Posted on 12/22/2007 11:08:18 AM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach
Congress' approval of $70 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan last week as part of a $555 billion federal budget bill effectively marks the quiet end of the Democratic majority's effort to bring an end to the war in Iraq. The great promise of a year ago following the 2006 elections in which the Democrats tossed the Republicans out of the congressional leadership gradually drained away, in part because of procedural realities but also because of a disappointing lack of fire among Democrats in Washington.
Congress will revisit the issue in spring, but major policy changes are unlikely to take place that close to another election. Representative James McGovern, one of the eight Massachusetts congressmen, including John Olver of the First District, who voted against the bill, noted sadly that it "represents an endorsement of George Bush's policy of endless war."
When the Democrats took over in Congress in January they tried without success to cut funding for the war or tie funding to a firm withdrawal date. Lacking the 60 Senate votes needed to force bills to the floor, they were regularly stymied in that body, and they were not close to the two-thirds vote needed to override a presidential veto. Democrats, however, never took Iraq War policy to the American people who put them in office in large part because voters wanted an end to the war. Intimidated by General Petraeus' appearance before them and the bogus claims by Republicans that they don't "support the troops," timid Democrats remain paralyzed by the scare tactics that American voters grew wise to long ago.
Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson, appalled by the vote approving the war funds, says he will devote his campaign solely to the Iraq War. Mr. Richardson is a long shot for the nomination, but if he can focus his party's candidates on the war he will be doing the nation a service. Hillary Clinton, most notably, continues to triangulate a position that comes down on all sides of the Iraq War.
The relative calm in Iraq makes it easy for candidates to dodge the issue, but the calm in Iraq is the quiet of the grave. While the persistent effort of American troops has contributed to a decline in violence, the death toll has dropped primarily because there are fewer Iraqis left to kill. Neighborhoods have been ethnically cleansed of minority Shiites or Sunnis, depending on the section of the city in question. The U.S. has for the most part looked the other way while this has gone on in the unspoken knowledge that violence will not stop until the country is essentially partitioned.
Iraq is evolving into Afghanistan, the site of the Bush administration's other failed war. The so-called democratic leaders of both nations rule only their capital cities, or more accurately, portions of those cities. Warlords, tribal chieftains and militia groups have divided the majority of both countries into personal fiefdoms. Billions of our tax dollars continue to flow into both countries, much of it squandered or stolen.
The dream of democracy is dead in Iraq, along with nearly 4,000 American soldiers. The money, however, is still being dumped into the desert, with no end in sight.
Liberals are frigging retarded.
Well, at least they are not happy with Hillary.
A Traitor’s Lament
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!
Remember, good news for America is bad news for Defeatist leftists. All sorts of contortions here to distort the truth and the great, great accomplishments of our troops. Well, cry on, our guys are winning, you hate it, I love it and that settles it.
“While the persistent effort of American troops has contributed to a decline in violence, the death toll has dropped primarily because there are fewer Iraqis left to kill.”
Utter nonsense. Only an insane person could write this sentence.
It never ceases to amaze me where they come up with fruitcake editorial boards like this, ever in moonbat leftie states.
When I first saw this I thought it was from Berkeley
.... here in California...
LOL! BARF! LOL!
Afghanistan is one of the most notable success stories in modern military history, if not the most notable.
Remember what happened to the USSR?
Then contrast that to the stunning success in Afghanistan.
Actually, the author should be hanged...
Memo to editorial staff..... you got your ass kicked!
Actually, the death toll has gone down because there are a lot fewer non-Iraqis left to make mischief.
2008-forever when Bill Richardson's name is mentioned it will be answered with "Bill who?"
***the death toll has dropped primarily because there are fewer Iraqis left to kill***
Yep, 29 of the 30 million Iraqis are dead. /s
On the upside, the authors of this little bit of tripe are no more out of touch with the realities in Iraq than they ever were. The notion that the population of Iraq has been thinned to the point where there’s nary a target left is possible only to someone who is living in a fantasy world.
Gosh, perfectly good money that could be used domestic earmarks.
Damn wars they just tend to suck the financial wind out of true politicians domestically don't they?
Must be a special place and it appears that the local paper wants to help them carry on with their fantasies...
Without a doubt one of the most ignorant, if not THE most ignorant, line of drivel I've ever read.
They even have their own "currency", too.
No Joy in Happy Valley at Christmastime this year, apparently.
Yup. John Kerry remix.
LOL... this is probably the lamest argument I've ever heard...
While the persistent effort of American troops has contributed to a decline in violence, the death toll has dropped primarily because there are fewer Iraqis left to kill.
Usually, the stupid stuff is edited.
5.56mm
They placed their priorities elsewhere in an aggressive attempt in maintaining an ~13% approval rating.
It's taken up a lot of their time. /snicker
Hitlery...A true modern day Democrat politician!
And hippies smell. That's all I could think about while reading the article.
It must have been that "Betray Us" ad that got to them.
They reject our reality and substitute their own!
It is pretty lame. It ranks right up there with the reports of less work for ambulance drivers and those who take care of the dead.
Well, the Iraqis are not so deluded. They is why they are quickly returning to the country.
Got a kid to donate? Whos’? Got a nation to donate? Which?
I am starting to see many articles from the left using this new mantra in order to not give credit to Bush and our Armed Forces for the successful surge. Even Obama used it. This must have gone out in a DNC memo.
Absolutely disgusting the hate these people have for their own country and patriotic countrymen!
...
...smells like Victory.
What happens if you win the war before you surrender. Does the surrender count?
And what happens to this notion if violence picks up again? The lefties will abandon it in a second because it's nothing more than a disposable argument du jour.
Surprisingly upbeat for a newspaper from Massachusetts.
I guess we could save a lot of money by leaving them all there, discharge all of them, and wish them well. Better yet, lets disband the military and convert all the budget to social programs.
Well, after waiting 36 posts and not seeing this noted, I thought I would try on my own. The election of 2006 was NOT about the war. It was about runaway Republicans earmarking like dems, and conservative dem candidates keeping very quiet about their plans. It was more about "makaka" then the war.
The MSM and lefties in general have been trying to convince us and each other that the war was the focus since the day after the election, but saying it doesn't make it so. My memory isn't perfect, but it was only a year ago...
I like to call it VICTORY and PEACE!
I think they, the residents themselves, refer to it as "Happy Valley".
Well as a resident myself, I can tell you that the
Neighborhoods have been ethnically cleansed of minority Shiites or Sunnis, depending on the section of the city in question.
How many times have we heard "ethnic cleansing" applied by Leftists? The occurences I have noted, are numbering in the dozens since Dec. 1st.
This whole article is an exercise in Leftist projection, endless talking points, and boiler-plate comments; the only difference being the token shots against She Who Must Not Be Named.
The WAR-AGAINST-THE-WAR ended in September when NONE of the 3 major Dem Candidates would commit to a withdrawal date from Iraq or Afghanistan...
Harry Reid’s “The Surge Worked” comments yesterday is the day that surrender to Bush and FACTS became official.
Defeat by Bush is just beginning to dawn on many of the more deranged moonbats, and there will most likely be hell to pay for it at the Dem Convention next year...
I lived in the Berkshires for 14 years, leaving in '68...it was, indeed, a Happy and most beautiful place - but, as so many other places in this country, it's gone blue. There are still some great 'reds' there too, though - and except for the everywhere highways, still beautiful
Monday, December 03, 2007
Harry Reid Struggles with Senility
***************************************************
The classic definition of senility is someone who can remember everything that happened years ago but can't remember what they had for breakfast. Recent events are quickly lost to them. Such is the case with Dem Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid:
Democrats are increasingly bailing on their previously held view that the troop surge in Iraq has been a "failure," but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid isn't ready to jump on the bandwagon with other Democrats who say the surge has worked.A mind is a terrible thing to lose.
The Senate re-opened for business on Monday after a two-week Thanksgiving break, during which key Democrats traveled to Iraq and declared that the surge is working, at least from a security and military perspective. Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), one the top war critics, stunned fellow Democrats late last week with his statement that "the surge is working," even though he added that political reconciliation has been lagging. Murtha's view was backed by Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.), who also said the surge worked after he returned from Iraq.
But Reid, in a Monday press conference, ceded no ground.
"The surge hasn't accomplished its goals," Reid said. "... We're involved, still, in an intractable civil war."
Reid's comments show that Democratic leaders in Washington may not be on the same page as their rank-and-file members when it comes to interpreting results on the ground in Iraq. Reid, as a leader, still needs to maintain some negotiating leverage as Democrats try to figure out a way to give President Bush some $50 billion in temporary war finding while at least attaching some strings to the money so it's not a blank check for the war.
HARRY REID " WELL GGOOOLLLYYYY, THE SURGE WORKED"
*************************************
REID NOW SAYS IRAQ SURGE HAS HELPED
'...the surge certainly hasn't hurt. It's helped. I recognize that' --- Sen. Harry Reid, 12/21/07
'...this war is lost and that the surge is not accomplishing anything' -- Sen. Harry Reid, 4/19/07
(4 Ratings)*****************************************
Said the man who Hot Air reminds us, vowed in April not to believe any reports of progress.
Democrats are increasingly bailing on their previously held view that the troop surge in Iraq has been a “failure,” but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid isn’t ready to jump on the bandwagon with other Democrats who say the surge has worked.
The Senate re-opened for business on Monday after a two-week Thanksgiving break, during which key Democrats traveled to Iraq and declared that the surge is working, at least from a security and military perspective. Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), one the top war critics, stunned fellow Democrats late last week with his statement that “the surge is working,” even though he added that political reconciliation has been lagging. Murtha’s view was backed by Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.), who also said the surge worked after he returned from Iraq.
But Reid, in a Monday press conference, ceded no ground.
“The surge hasn’t accomplished its goals,” Reid said. “… We’re involved, still, in an intractable civil war.”
Reid’s comments show that Democratic leaders in Washington may not be on the same page as their rank-and-file members when it comes to interpreting results on the ground in Iraq.
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