Gordon Smith says Iraq war may be "criminal" [R-Oregon]

Associated Press ^ | 12/8/2006 | MATTHEW DALY

[WashingtonSource]

What a p*ssy.

[Nuc1]

"The Senate is now full of liberals and RINOs because conservatives stayed home on election day."

Nonsense. The senate has always been a home for RINOs. And they have sabotaged many fine conservative ideas. Let's see CFR, Borders, Judges, Bolton...yes just since the last election has the senate become full of RINOs. And the new congress hasn't even met yet.

[anglian]

The day after those contractors were burned and mutilated, that bridge's name should have been changed to "The Bridge to Nowhere".

When Fallujah was a terrorist haven.... ....that's all the media wrote about. Now that Fallujah is stable and productive, the media is silent.

[KantianBurke]

Smith added: "We have no business being a policeman in someone else's civil war."

Mega bump!

[anglian]

Last week, I saw a city of 350,000 people who have made incredible progress over the past two years. In the aftermath of Operation Al Fajr, in March of 2005, there were 3,000 United States Marines and only 300 Iraqi Security Forces in Fallujah. Today, the people of the city are protected by 1,500 members of their own Iraqi Security Force and only 300 Marines. The police are comprised of native Fallujans, and enjoy strong support from the local population. They are able to patrol their own neighborhoods, enforce their own laws, and handle the transition to responsibility for their own security and growth. Despite the sectarian violence which plagues other parts of the country, I saw the commander of the local Iraqi Army unit, a Shi’a, sit and work productively with the local police chief, a Sunni – a relationship few would have believed possible in Fallujah just a year ago.

I attended a city council meeting, where a democratically elected mayor and city council led the deliberations about the peoples’ business. To be honest, the Council’s discussion of traffic control was not exciting. But the mundane business of a functioning democracy can be uneventful when its institutions are working properly. At the same time, it was exciting to witness democracy in action on soil that once seemed entirely inhospitable. Membership of the Fallujah Business Association has grown from only 20 members last February to over 350 today, demonstrating optimism for economic growth. I even saw a processing center where Fallujah welcomes persons displaced by instability elsewhere.

http://www.centcom.mil/sites/uscentcom1/FrontPage%20Stories/Commentary%20Fallujah%20Revisited.aspx

Hattip to http://www.antimedia.us/

[oldfart]

Can anyone say "RINO?"

[B Knotts]

Smith was fairly conservative before he got to Washington. It seems like being in the Senate has an emasculating effect.

[roses of sharon]

Yes, the Greatest Generation, NOT!

LOL, note he speaks with "passion" while giving quarter to the enemy, and slandering his CIC and the US as criminal.

al-Gordon will soon have good press here, and OBL can chalk another American off his enemy list, and on to the "saddle up with OBL strong horse" list.

[DCPatriot]

Is Fallajah "stable and productive"?

[Wolfstar]

I love and fully support President Bush.

Liar.

[DCPatriot]

Excellent point, Steel Wolf.

It applies to the Bush haters too.

[garv]

For what it's worth, the President appointed Gordon Smith's lefty brother, Milan Smith, to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals earlier this year.

That bought Bush a lot of goodwill from Gordon, didn't it?

[DCPatriot]

RE: Fallajah.

Thanks for that. I never knew that...since the MSM hasn't mentioned it.

In fairness, I haven't seen that posted anyplace in here either.

[DCPatriot]

Liar?

Why is that? Because I refuse to drink the koolade?

I'm not going to get bent out of shape because you called me a liar, wolfie.

We've agreed with each other more often than not over the years in here.

Go. And sin no more!

[Wolfstar]

Liar, because you cannot "fully support" President Bush and still agree with what NetLiberty wrote:

...it's George Bush's fault, and he is the one who needs to summon the courage and competence to make this right. Otherwise, he is going to be ranked right down there with Lyndon Johnson as a failed president who led a failed war.

You may not be intending to lie to others, but you are certainly lying to yourself. Why? It may be correct to say you partially support him, but fully? Your own posts indicate otherwise. BTW, I'm one of the rare pragmatists around FR who does not expect to agree "fully" with any other human being, and certainly not with politicians.

Also BTW, the reference to "drinking koolaid" is such an over-used cliche. It's intended only to pidgeon-hole "the other" as not being as smart as the poster who uses it. As for me, I caught NetLiberty's use of "summon the courage," and immediately rejected the rest of his/her argument. Agree or disagree with him on any policy -- and whatever else one can say about him -- President Bush is, without question, one of the most courageous Presidents in our history.

[Wolfstar]

Liar, because you cannot "fully support" President Bush and still agree with what NetLiberty wrote:

...it's George Bush's fault, and he is the one who needs to summon the courage and competence to make this right. Otherwise, he is going to be ranked right down there with Lyndon Johnson as a failed president who led a failed war.

You may not be intending to lie to others, but you are certainly lying to yourself. Why? It may be correct to say you partially support him, but fully? Your own posts indicate otherwise. BTW, I'm one of the rare pragmatists around FR who does not expect to agree "fully" with any other human being, and certainly not with politicians.

Also BTW, the reference to "drinking koolaid" is such an over-used cliche. It's intended only to pidgeon-hole "the other" as not being as smart as the poster who uses it. As for me, I caught NetLiberty's use of "summon the courage," and immediately rejected the rest of his/her argument. Agree or disagree with him on any policy -- and whatever else one can say about him -- President Bush is, without question, one of the most courageous Presidents in our history.

[DCPatriot]

Whoa...hold on there.

I think President Bush belongs on Rushmore.

I was agreeing with the 2nd sentence beginning with "Otherwise....."

I completely glossed over the words suggesting President Bush lacks courage or competence.

And if you took the trouble to view my posts in the forum, I'm sure you'll see I am in no way a Bush or GOP basher.

Cheers!

[21stCenturyFreeThinker]

I don't see an alternative to more troops fighting more ferociously.

The problem is that this isn't an alternative either. General Abizaid said that he couldn't get even 20,000 additional troops for more than a short time.

The Administration opposed substantially increasing the size of the military a while back. I suppose a quick draft could rustle up some cannon fodder but it takes time to recruit and train real soldiers. Depressing, all very depressing.

[hinckley buzzard]

Smith, who is up for re-election in 2008, said he was "at a crossroads" on the war, adding: "I want my constituents to know what is in my heart, what has guided my votes."

Yeah, I'll bet you do, "Senator." Corssroads my a&&.

[21stCenturyFreeThinker]

Excellent point, Steel Wolf.

It applies to the Bush haters too.

Well there's not much we can do about them but whine now can we? Let's work on what we can fix, our side.