GOP hopeful slams Bush on Iraq (Rick O'Donnell in Denver suburb)

Gazette ^ | Sep 27 06 | Gazette

[churchillbuff]

ARVADA - In a shocking new tack, Republican congressional candidate Rick O’Donnell said Tuesday that the Bush administration has bungled the war in Iraq and the United States should change course there.

“What we’re doing right now isn’t working. That’s a failure of leadership from our president, from our secretary of defense and from our generals, ” O’Donnell said during a debate with Democrat Ed Perlmutter. The two are vying to represent Colorado’s 7th Congressional District, one of the most closely watched races in the nation.

...The O’Donnell-Perlmutter race is considered one of the most competitive elections in the country and is a key to Democrats’ hopes of picking up 15 seats to gain a majority in the House.

[zarf]

and Rick's solution is......

[rwilson99]

Rick's solution is to demoralize the base in his district, so he can go out and get a real job.

Idiot.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Great, now he can receive NRCC funding < /S >

[KoRn]

Politically stupid. Sounds like he's trying to get a few of the mythical 'undecided' voters that we always hear about at election time. While doing this he could piss off the Republican base. I only see doing this causing more harm than good.

[Kimmers]

This is why I will give to individual conservative candidates and not the GOP. I do not want any of my money to go people that do not stand with my president.

[Doofer]

I haven't seen any polling data on this race but taking a look over at the intrade betting site they don't give this guy a snowballs chance in hell to win this thing. To me his statement is a "Hail Mary Pass" gone astray.

[The Old Hoosier]

Fact is, he's WAY down in the polls right now, he's trying this to see if there's anything he can do to save himself.

[The Old Hoosier]

I don't think even the Republican base thinks Bush has done such a great job in Iraq. At least, not the ones who think for themselves.

[Jeff Head]

The idiot. He is criticizinf the Presidnet in the major area where he has done precisely the right thing. Going into Iraq and liberating those people from Saddam and drawing the terrorists to us there and killing them there was and is exactly the right thing to do in this war. The islamic radicals simply cannot ignore it and must fight it tooth and nail...and they are dieing by the tens of thousands.

In the mean time, with both Afghanistan and Iraq engaged and working towards freedom and civilized governemnts, the larger enemy, Iran, is flanked on both side. No accident there either.

Bush is spot on in this strategy and doctrine...albeit I would personally prosecute the enclaves (like Falujah and Haditha) with a much firmer hand.

[CWOJackson]

Your kind of Republican I see.

[okstate]

He was down 17 in the last poll by Survey USA.

[lincoln2006]

To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.

Teddy Roosevelt

[kingu]

Republican: You can disagree with the party leadership (and your president) and still get support from the party.

Democrat: If you dare disagree with the netnuts, you will be hung out to dry.

It's so hard to understand why anyone wants to be part of the second group, especially when that group is squacking about how Republicans are supposedly taking their freedom away....

[pcottraux]

Who said that the President is beyond criticism?

[goldfinch]

CO-7 is a very competitive district. Bob Beauprez won it twice for the Republicans. Unfortunately, he decided to run for Governor. Rick O'Donnell was running close to even a month or so ago, but has slipped drastically...he is 10 points or more down, depending on which poll you look at. This is probably his way of trying to get traction on some issue.

Bob Beauprez is losing the Governor's race as well, so it looks like a double loss for the Republicans in Colorado.

[msnimje]

Isn't this the guy Hugh Hewitt has been babysitting?

[pcottraux]

I'm pretty sure Kimmers meant on the war, since that's the subject of the thread.

I don't think anyone believes Bush is beyond ANY criticism, since he receives so much of it from his own side (myself included).