Posted on 06/16/2005 9:49:10 AM PDT by MikeA
CHICAGO Illinois Senator Dick Durbin says he won't apologize for comments comparing American interrogators at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to Nazis and Soviet gulags.
News of the Democrat's comparison created a buzz around the Internet today, fueled by sound bites of yesterday's Senate floor speech on radio talk shows. By this afternoon, Illinois Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna asked Durbin to apologize.
Durbin says the Bush administration should apologize for abandoning the Geneva Conventions.
Human-rights activist groups and some lawmakers -- mostly Democrats -- want Bush to close the prison.
But administration officials say some of the people who have been detained at Guantanamo later return to fight against the United States.
Bravo Zulu!
Here is mine:
Senator Richard Durbin 332 Dirksen Senate Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
June 16, 2005 Dear Sen. Durbin:
I find your remarks, in which you equated American servicemen guarding terrorists at Guantanamo Bay to Nazi SS death camp troops and genocidal Khmer Rouge of Pol Pot’s Cambodian regime, beyond offensive; they are palpably despicable!
I know that many of your Illinois constituency are currently serving their country and proudly wearing the uniform of their service branches, so I am curious about how many of them would feel the same way that I, a former Navy man and Vietnam veteran, do about the stinging insult to those of us who have served our country. I personally have a good friend from Decatur (who incidentally supported you in past elections) and he, a retired master chief petty officer is as offended as I am about the slap you dealt yesterday on the Senate Floor to our uniformed men and women. No doubt you will be hearing from him as well as Illinoisans of Jewish descent that actually survived the hell of REAL Nazi death camps.
I note by your biographical information that you have no military background, only that of a career politician and trial lawyer, so it is reasonably understandable that you are ignorant of the camaraderie, esprit de corps, and other factors vitally required to keep morale of our military high so that it functions well and less will die. But only a complete idiot or fool would compare the actions of well-trained Navy and Marine Corps prison guards to Nazis, Soviet gulag guards or Pol Pot’s Cambodian killers.
You, sir, are a disgrace to the United States Senate!
Enraged and disgusted,
Thank you for your service...
VR-meandog
Kennedy Joins Durbin on Iraq Amendment
Washington, DC. APRIL 14, 2005 -- Today Senators Kennedy, Durbin, Levin and Byrd offered an amendment to the funding bill for the war in Iraq that would impose new reporting requirements on the progress of the war. If passed, the measure would require the Bush Administration to provide specifics on progress with training Iraqi security forces and estimates of American troop levels in 6, 12, and 18 months. The amendment holds the President accountable for making sure that the American people — and our soldiers – know the impact of training Iraqis and our ability to hand complete responsibility for security over to Iraqis.
The Senate is currently debating an appropriations bill that would provide an additional $81 billion, primarily for our ongoing war effort in Iraq. This funding will bring the total U.S. bill for the war in Iraq to $192 billion –and still counting. If passed, Senator Durbin’s amendment would ensure that future policy in Iraq is based on the facts.
“We all hope for the best in Iraq. We all want democracy to take root firmly and irrevocably. We need to train the Iraqis for the stability of Iraq. But we also need to train them because our current level of deployment is not sustainable. Our military has been stretched to the breaking point, with threats in other parts of the world ever-present, Our men and women in uniform, and the American people deserve to know that the President has a strategy for success. ” Senator Kennedy said. Specifically, the amendment requires a report within 60 days (and every 90 days thereafter) assessing the extent to which funding appropriated by this Act will be used to train and equip capable and effectively-led Iraqi security services and promote stability and security in Iraq. It contains a number of specific criteria measuring progress in training and equipping military and police forces and estimating projected Iraqi training progress and needed American force levels in 2005 and 2006.
In a March 14, 2005 report on Rebuilding Iraq, the GAO found that “U.S. government agencies do not report reliable data on the extent to which Iraqi security forces are trained and equipped.” The report also states that “without reliable reporting data, a more capable Iraqi force, and stronger Iraqi leadership, the Department of Defense faces difficulties in implementing its strategy to draw down U.S. forces from Iraq.”
Who would vote against it? It's not a censure resolution against Durbin, but an apology TO our military. It could be way more powerful than a censure resolution, because it would possibly be near unanimous.
Then we get a censure movement under steam on the heels of the 1st resolution.
The left constantly compares the war on terror to Vietnam, and it is. The liberals and the MSM are using their same exact disgusting Vietnam strategy and tactics as they employed during that conflict
The enemy is being denied success in the field, but the domestic leftist fifth columnists are working to ensure their victory by undermining America's will to fight.
We are now engaged in a war on two fronts, the vast majority of us cannot confront the armed terrorists on the field of battle, but we most certainly can confront the enemy here at home.
We can no longer accept the passive inaction of the moral high ground, we are fighting enemies without conscience or scruples at home and abroad. We need to use the left's own play book of massive demonstrations. If we cannot arouse the general public to rise up in protest, then even small protests must become extremely agitated, This to include, civil disobedience, disruptions of any and all leftist public gatherings, stake out the usual suspects homes and offices, get directly into their faces at every opportunity.
The MSM, regardless of their politically proclivities, loves the visuals of conflict and confrontations. Use the MSM to our own ends with the idea there is no such thing as bad publicity. We must make, and then keep the story of left wing politician's and their minion's perfidies front and center on the 6 o'clock news, day after day, day after day, adnauseam.
LOL! that's perfect!
First, Commander, thanks for your service.
Second, thanks for your excellent letter to the POS Dirty Dick Dashau Durbin.
Of course, if the MSM were objective they would hound Durbin with the plain fact that these prisoners are not covered under the Geneva Convention. And when these poor folks make a political point by hanging their prisoners from bridges or beheading them on camera our kindness is understandably challenged.
Can anyone provide the quote by Dick Dustbin?
THIS IS EXACTLY RIGHT.
Good idea... and I don't think these sort of resolutions can be filibustered.
Mebbe one of the attorneys Clinton could draft a standard form apology for use by any Democrat uttering public statements, something like:
OK, I opened my pie-hole again and slandered my country, at whose teat I suckle. I'm sorry. It won't happen again. Today.
_________________
Your Name
Senator/Representative/DNC Chair (Circle One)
(Or the impeached former Apologist-in-Chief could enter an appearance.)
LOL!!! Why don't you tell us how you really feel?
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