Now this is the way to respond to the questions of your constituents and supporters. As you no doubt recall, Babaloo wrote a piece for us last Thursday asking for some clarification from Rep. Jerry McNerney on some public statements that seemed to indicate that he had changed his position on Iraq.
Howie has Rep. McNerney’s response, and I wanted to be certain that all of you saw it:
I am firmly in favor of withdrawing troops on a timeline that includes both a definite start date and a definite end date (”date certain”) and uses clearly-defined benchmarks. I am not in favor of an “open-ended” timeline for withdrawal, as some members of Congress have proposed recently.
Jerry urged Americans to carefully read The War As We Saw It, an Op-Ed that appeared in Sunday’s NY Times, written by 7 military men stationed in Iraq which puts all the Bush Regime propaganda efforts to the lie.
Jerry’s blog has his full explanation and he sent the following note to the Blue America community:
Thank you to everyone at FDL, Crooks & Liars and DWT for always taking the time to let me know your concerns about Iraq and many of the other difficult issues facing us as Americans. You stood behind me when I ran for Congress against Richard Pombo and I hope you’ll stand behind me now as the debate on the war heats up again in Congress.
As soon as I get a chance, I would enjoy live-blogging again with all of you and Howie on Blue America. In the meantime, if you have thoughts you would like to share with me and our community, please post a comment on my blog or privately to the “Contact Us” section of our campaign web site.
Great work from Howie and Babaloo in pushing this discussion forward — and a big thank you to all of you who contacted McNerney’s office asking for clarification. We look forward to further discussions with Rep. McNerney, and applaud his quick, forthright and thoughtful response on this.
Unlike the dodge and phony show that we’ve seen from Rep. Chris Carney, Rep. Jerry McNerney shows that a little honesty and some real conversation go a long, long way when dealing with the folks who helped put you in office in the first place. It’s called public accountability. Thanks to Rep. McNerney for the follow-up on this — it’s awfully nice to deal with a grown-up response for a change.
And in case you missed this, Chris Bowers has an accountability knocks moment for Mr. Carney….
(Photo from left to right, Howie Klein and Jerry McNerney.)
Related posts:
- Supporting the Public Option: An Appeal for Accountability
- Accountability Now Targets Jim Cooper for Primary Challenge
- Public Option Whip Count: Jerry Nadler Goes “Splunge!”
- Loretta Sanchez: A Blue Dog Barks Back on the Public Option
- “Preventive Detention” Plan Shows Urgent Need for Leadership and Accountability at OLC
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zing?
Christy!
zip
rocking!
Biodun- congrats!
Yay, do-si-do!
I can’t believe I’m first. great waste of band space.
Richmond @ 6
Thanks. As I said, I have a secret method…*g*
Funnydiva2002 @ 8
Whoa! where’d she go? Swear-ta-god this thread started at 1 a moment ago!
HOWIE ROCKS.
11?
Funnydiva2002 @ 7
I bow to Biodun! ;)
Thanks for this post, christy. I had been looking for these links and you always come through.
Biodun – I have been working on an Ifa section of my writing today, hmmmm. Got any palm nuts there in Minnesota?
Funnydiva2002 @ 10
I saw that, too.
That’s a nice picture of Howie and Jerry…
JF @ 14
I refreshed, and do-si-do is back at #1.
IIRC, Mr. Carney was part of Feith’s Office of Special Plans in the Pentagon and should never have been endorsed by the Democratic Party for any office.
OT: Here’s how much Bush thinks of our kids. It’s bad enough he doesn’t want them to have health insurance, but this says why. More sick kids=more dollars for insurance companies when parents have to pay for private coverage.
McClatchey News
Richmond @ 13
Palm nuts? Hmm. You might have to go to Harlem or Bed-Stuy in Brooklyn for those…Are you working on your dissertation or something?
james @ 17
Oh goodie. This should work out splendidly when bird flu hits…
do-si-do @ 1
Now it’s my turn to congratulate you…
Chris Carney needs to be defeated even if, gag me, it’s by a Republican and the lefty blogs need to lead the way.
peanutbutter @ 19
See Scarecrow’s post four threads down.
JF @ 16
wow, that’s weird. I refreshed and became number one, too. Another reason to call me dosido!
Hmmm…I’m beginning to suspect that Rove might be in Texas to work on behalf of Rick Perry.
you know, when we get that live blog we’re being promised, and anyone that contacts him on his blog needs to make the following clear
this is Bush’s war, not Amerca’s war, this is his occupation, not America’s occupation
and we need to make clear this as well;
each and every day we are in Iraq breeds new terrorists, not only in Iraq but it is a recruitment poster for our enemies that band against us
and we need to remind him that nobody thought
we could just leave viet nam, that the country would devolve into anarchy
yet now in hind site we see with no doubt leaving viet nam was surely better then staying
we need to leave Iraq, we need to leave the embassy, leave it as a gift to the Iraqi’s and leave with the hope of providing help when they ask for it but not until they ask for it
we need to make it clear to our “progressive” candiates we need out of Iraq and we need to dissilusion this president from the notion that he has left a long standing engagement for the administrations that follow
Biodun @ 19
No, alas I am way beyond that. Kidding you on the Odu, but I figured, well, you mentioned secret methods….. THe problem is it would be hard to come up with all the stuff you would need to make a particular result come to pass in time for a new post. :-)
Withdrawal is going to be a tougher pill to swallow that alot of us are willing to admit. The American foreign policy establishment believe that American domination of the Middle East stretching into central Asia is essential for national security. It’s a little like turning Admiral Mahan’s theory about sea power on its head. Mahan believed that dominance required a big navy. The other point of view was that dominating the centre of Asia forces everyone else to the periphery. This is geopolitic-speak, of course, but it passes for analysis among friends of ours who are by no means neocons.
Leaving Iraq with our tails cut off and no place to go defeats that purpose, which the leadership of both parties support. The Bush admin screwed up the project, but the project is still there. The problem is that it will be impossible to get back on track anytime soon given the American people’s recent experience with it. That’s the rub.
I predict that we are going to see a repeat of the NAFTA fiasco in 2009. Remember how Hillary’s health bill got derailed by the fight over the North American Free Trade Act. It happened right at the time when there was still a tiny window of opportunity for getting some kind of extension of health care passed. After the carnage from the intra-party NAFTA fight the will to push ahead was gone.
We will see the same thing with Iraq. The ‘responsible’ dems will say that in the national interest we have to keep a military presence there. A small one, but of course it takes a larger one to defend the small one. The next thing is a fight and good-bye health care or whatever else we want. I fear this is what we will get from Hillary.
This is Bush’s war, but no one from his family is part of it.
“The War As We Saw It, an Op-Ed that appeared in Sunday’s NY Times, written by 7 military men stationed in Iraq which puts all the Bush Regime propaganda efforts to the lie.”
Christy, this is a powerful testimony. Nothing influences more than than when people stand and speak with no personal agenda, just in search of objective truth. It takes courage to speak with your eyes wide open.
Christy,
Thank you for updating this on the front page. I was fairly certain that he was either spun and/or misquoted to make it appear that the Dems are splintering on Iraq withdrawal. It seems to be all over the media lately–the most recent being Sen. Levin’s statements.
I do think we need to keep the progressive representatives honest, but we also need to see Rovian-type spin in the media as a possibility and fact-check.
Thanks for fact-checking.
I was quite happy to receive Rep. McNerney’s e-mail in my in-box today.
Thanks Christy for this post and thank you too Howie for your followup in this issues. I donated to McNerney’s campaign last year and would hate to think it was a mistake.
dakine01 @ 22
Yeah, I read that before trying to get current below and clicked through several of the links especially this one:
Perrspectives
We need to get corporations “decertified” as citizens under the 14th Amendment, that disastrous Santa Clara decision.
Both my kids have serious health issues and even with insurance it’s getting nuts. Providers we’ve used for years suddenly aren’t covered by the plan anymore. In one case my ex and I are paying out of pocket to a neurologist because he has a great rapport with the kids and it doesn’t benefit them to keep changing doctors.
I cannot imagine how anyone in this country can think that we are better than any other country with the exception of some African countries when it comes to health care for our children. Americans should hang their heads in shame.
I love the blue links Christy. There is a story in the Miami Herald written by Obama today wrt Cuba and lifting the travel restrictions.
Knut Wicksell @ 27:
We really don’t know what we’ll get from Hillary. And that’s the rub. She uses modifiers on almost everything. One recent example: She said she’ll take money from lobbyists but will not be influenced by them.
OT Just read at Political Wire that Sam Nunn is considering running for Pres as an independent in 2008. Would that have any meaning at all?
How will anyone in the office of the President be able to replace the foreign policy makers who have been entrenched in these positions for decades?
The good intention of a new President will probably be sidelined by this group. Either the person capitulate or their term in office will be all out warfare, against him/her.
I never hear any candidate on either side talk about who they want on their foreign policy team to replace the status quo.
Can anyone here shed light on this? I think we need to totally clean house regarding foreign policy “experts”, this includes conservative think tanks.
james@32
right on the money, that’s been a theme of mine for a few years, we need to rescind personhood from corporations, if the supreme court refuses we need an amendment to do it
corporations enjoy certain benefits that people do not get, they cannot enjoy the benefits of being persons, they are not
they cannot be afforded free speech, they cannot be afforded the right to contribute to politicians
once a bussiness incorporates they are given an umbrella of protection
the bussiness does not have to incorporate if they don’t want to loose personhood but once they do choose the protection of the corporate vale they must forfeit the rights of personhood
pretty simple stuff here too
QuakerGirl @ 29
I so agree with you quakergirl. I’ll take this straight talk from the sgts any day.
Anyone tracking what votevets is up to these days?
Twain @ 35
Not really. Nunn would pick up a lot of so-called moderate Rs and Blue Dog Ds. I.E., folks who would be difficult for a progressive to gather anyway.
ThinkProgress posted this about 30 minutes ago: Waxman Confirms Existence Of Rove’s Politicization ‘Teams’
Twain @ 35
Sam Nunn? Talk about temporal displacement.
perris @ 25
Can I give you an Amen?
Twain @ 35
I think Nunn would draw from both parties. He would take some of the “strong defense” types from the D candidate. and some of the fiscal-conservative-but-sick-of-Bush types from the R candidate. Overall, probably a hit for Dems, though.
Go, Howie!
Go, Henry Waxman!
A stand up guy.
Knut Wicksell @ 27
Tough for whom? Not me — I thought we were wrong to go into Iraq in the first place. We shouldn’t have taken our eye off the ball in Afghanistan.
Iraq was a problem that would have eventually solved itself. Someone would have gotten fed up with Sadam and/or his sons and they’d have assasinated him and them.
I’m beginning to think that the US would be better off minding its’ own business and taking care of its’ domestic problems rather than trying to shove our version of policy down everyone else’s throats.
Good for McNerney. I look forward to having in back with Howie. I supported him and then he ticked me off…
Here is his voting record.
If I were elected President, I would eliminate
ALL think tanks.
tanks, Jack
Bay State Librul @ 48
I would jail the morons in the pnac for their crimes against America and then I would have the international court have at them for the war crimes against the world
The most observant reporter of the I-rack War
is former Asst Sec Def Korb… for some
reason, I like his analysis…
All the other pundits have no fucking idea what
will happen in Iraq.
perris@25:
We have to keep using that term occupation whenever this tragedy is talked about. It isn’t a war, there was never any strategic reason for this occupation other than controlling Iraq’s oil and deposing another country’s ruler.
Occupation imposes legal requirements on the occupier something the Bushies tried to elude by putting Bremer in there with the Coalition Provisional Authority, a completely illegal, stateless entity designed to draw the onus of the occupation away from the Bush administration.
And I refuse to vote for any Democrat who continues to use the word “homeland” when speaking of my country.
Brisingamen @ 46
There is a balance needed. We cannot force our system of government on other countries, but we should help the citizens of other countries when they are ruled by tyrraincal leaders. Before Bush, we had the moral authority to do that. It will take time to rebuild it, but if we focus on humanitarian missions, it can be achieved.
This does not mean a solely military approach, or a sloely non-military approach. Our response should be chosen on a case-by-case basis.
Personally, I believe Clinton was right to go into the Balkans. Bush was wrong to go into Iraq, but right to go into Afghanistan. Each situation was different, and called for its own unique response.
Klein does the job. As to Mr. McNerney? We’ll see. Won’t we. Lahoma and I are very ‘hard sells’. “We are from Oklahoma”. That’s Lahoma’s line. And it has connotations. And she means it.
Yes, I was very pleased to get that email from McNerney.
It’s weird — for comparison, I was looking for example articles about the Warner-Levin trip to Iraq, which I remember as highlighting their mention of bits of progress and downplaying their negative assessment of the political situation. Now all I can find are headlines like “Sens. Levin, Warner ‘Not Optimistic’ on Iraqi Politics” and “US Military Looks to Reduce Role in Iraq”.
james @ 51
a great point…we even need a term more derogatory then “occupation” I can’t find anything I like in the thsaurus but “the bush occupation” is far too kind for his depraved decisions regarding Iraq
OT:
Article from Raw Story about Fox News interview with Ex-CIA officer who claims we will strike Iran within 6 months. Link
Wow, I guess they are trying for the 0 for 3 mark. Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran. Can someone begin Impeachment proceedings to stop this lunacy?
Both my kids have serious health issues and even with insurance it’s getting nuts. Providers we’ve used for years suddenly aren’t covered by the plan anymore. In one case my ex and I are paying out of pocket to a neurologist because he has a great rapport with the kids and it doesn’t benefit them to keep changing doctors.
James, I’m sorry you have to deal with insurance BS on top of your children’ medical issues. This must be fixed.
QuakerGirl @ 36
Where do you get the idea that foreign policy makers run the government? And who do you mean by that phrase?
If you mean the State Department, the Secretary of State is appointed by the Pres and confirmed by the Senate. The rest of the employees of that department are civil servants and can be fired when necessary.
No President has to kowtow to the think tanks, and none that I know of ever have.
Usually, foreign policy is made with the advice of the Sec State, Sec Defense, and the National Security Advisor, with input from whatever department that may have information bearing on the matter at hand.
IrishJim @ 56
RE: me @ 52 – this would be wrong.
JF @ 43
Actually with the candidates the R’s appear to be stuck with, I think an independent candidate would pull more votes from their side than ours.
A lot of Republicans HAVE to be reconsidering their allegiance right now, but might not be able to stomach actually voting for a Democrat — they’ll need to spend more time drying out from the funky kool-aid before they can overcome years of brainwashing.
Biodun @ 34
Slippery, is what it is. Always looking for an out. I need clarity. Crystal clear clarity so I can see you better. With Hillary I’m looking through muddy waters at shadows I can’t identify.
“I love the smell of democracy in the morning.”
We (Lahoma and I) want a new President who is committed to tirelessly working toward peace through diplomacy. And who would that be?
james @ 51
Invasion then occupation, both work well. Clusterfuck springs to mind as well but…
SufiLizard @ 60
Good point. However, Nunn has said that he will not make a decision until the candidates of both parties have been decided. If the distaste for Hillary here on FDL is common in the general population of Dems, and she is the candidate, I can easliy see people jumping to Nunn.
And who best will fix the medical insurance situation?
Loo Hoo. @ 47
Thanks Loo Hoo. Just checking it out. Much appreciated.
Loo Hoo. @ 47
Hi Loo Hoo, a belated congrats to you and Demi on your most excellent adventure in IssaLand. Good job!
perris @ 37
If you read the history, it was actually a clerk who inserted personhood in the decision.
Perris,
You mean the corporate veil?
I agree completely.
peanutbutter @ 64
rape and pillage?
exploitation? (for more polite company)
peanutbutter @ 64
“the bush unprovoked invasion” followed by “the bush insurgent breeding occupation’
verbose, but untill someone comes up with something more eloquent it will have to do
Oklahoma kiddo @ 66
Edwards is the leader on this issue.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 63
Dennis Kucinich and… well, that’s about it.
do-si-do @ 71
ohh
on to something there
perris @ 72
I like to refer to them as the Bush Crusades. You know God told him to it.
Loo Hoo. @ 57
Thanks. It’s been a great tool though to teach the kids about equity and certain aspects of life.
For instance, why is it OK for congress and the president and SC justices to benefit from socialized medicine while denying it to everyone else?
Why is social*sm in the form of welfare OK for Wal-Mart, the aircraft industry, the military contracting industry, but not OK for a poor single mother in Chicago or up in El Barrio in NYC?
edited and released by Mods
Mods, fix that thing (#66) for me would you please. Should read …’who best’…
tnx. kiddo.
Done. Mods
do-si-do @ 71
IrishJim @ 56
I hope the next commander-in-chief has a better method of foreign policy development than throwing darts at a map of the ME while blindfolded. Oops, I got syria!
Redshift @ 54
I think it’s because the corporate press only reported what they liked from their comments. They did say there is some progress is some regions, but they said a lot more.
JF @ 65
Well I agree. If Hillary gets the nomination the equation changes, but with any other candidate an independent would likely siphon more votes from Republicans.
perris @ 72
like this:
to any backer of cheneyBu$hco’s Iraq Plunder,
“Well, how much more do you want to spend arming and training the terrorists?”
I have to give a big thank you to Howie here. he has been killing himself doing research to bring these low lifes to the front for inspection.
Down With Tyranny!
Erm? Dunno what happened there. I said something like “I think you’re onto something there, especially with exploitation…”
TJ @ 69
The clerk, J.C. Bancroft-Davis, a former corrupt official in the Grant Administration working with a corrupt Supreme Court Justice (OH MY) Stephen Field who was helping the railroad industry in return for their support for a Field run at the presidency.
YJ @83
Yes! High five.
I like the use of the term “plunder” too. Pirates of the Arabia Sea theme.
yellowdog jim @ 82
I wish more people would pay attention that we’re now arming the Sunnis after arming Shias for the past 4 years.
There’s really only one possible reason to arm both sides of a conflict… Even the writers for Xena: Warrior Princess could wrap their heads around the concept, but it seems too complicated for the crack journalists dominating the MSM these days.
SufiLizard @ 81
Also, consider the fact that the media is likely to portray any Dem candidate as “too far left of the mainstream,” and that Nunn can easily play the “former Dem whose party left me” card.
james @ 84
I had no clue personhood was not part of the decision
that has to be promoted, the fact needs to be exploited and the notion must be removed
people need to stand up for themselves and if we get that fact promoted it would be a good start
Bush/Cheney: Gods of Plunder? The Deus ex Machina supplying arms to either side to keep the chaos going while they drain the oil reserves dry.
For people who are worried about terrists coming to kill our children, they’ve done a heckuva job wearing our military into the ground and creating more terrorists.
Biodun – if you are still here, I am sorry to have missed you in Chicago.
Life has become complicated back at home and don’t spend much time here anymore. But glad McInerney ‘clarified’ his statements. I left a comment on his diary over at Kos about my low level of trust in D.C. dems these days. But always willing to reconsider.
James @ 32, I work for a medical provider and often we will negotiate with patients who have a nonpar insurance. If you haven’t already, it is worth asking for a discount, lots of docs are willing to negotiate.
JF @ 59
The rawstory piece includes the link to Baer’s TIME article, by the way.
The official story about the recent hair-raising executive order on the Revolutionary Guards is that it is an effort to “economically isolate” Iran. The Washington Post toes this official line in its lead editorial today ( http://www.washingtonpost.com/…..01581.html ) where Hiatt exhorts us: “the United States should not shrink from fighting back with all the economic weapons it can muster.”
Clearly they want a real war, however. But will they get it? Nothing happened with that third carrier. Sam Gardiner’s predictions of a spring attack didn’t bear out. Last year’s multiple alarms about carriers and pre election attacks didn’t result in anything, either. I don’t think we’re going to attack Iran. Obviously this has nothing to do with last year’s elections, as witnessed by the bellicosity of Congress and the Democratic presidential candidates. Somehow Baker, Gates, dissidents in our military and the British have stopped the war (first by publicly objecting to an attack, now abandoning Basra) thus far. It’s all very opaque, but I think there will be a coup if Cheney tries an attack now.
perris @ 89
This is an excellent issue for us. My ultra-Republican father is in complete agreement with me about the influence of big corporations. It’s one of the few things we can agree on.
If Dems had a lick of sense and a vertebrae or two of backbone they could use issues like this to peel off Republican support like Republicans have used guns and abortion to whittle away the Democratic base.
do-si-do @ 86
thanks!
i stole that talking-point quote from someone here a while back.
i LOVE to use it on the good ol’ boys and gals here about Iraq.
Brisingamen @ 58
As a start: AEI, CATO, Manhattan Institute, the Foreign Policy Board is made up of people out of these groups. GW put over thirty of these people in top positions. If you don’t know of any president in modern times who uses these Think Tanks and Consultant Firms I suggest you review who are the president’s advisers. Including going back to Reagan.
I believe Sam Nunn is a director of GE. He would have a lot of baggage as a candidate. He should also be considered a stealth Republican from the Lieberman mold.
perris @ 89
we learn so much here at FDL.
Jeebus bless the Jane and Christy!
ok, narrowing this down;
“the bush plunder, pillage, occupation of a country he knew posed no threat, breeding terrorsts every step of the way”
well, more verbose but getting there I think
Maybe Tenet needs to return the Medal of Freedom.
NYT’s LINK
perris @ 90
There are a couple of good books on the subject. Maybe we need to bug The Daily Show to interview the authors.
james @ 85
More complicated than that. Even Thom Hartmann, who researched the subject for his book, Unequal Protection, says the issue is far from clear-cut. As he found, the transcript includes an aside apart from the proceedings made by the Chief Justice, which Bancroft-Davis brought up with the Chief Justice during the production of the decision, and who claimed that the Chief Justice said something to the effect, “I thought we’d already settled that,” so, into the head notes it went.
The most important thing is that it is now a settled matter of law, because it has been incorporated into many, many judgments after the Santa Clara decision.
In very raw, real terms, the only way to fix this is by Constitution amendment, redefining the 14th Amendment to apply only to natural persons. Good luck getting a contemporary Congress or state legislature to start that ball rolling…. *sigh*
jim oconnor @ 98
This is an understatement. George Will has made a fetish of a prospective Nunn candidacy for twenty years.
SufiLizard @ 95
we can get the republicans on board with us too, maybe not the politicians but certainly the constituents
I even think the politicians might be happy with this kind of reform since they would not be blackmailed with their jobs
a very good issue for us and the fact that personhood was not part of the decision makes it an easier sell for sure
Any time one of these lizards says anything about the surge working and then points at Al Anbar, ask them if they are sure that there are surge troops in Al Anbar.
There are none. There is no surge in Al Anbar. Given this fact, you must then extract from them how the surge in troops around Baghdad but NOT in Al Anbar can cause Al Anbar to settle down. Ask the idiot if what they are talking about is some sort of quantum surge effect…you know, a non-local effect (spooky action at a distance) where a surge in troop level OVER THERE has a seemingly magical surge-like effect on this place over here.
How is it that a surge in troops NOT in Al Anbar is evidence that the surge is working in Al Anbar?
Al Anbar “progress” is entirely and 100% a local/internal/independent thing wherein the local Sunni militias simply decided that it was better, short term, to take out those annoying and murderous Al Qaeda in Iraq bastards rather than split their efforts on them, American troops, AND Shia. One thing at a time.
QuakerGirl @97:
I think you’re confusing cause and effect.
Quaker Girl @97:
Ah, that means they’re Bush appointees — when his term expires, they have to leave too.
It’s traditional that all of a president’s appointees resign at the end of his term(s). I suppose a new President might allow some to stay if they were the from the same political party, but it’s highly unlikely.
(This is how the ‘myth’ of Clinton ‘firing’ the US Attorneys got started, in actuality they were asked to resign. It happens at every change of Administration.)
Praedor Atrebates @ 106
nicely done!
spock would be proud with that line of logic I must say
by the way
does anyone know what spocks full name was?
I think he had one but I don’t know if it was ever made public
brendan @ 104
He also sits on the board of Chevron. Big Oil – Big Defense – He might as well be a Bush.
Praedor Atrebates @ 105
Your point is well taken, but I don’t know why you have to make disparaging remarks about lizards *g*
AZ Matt @ 101
I thought that was the reason for Tenet’s medal.
Loo Hoo. @ 81
Levin, for example, offered his prescriptions for democracy in Iraq: “I hope the parliament will vote the Maliki government out of office and will have the wisdom to replace it with a less sectarian and more unifying prime minister and government.”
He and Warner, the old castratos, evidently feel they have more business trying to fix the Iraqi government than the one here in the U.S.
OT – strange surfing news:
Surfing Childs Glacier’s tsunami on the Copper River in Alaska. Looks like the Darwin Awards competition has begun.
and, from Hawaii, a really cool story:
An 86-year-old Jewish surfing guru from Hawaii donated on Tuesday 12 surfboards to Gaza’s small surfing community, in a gesture he hoped would get Israelis and Palestinians catching the same peace wave.
JF @ 112
I am at odds with this assesment that the cia was inadaquate because of tenet
we know as a fact president bush was warned with presice intel informing him of the impending attack, he knew where, when, new york and washington, who, bin laden, what targets,financcial and political structures, how, highjacking planes, why, bases on holy ground, the weapons, commercial airliners as missiles
tenet made it a point to go out of his way, informing the president, rumsfeld, rice, “everyone’s hair was on fire” and they were certain something big was going to happen
an almost identical pdb was given to clinton, who created a template that averted the attack
it was this president that failed, he was warned, tenet warned him, the entire cia warned him and the president knew what worked in the past to prevent the attack
instead he took vacation
I’m sorry, this is a shiney object diverting the fault from the administration on to bush
not gonna work
TJ @ 101
i want Glenn Greenwald on TDS and Colbert for his “A Tragic Legacy“, please.
IrishJim @ 110
OMG! Running away!
brendan @ 94
That’s my view of it, too. Our military are well aware that other countries have learned the lesson of Iraq and are taking out insurance against an American attack by purchasing arms from Russia (I almost wrote Soviets), who are only to happy to redress the balance of power, which is way out of kilter.
An attack on Iran would be suicide. Not that I don’t think Cheney isn’t mad enough to attempt it.
TJ @ 69
Not even in the decision, in the other stuff around it, AFAIK. (I’m losing the word that describes it, or I’d use it.) It isn’t even a legal decision, that is, and it isn’t an opinion, but it’s been enshrined as one so that corporations can do things (including things they should never be allowed to do, like buying elections).
Brendan@113:
Thank you. I knew there was something that bothered me about that Levin quote when I read it the other day, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.
perris @ 109
Spock Clarence Milquetoast. It should be quite evident from this why he didn’t make it public.
brendan @ 94
The troubling phrase for me in the ex-CIA agent’s interview was “but it won’t be a war.”
The way this administration parses words, whatever they do will be what the rest of us call “war” (or “torture” etc), and they will define it as something else other than war that does not require Congressional approval. And screw world opinion, Dick would tell the whole globe to go cheney themselves.
SufiLizard @ 111
I felt really bad about it as soon as I hit the publish button.
Please, any lizards out there…I really (heart) lizards, insects, etc. Can’t say the same about politicians however.
Thank you. I was sure you had just misspoken.
do-si-do @ 122
Always well to remember that there is no love lost between Baer and the Iranians.
Ed*ard Teller @ 114
Dynamite surfing
Diane @ 93
I used to discount all patients to “insurance” no insurance.. no charge. That is now against federal Law. I am not sure of the specifics now, but basically no Doctor can charge below Medi-Care rates or discount co-pays. A patient has to be sent a bill two or three time..there is no requirement that the patient has to pay or that the bill be sent to a collection agency.
do-si-do @ 122
do-si-do @122:
Forgive my inept cutting and pasting of html.
OOPS Correction…
Some of the surge IS in Al Anbar…BUT…Al Anbar “quieted down” BEFORE any surge took place. At that time, BEFORE the surge, the militias of Al Anbar decided to target Al Qaeda in Iraq first. In so doing, they got on the good side of the US and have hit the lotto: they are being armed by the US for their humanitarianism vis a vis focusing on foreign fighters and terrorists (first) before they get back around to trying to hasten the ejection of US occupiers.
Oklahoma kiddo at 63,
This isn’t your peace prize. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…..61272.html
[quote]That begins with ensuring that America does have the world’s strongest and smartest military force. We’ve begun to change tactics in Iraq, and in some areas, particularly in Al Anbar province, it’s working.
We’re just years too late changing our tactics. We can’t ever let that happen again. We can’t be fighting the last war. We have to be preparing to fight the new war.
And this new war requires different tactics and strategies. We’ve got to be prepared to maintain the best fighting force in the world.[/quote]
Hillary is sounding like George, again. Give me the candidates that are not bought and paid for by war profiteers. They are slim in number.
Thanks Howie
He told me they would have a response and it was just what he said on Monday at B/N Q/A.
Jo6pac
Sorry, Howie, I don’t think McCerney has clarified that he’s going to support any definable timeframe/deadline. His statement could be interpreted as supporting a withdrawal in 2010. I don’t think he has responded to progressives who supported him.
Civil and informative comments! I’m so impressed. I just found firedoglake today.
Thanks!
Bonnie Jackson @ 134
Welcome to the lake, Bonnie. We are currently on this thread if you would like to join us.