Posted on 11/19/2005 5:57:13 PM PST by Former Military Chick
Nov. 19, 2005 — - Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., believes U.S. troops do not necessarily need to be pulled out of Iraq right away, as a senior Democrat suggested this week, but they need more leadership from the Bush administration.
"What we need is a little more commander-in-chief, and a little less campaigner-in-chief," Kerry said in an exclusive interview on "Good Morning America Weekend Edition."
The question of whether or not troops should be withdrawn from Iraq moved to the front burner Thursday when Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., called for all the troops to be withdrawn immediately -- a call that drew charges of recklessness from the Bush administration. Vice President Dick Cheney called Murtha's press conference "reprehensible."
Members of the House of Representatives debated late into Friday night and voted down a resolution to pull the troops out of Iraq by 403-3. Although most Democrats did not support Murtha's call, Kerry, who lost the 2004 presidential election to Bush, said Murtha did not deserve to be called names like "coward" by allies of the administration.
"It's just the attack politics: The people are sick and tired of it," Kerry said. "You don't call John Murtha a coward. … I mean, Dick Cheney had five deferments in a row in Vietnam, when John Murtha went to serve."
Murtha, Kerry said, has simply added to the debate. Kerry said the Bush administration needs to outline a clear plan about what benchmarks must be reached in order to bring the troops home.
"You can differ on the policies, and we should talk about the policy," Kerry said. "The administration has continuously misled Americans about our presence. We need to have the debate and figure out how we bring our troops home in a responsible way. John Murtha is really just adding to the debate in a very personal way. This man's statements have to be taken seriously even if you don't agree with his policy."
Kerry said the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. George Casey, sent a plan to the Pentagon that outlined a timetable for withdrawal. The president of Iraq also said he had a plan to bring home 50,000 troops by Christmas. Kerry said that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld also had originally said some troops would be brought home.
Kerry added that the Bush administration was wrong to suggest that calling for a plan to bring the troops home will endanger the troops.
"Let me tell you what is endangering our troops: Sending our troops to war without adequate armor endangers our troops," Kerry said, "not guarding the ammo dumps, so that our troops are now being hurt because of ammo that wasn't properly secured when we took Baghdad. What endangers our troops is sending them to war without adequate numbers of troops to do the job."
Kerry said he has a plan to bring 20,000 troops home by Christmas. He said that if the election and referendum in Iraq are successful, troops should be brought home because the election would act as a benchmark of the troops' success.
"They deserve leadership that is equal to their sacrifice," he said. "The president doesn't have a real plan."
Although he may have sounded as if he were campaigning, Kerry said he's leaving the door open when it comes to running for president in 2008.
He said the more immediate question is how the troops will be protected. It's time, he said, to hand over some responsibility.
"Let Iraqis stand up for Iraq," Kerry said.
As a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee from 1993-2000, Kerry missed 38 of 49 public hearings, or just over 76%. Senator Kerry has refused to reveal what percentage of the closed meetings he has attended.
In the year following the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center, Senator Kerry did not attent a single public meeting of the Senate Intelligence Committee.
In 2004, Senator Kerry missed over 80% of all Senate votes.
With all his great ideas of what he would do as president, Senator Kerry has not seen fit to initiate legislation on any of them during his 20+ years in the Senate.
ROTFLMAO!!!
I really hate to ping you on this.
I really wish someone with authority would remove his sorry hide from the Senate.
It does bother me that IED's are the major reason for loss of life, and we still continue to use the same method.
Maybe we should fill the first vehicle in every convoy with insurgents. Let them ake the point for awhile.
"Tyrants and would-be tyrants have always claimed that regimented societies are strong and pure, until those societies collapse in corruption and decay. GWB"
He's talking 'bout YOU, John.
Well done dannyboy! At 2am est, the real Commander in Chief was laying out the strategery for his beloved troops. It was truly a sight to behold.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/11/20051119-5.html
"I'll accept that apology.
But could you do it now?"
Rummyfan, just in case the wuss didn't hear you the first time bump!!
Dear Senator, please have a nice big cup of STFU!
Aw, go easy on him - it's not easy being a fence sitter - decisions, decisions, what do I think today? if I only knew who was listening, it would be easier. First I need to decide what color braclet I should wear today and that will set the tone.
That has to be one of the most biased pieces of crap I have ever read outside of DU or Kossacks!
Buuump!
most biased pieces of crap
We need someone to design Freeper Boots we can wear because the crap is getting deeper and deeper on a daily basis. And no one knows it better than our boot-wearing cowboy W!
Note: Your just a nobody and I don't have a name! LOL
Kerry ... try and stop taking words out of context ... No in the Leadership called Murtha a coward
I'm grinning from ear to ear.
And I've just blown you a kiss.
Isn't he on the Foreign Relations Committee? I thought it was that (epithet for female sex organ) John Edwards who had been on the Intelligence Committee. Am I wrong?
Hear! Hear!
It's just the attack politics: The people are sick and tired of it," Kerry said.
And then he went into an attack on Dick Cheney.
"They deserve leadership that is equal to their sacrifice," he said."
LOL! Kerry is Kennedy's puppet. Neither one has leadership qualities.
So true. So sad.
Now, about that screen name. LOL!!
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