Posted on 05/09/2007 5:55:32 PM PDT by kellynla
TIM RUSSERT, NBC NIGHTLY NEWS: Brian, all eyes on the Republican party. How long will they support the president's position on the Iraq War? Yesterday may have been a defining, pivotal moment.
At two-thirty in the afternoon, in the private quarters of the White House, the Solarium Room, eleven Republican congressmen had a private meeting with the president, the secretary of defense, the secretary of state, the chief political advisor Karl Rove, and the White House Press Secretary Tony Snow, and others.
This delegation was headed by Mark Kirk of Illinois and Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania. It was, in the words of one of the participants, the most unvarnished conversation they've ever had with the president.
Another member has said he has met with three presidents and never been so candid. They told the president, and one said, quote, "My district is prepared for defeat. We need candor, we need honesty, Mr. President."
The president responded, "I don't want to pass this off to another president. I don't want to pass this off, particularly, to a democratic president," underscoring he understood how serious the situation was.
Brian, the Republican congressmen went on to say, "The word about the war and its progress cannot come from the White House or even you, Mr. President. There's no longer any credibility. It has to come from General Petraeus.
The meeting lasted an hour and fifteen minutes, and was, in the words of one, " remarkable for the bluntness, and no holds barred honesty and the message delivered by all these Republican congressmen.
BRIAN WILLIAMS: And Tim...how did the president react and how did this then affect the instructions for VP Cheney heading off to Iraq?
RUSSERT: One congressman said, "How can our daughters and sons spill their blood while the Iraqi parliament goes on vacation? The president responded, "The Vice President is over there to tell them, 'Do not go on vacation.'"
Developing...
Sounds like a quote from the guy in your tagline.
When the public turns on a war effort they helped to start by cheering it on in overwhelming numbers, and they turn on it based on endless lies and propaganda, politicans who know better have an obligation to counter those lies and propaganda. Not just roll with it.
These guys are a disgrace. So are the constituents who've lost the stomach to fight this war (or technically, to occasionally watch on their televisions as other men fight it).
Kirk is my congressman too.
He’s always been a pro-abortion RINO, but the one redeeming quality about him was that he was always strong on the war. In 2006, he defeated his Democratic moonbat challenger Dan Seals 53-47.
Ever since then, he’s gone soft on the war. He voted against the surge in January. Now, there’s absolutely no reason to vote for him. I’ll vote for whoever challenges him in the primary.
One might justifiably ask that same question about the American Congress.
One might. However, I bet the president did not.
Pisspants Republicans
This article makes them sound like WHINE-Os too.
It would be interesting to see if these are the same Repubs that have been voting with the donks against the war since the jackasses took over congress. If so, there is little significance here except for the dummies and the clueless.
RINO traitors. They should be thrown out of the GOP.
Yes and the GOP lost Congress in the last election, with Iraq as the biggest issue in many of the close races that Republicans lost. That was a real tipping point. GOP members know they're going to be massacred in 2008 if something doesn't change with regard to Iraq. Can you say, "President Hillary plus filibuster-proof Democrat Senate"?
I've been telling freepers for weeks that we're looking at the same thing that happened to Democrats in 1952. Voters then were tired of the Korean War and the they voted against Democrats at every level. Eisenhower, the GOP nominee for president, ran and won on a platform and promise to end the Korean War.
The voters are likely to oust more Republicans from Congress in 2008 if something doesn't change in Iraq. These guys know that.
Clearly the congressmen's chief concern is their own liver-loving @ss.
Why, because they see that the polls show 60 percent of Americans against the war? These guys are politicians who maybe don't want the GOP to be utterly destroyed at the next election, even more than at the last election (in which Iraq was a major factor for many voters). I don't see it as a "disgrace" to want to keep the Democrats from winning a landslide in 2008.
The GOP lost control of both Houses of Congress last November. Are you saying that was an illusion caused by polling firms? If so, why is Nancy Pelosi sitting in the Speaker's chair?
As for Bush’s inability to convince the people on the Iraqi War, the Democrats did a major smear job with the daily firebombings!
This kind of smearing is nothing more that a treasonable job and it appears to be succeeding!
I doubt there is much the President can do outside of blowing his top! He has too much class.
why do you conclude that a defeat would win them anymore votes than a drawn out fight for victory...is the war unpopular because the war isn’t going well or because they aren’t fighting hard enough. There isn’t a single poll that will draw either conclusion.
Good Morning Viet Nam
11 turds = one stinkin pile
I don't "conclude" anything except this: if nothing changes in Iraq, the GOP is going to be wiped out in 2008. Hillary - or Obama, or whoever the Dems nominate - will be president and the Dems will have huge majorities in Congress.
And with the Dems in power, they might be able to rig things so the GOP never comes back. For example, an immigration bill that allows tens of millions of Mexicans and Central Americans to register as voters. Goodbye, Republican fortunes in the American Southwest.
Even if soemthing dose happen in Iraq do you really think the MSM is going to cover it?
I employ ... I dare say I can’t think of a single congresscritter that I would trust. Most do not have the credentials to function in my small (50 million dollar sales) firm.
I was Boehner’s neighbor ... no, rather, my address was just doors down from him ... he is a career political puke right out of Xavier U. ...an empty suit with a good talk. Ask about kennedunk’ and his education boondoggle.
I’ve asked this question before. Name me 5 conservative senators with a spine. Name me 10 congresscritters that have a stand up ethic. Nobody has done it yet. It is tooo big of a challenge.
Not a dime. Not a nickel. Not a stinking cent to the RNC until they turn things around and get rid of the dirtbags like Spectator, McLame, Chafee, Hagel, Voinovich ... the list goes on ..
I didn’t leave the republican party. The watered down liberal RNC pukes left me.
Strong talk ... but the best thing that happened were these weasals losing big time in 2006. It may have to take another cycle to clear the rest of the chaff out.. so be it.
A wake up call to those that run and those of us that vote. Go ahead and take the talking heads voice ... look to Giulianni as a savior becaue he ight give the hildebeast a run. That is a terrible business decision. Look to McClame ... all you get is luke warm lbearlism, remeber he couldn't support this presidents tax cuts ... fool .... ao die a death of a thoussnd cuts instead of just one instant kill.
I will ONLY vote CONSERVATIVE .... and if there is not a conservative to vote for .... I WILL NOT hold my nose and vote for warmed over spit.
Some talking pukes tried to convince me of that a few times before. Never again Again I dare someone to name me 5 or 10 .... good luck. It hasn’t happened yet I'd put money up ... it would be a prety safe bet.
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