Biden Accuses Bush of Misleading on Iraq

Washington Post ^ | 6/21/05 | RON FOURNIER/AP

[wagglebee]

WASHINGTON -- Two days after announcing his intention to seek the presidency, Democratic Sen. Joe Biden on Tuesday accused President Bush of "misleading statements and premature declarations of victory" in Iraq and called on him to change course.

"The disconnect between the administration's rhetoric and the reality on the ground has opened not just a credibility gap, but a credibility chasm. Standing right in the middle of that chasm are 139,000 American troops _ some in their third rotations," the Delaware senator said in a speech at a Washington think tank.

He said Bush should level with voters about the stakes and risks in Iraq and push to get allies more involved in security and reconstruction efforts. While the address broke little new ground, it was arguably the first campaign speech of the 2008 race.

Bush's political team fired back. "Sen. Biden's gloomy view of the significant progress made in Iraq should earn him the title of pessimist in chief," said Tracey Schmitt, spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee.

[gogeo]

Wow...Chia kits for Senators!

[PilloryHillary]

"The disconnect between the administration's rhetoric and the reality on the ground has opened not just a credibility gap, but a credibility chasm."

Good work Senator Biden. You sound just like John Kerry, and after the last election, he's still just a senator from Taxachusetts.

[LongsforReagan]

He will win the Imus primary. You know , the won McCain and Kerry won.

[LongsforReagan]

Won= one.

oops.

[Soul Seeker]

And the 'Support the Troops Democrats' show their support by trashing the troops performance, the war and their C-I-C!! Well done! You Dems are brilliant! Siding with the enemy to defat this country will win you many votes...in al-Quida's circles.

Rather than playing Pessimist-In-Chief Biden should try performing his own job and giving Bolton and up or down vote.

[NordP]

Blah, blah, blah....yahda,yahda, yahda.

[NordP]

I mentioned the bisque.

[kublia khan]

Perhaps Biden should give a little more thought to the situation before he tries to level with anyone about anything. The truth of the matter is a loss in Iraq is going to lead to consequences similar to those in Vietnam. The losses will only begin in Iraq. The democracy movement in Iran will be set back 20 years. The baby steps made by Mubarak in Egypt? pointless. Lebanon reacquired as a Syrian province. This is only the beginning of the domino effect. Biden is a living example of that old adage "Those who refuse to learn from history are destined to repeat it".

[lexington minuteman 1775]

Biden is definitely running in 2008 with all this TV exposure on about every issue.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Has anyone else noticed that the communists in the 'RAT party seem to be taking turns attacking President Bush and America. It started with Red Ted and Boxer. Then it was Pelosi and Reid. Then Dickie bin Durbin, Rangel, Biden and now Chuckybumps Schumer. It appears to me that these people are either really sick or they got a hold of some bad weed.

[Dale 1]

It seems that this far out from the election Biden should be telling people why he's a good candidate. Instead he's bashing Bush. Don't tell him, but Bush isn't running in 08.

[zarf]

Well said. More people than you think also remember the words of President Bush shortly after Sept 11.

I hope so because the Prez has been lousy in creating a climate of support for the war and the troops.

There are two classes in this country: those fighting and dying and those going on their merry way as if nothing is going on in the world.

[soupcon]

I don't know what he's thinking. Even the lefties dislike him.

[wingman1]

"I hope so because the Prez has been lousy in creating a climate of support for the war and the troops."

Yeah. You're right. Lincoln was the same way.

[sirthomasthemore]

Opportunist. He's trying to position himself as the Vietnam anti-war candidate Kennedy/McCarthy thing, as opposed to Hillary who supported Iraq.

The vacuity of all this is that, no matter how they try, the Dems can't transform this war into Vietnam. North Vietnam never attacked Americans on American soil. In the '70's, if and when we withdrew from Vietnam, no harm was going to come to our homeland.

On the other hand, if we withdraw from Iraq, it doesn't end terrorism and it doesn't make the home land safer. If anything, the home land is in more jeopardy.

I honestly don't comprehend what the Dems hope to achieve with this anti-war rhetoric- it's all lost when the first idiot with a bomb on his back blows himself up in a ny subway.

[armymarinemom]

It looks like he has decided to use a combination of Wesley Clark's, and Howard Dean's speeches. I knew he couldn't come up with anything original. History does repeat itself.

[gov_bean_ counter]

Amazing that an admitted liar and thief can question someone else's veracity.

[Westbrook]

Isn't there a speech somewhere for Biden to be plagiarizing?

Or was he able to make this up all by himself?

[ShowMeMom]

Biden is trying to win the votes of the "Bush is Hitler" crowd.

LOL....doesn't he know those folks are already spoken for.

[fight_truth_decay]

Biden is definitely running in 2008 with all this TV exposure on about every issue.

That's the plan..