Posted on 11/29/2006 9:48:42 AM PST by jamese777
In N.H., says Bush must admit that to regain trust
BEDFORD, N.H. -- Former House speaker Newt Gingrich told a New Hampshire audience yesterday that unless the Bush administration admits that the war in Iraq is a "failure," it will never develop a strategy to leave the country successfully.
Gingrich, who has been laying the groundwork for a presidential run, said the Bush administration needs to plan a "third stage" in Iraq, following the military takeover stage and the recent democracy-building stage. But he says a third stage can come about only if officials admit they must change course.
"If the military, White House, and State Department continue to avoid the word 'failure,' how can you bring about a third stage?" Gingrich said.
Gingrich was in New Hampshire for three campaign-style events Monday night and yesterday. While the former speaker has expressed interest in a presidential run, he said yesterday that he is more interested in injecting ideas in to the 2008 campaign than in putting his name on the ballot. He said he will not seriously entertain a presidential campaign until September.
Gingrich, who served on a key Pentagon board that advised Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld in the runup to the Iraq war, was eager to distance himself from the Bush administration's handling of the war.
He said a show of contrition by the White House would help the president regain the trust of the American people and avoid a quick pullout, which would be disastrous.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
Maybe they're in a "lock box".
Say it ain't so, Newt.
We are witnessing the demise of the once Great United States.
Newt is nothing special folks.
People need to get over him and quit clinging to this guy.
What number wife is he on now?
Time for a NEWTone in the WH?
Ummm, No Thanks!
Newt is a weinie...and would never get my vote.
I have no idea why these GOP candidates think the thing to get them votes is to blast the war effort....
Newt was my Congressman.
Newt is a failure.
The war was not a failure, but this occupation is.
Yeah, Iraq is a smashing success right now. Too many people cannot see the truth from fiction. While Newt is not helping on this by using the terminology I can't see why anyone should be disagreeing with him. That Sadr is still alive says it all.
Gingrinch needs to use 'malaise' more often and turn down the thermostat and wear a sweater. That is sure to attract votes.
Say what? That democracy and stablity are on the march in Iraq and Maliki is a believer in individual freedom? Is that what he should say?
Because they are pulling a Clinton and putting their finger in the air to see which way the wind is blowing. Principles mean nothing.
All the posters praising Newt these past few weeks are eerily quiet.
The pubbies are becoming even more disappointing....sigh.
Newt, wtf? Even if it were true, you should know better than to give aid and comfort to the enemy by stating so, publicly while troops are still in harms way.
Sadr is alive for a reason. And it doesn't take a whole lot of smarts to figure out the reason.
So much for my supporting Gingrich ever again. I suppose our efforts in Europe and Japan in WWII are failures as we still have troops there. Korea was clearly a failure. I suppose we should leave LA or Washington DC as there are more people murdered in those two cities than in Iraq. About all you can say is that familiar "It's all Bush's fault." What the heck happened to the republican party?
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