Unless we recalibrate our strategy in Iraq to fit our domestic political conditions and the broader needs of U.S. national security, we risk foreign policy failures that could greatly diminish our influence in the region and the world. . . .

We have been debating and voting on whether to fund American troops in Iraq and whether to place conditions on such funding. We have contemplated in great detail whether Iraqi success in achieving certain benchmarks should determine whether funding is approved or whether a withdrawal should commence. I would observe that none of this debate addresses our vital interests any more than they are addressed by an unquestioned devotion to an ill-defined strategy of “staying the courseâ€￾ in Iraq. . . .

But I believe that we do have viable options that could strengthen our position in the Middle East, and reduce the prospect of terrorism, regional war, and other calamities. But seizing these opportunities will require the President to downsize the U.S. military’s role in Iraq and place much more emphasis on diplomatic and economic options. It will also require members of Congress to be receptive to overtures by the President to construct a new policy outside the binary choice of surge versus withdrawal. We don’t owe the President our unquestioning agreement, but we do owe him and the American people our constructive engagement."

 

[Garfield1966]

"Unless we recalibrate our strategy in Iraq to fit our domestic political conditions and the broader needs of U.S. national security, we risk foreign policy failures that could greatly diminish our influence in the region and the world. . . .

We have been debating and voting on whether to fund American troops in Iraq and whether to place conditions on such funding. We have contemplated in great detail whether Iraqi success in achieving certain benchmarks should determine whether funding is approved or whether a withdrawal should commence. I would observe that none of this debate addresses our vital interests any more than they are addressed by an unquestioned devotion to an ill-defined strategy of “staying the courseâ€￾ in Iraq. . . .

But I believe that we do have viable options that could strengthen our position in the Middle East, and reduce the prospect of terrorism, regional war, and other calamities. But seizing these opportunities will require the President to downsize the U.S. military’s role in Iraq and place much more emphasis on diplomatic and economic options. It will also require members of Congress to be receptive to overtures by the President to construct a new policy outside the binary choice of surge versus withdrawal. We don’t owe the President our unquestioning agreement, but we do owe him and the American people our constructive engagement."

Who said that?

 

[delldude]

Dick Cheney

 

[Gilding the Lily]

Who said that?

My apologies. I forgot to add the link to Senator Lugar's speech on the floor.

 

[Garfield1966]

Interesting. I wonder what new policy he is thinking of instead of Surge verses withdrawal.

I think we should be focusing on the smaller nations of the world who are having economic issues as well as internal strife. Start bringing the people what they need .. food, water, shelter show them how to be self sufficient. Seems that is how Hamas made friends. They helped the people rebuild. Gave them what they need when they needed it not hollow promises.

 

[local 12 proud]

Seems that is how Hamas made friends. They helped the people rebuild. Gave them what they need when they needed it not hollow promises.

Hey Goober...

This is how Hamas likes to make friends!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVh-WxTS-H0

 

[Gilding the Lily]

Another "limp-wristed" lib is disagreeing with Bush about the war... errr... wait, another "strong-wristed" republican is disagreeing with Bush about the war in Iraq.

New Mexico GOP Senator, Pete Domenici, called for a change of policy in Iraq, making him the third veteran Republican to break ranks with Bush over the issue in the last two weeks.

Domenici said his change of heart stems from the Iraqi government’s failure “to make even modest progress to help Iraq itself or to merit the sacrifices being made by our men.â€￾

“I have carefully studied the Iraq situation, and believe we cannot continue asking our troops to sacrifice indefinitely while the Iraqi government is not making measurable progress to move its country forward. . . . I do support a new strategy that will move our troops out of combat operations and on the path to coming home.â€￾

Article after jump

 

[delldude]

Petes worrying about re-election now and is pulling a Clinton/Obama/Edwards routine.Gotta be against the war machine,you know....

 

[Gilding the Lily]

Petes worrying about re-election now and is pulling a Clinton/Obama/Edwards routine.Gotta be against the war machine,you know....

Which is why it makes perfect sense to me...

"This government, Sir, is the independent offspring of the popular will. It is not the creature of State legislatures; nay, more, if the whole truth must be told, the people brought it into existence, established it, and have hitherto supported it, for the very purpose, amongst others, of imposing certain salutary restraints on State sovereignties."

 

[Garfield1966]

That is why we have over thrown the executive branch and installed a monarchy the way god ... eeeerrrr right wingers intended.

Now they no longer need to worry about the will of the people and such mundane things as the rule of law and precedent.

 

[delldude]

That is why we have over thrown the executive branch and installed a monarchy the way god ... eeeerrrr right wingers intended.

 

[local 12 proud]

That is why we have over thrown the executive branch and installed a monarchy the way god ... eeeerrrr right wingers intended.

Now they no longer need to worry about the will of the people and such mundane things as the rule of law and precedent.

Hold on puss-in-boots...

Its about to get real cozy with our beloved friends who wish to make your head into a kick ball!

 

[Gilding the Lily]

Pete Domenici supports a new strategy for the Iraq war that’s based on recommendations of the Iraq Study Group. The plan holds out the promise of bringing most of the troops home in early 2008 if the Iraq government and the U.S. take certain steps.

This plan envisions the U.S. keeping a smaller force on the ground in Iraq to fight al Qaeda and support the Iraqis... similar to that being used in Afghanistan. Domenici, who serves on the powerful Defense Appropriations subcommittee, said provisions of the legislation could be debated next week as the Senate take up the defense authorization bill.


It's nice to see senators taking their job seriously and actually listening to the will of the people.

 

[Garfield1966]

Gen William Odom (Republican)


What wrong with cutting and running?


Does anyone support Cheney any more?

And yet one more rat jumps ship

Sen John Doolittle

"I don't want to keep having our people dying on the front lines. I am increasingly convinced that we never are going to succeed in actually ending people dying (in Iraq). I think it's going to be a constant conflict ... and if that is going to happen ... it needs to be the Iraqis dying and not the Americans."



I guess he wants to get re-elected as well. Just goes to show that if you go against the will of the people for too long, they will kick your butt out of office (or so they think).