After being assailed by Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for being "driven by a desire to provide political cover for President Bush," the Republican Leadership in the Senate succeeded in preventing debate on a resolution that criticized President George W. Bush’s escalation plan for Iraq.
…
According to the Congressional Record, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said, "Let me just say there are many members on my side who would argue that we shouldn’t be having this debate this week at all."
In a turnabout, Senate Republicans are agreeing with Democrats to advance an anti-war bill because they said the debate would give them an opportunity to praise the U.S. military’s progress in Iraq.
The change of heart came after months of blocking similar measures. Unlike most of last year, however, security conditions in Iraq have improved, and Republicans say they now feel they have the upper hand in the debate.
"We welcome a discussion about Iraq," Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell declared.
I thought debating the Iraq war occupation undermined the mission or something.
Anyway, I have no idea what McConnell hopes to gain. 65% of the American people still disapprove of the Bush/McCain surge, so I don’t see how talking about how awesome Iraq is or calling the Democrats cut-and-runners is going to move the needle for them. Then again, they ran on Iraq 4 Evah! in ‘06, as is St. McCain two years later, so I guess I should no longer be surprised.
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Zed!
It seems to be an emerging strategy of the RNC to put their whole election outcome on being able to sell the Iraq war as a good thing. Either this is desperation or some mystical deep probing poll by senior mage Frank Luntz.
I’ll take the odds and say they’re bonkers.
Support THESE Troops!
Hey BT, hi dawgs!
No, BT, you shouldn’t be surprised.
The senate republicans endanger our troops every day by keeping them in harms way with nothing to gain. I still want McBush to define “win”.
As for emboldening the enemy, I think we’re going to have to give the GOPers a pass on that one. The enemy is willing and able to kill an Iraqi Police chief with a bomb in a wheelchair, I don’t think they CAN get any bolder.
Boxturtle (If I was GOP, I still wouldn’t want to debate Iraq at this time)
All Obama (I hope) has to do is point to McCain’s campaign platform as being at least a 75% continuation of Bush’s policies. Game over in spite of Republicans’ attempt to run from it like Forrest Gump.
This is the Democrats chance to REFRAME the debate from a war debate to a debate of our ongoing and potentially endless occupation.
Do they have the brains to stress that the war has been over for years?
You can not win or lose an occupation, the only choices are to continue the occupation or end the occupation.
Can the Democrats start this discussion? Do the Republicans “welcome this debate”?
Give it to them!
Why is this asswipe in the news all the time lately anyway?
Do they like, rotate their idiots around every once in a while on some kind of merit system?
‘Hey Mitch, ya really pissed ‘em off last week, you are our go to guy this week.’
I bet they really miss Delay.
Bill in Portland Maine over at DK has a great vision about how this debate will play out. Here’s how it opens:
There’s plenty more where that came from — click through for the rest.
McConnell’s strategy is transparent, though risky. He thinks that having a debate will result in some Democrat, preferably a presidential candidate to say something that can be twisted into ‘not supporting the troops.’ It’s so transparent it has no chance of working. The risk is that the debate exposes the thugs to having to own up that the ’surge’, which was intended to provide the Iraqi government with ‘breathing space’ to do what has to be done, has failed because the Iraqi government has not done what has to be done (and never could). The further risk is that it exposes them to the charge that they want the United States troops to be there forever, which is a good prediction given the lack of progress over the past year.
It’s a hail mary. And it’s all they’ve got left.
There might be a McBush connection to the investigation into why armored vehicles were not purchased and instead of waiting for US defense contractors to supply them…. the company who is under contract to supply them is Raytheon which is southern AZ… So who was on the committee to make sure that these vehicles are not purchased NOW?
Marines want probe into armored vehicle program delays
Just WHO supports the troops?
Bush is playing a very dangerous game with Turkey. Everybody is been OK with pretending Kurdistan is still part of Iran up to now, but one incident can blow that up and bushco gets punked with a bucket of blood to the face.
The dems response is transparent now too. They are going to do a fiscal accounting of the treasure lost. Then translate what that money could have bought in butter. Doubt McConnell will enjoy that much.
Iraq…Recession…
Don’t even rinse! REPEAT!
I think it’s importnt for the political discourse to shift it’s discussion to other important issues, as mentioned in this article. Iraq, Immigration, and Health Care are not the only issues that should be up for discussion. What about education? What about prison reform? What about fiscal decentralization and a reduction in poverty? What about media reform? We must demand that these issues be discussed! This is why Ralph Nader runs for office…
McConnell’s strategy is dependent on the good will of Muqtada al Sadr, who graciously agreed to 6 month extension of the cease-fire he imposed on his Mahdi Army.
Fucking brilliant.
If it means reduced US casualties in the run up to the election, then McConnell gets what he wants. “The surge is workin“
This looks like a test balloon. Plus a “news hook” for more fearmongering. Forward with the 1000-year reign.
If the troops can’t come home, the surge hasn’t succeeded. Simple as that.
The surge appears to be working because the surge doesn’t have to contend with the Mahdi.
But you are correct. This is how it will play out in the runup to November.
McConnell better hope al Sadr doesn’t have a change of heart.
In my opinion, the reason why the latest surge “has gone so well” is because Muqtada al-Sadr ordered a ceasefire within his own faction. He appears to be lifting it too now, which means, the republicans are going to have to pretty darn crafty in how they explain to the American people that George is behind the ’success of the surge’. See? Oh boy…
http://www.ksla.com/Global/sto…..menu50_1_5
Maybe this is why McConnell wants to have the chance NOW to go on record about how well Georgie has done before the bloodbath continues? Could be.
Though, I could be wrong. LOL Okay, back to shoveling!
We, on the “lefty blogs”, seems to project our sense of the “obvious” onto the voting public. With the exception of Clinton, the American voter has been voting against their self interest and for the 0.1%’ers for the last three decades. ~44% will not vote for a Dem president, no matter what. The popular vote in the next election is going to be close..I am not sure about the electoral vote…hopefully a repeat of 1960.
*not lifting the ceasefire now….al-Sadr, though, could if he wanted to
Dammit! Another mistake! See? LOL
Any debate over the bill in the Senate damn well better mention the 4 million Iraqis displaced from their homes, the impact that dispacement has on violence levels and plans for these people to return to their homes peacefully. And, oh yeah, how about the stated reason for the glorious surge, political reconcilliation. How’s that working out?
/rant
Thank you for sharing this link. It is very hard to watch and hear but powerful. Truth is so difficult. I sent it on to others.
The surge = 100 year war.
Imagine your military contract business being guaranteed 100 years of contracts at tax payers’ expense. What a deal!
The War on Terror isn’t working.
This could be another land mine that the Repugs are seeding all over the place… Just like they were involved in the Iran hostage release negotiations to help an election why not pour tons of money & get al-Sadr to keep the cease fire until Democrats are in control and POOF…. “see we told you that XXX if Democrats were in charge!”
OT..This might be interesting..
WaPo
The effect of the war on terra is that our lives are made more miserable by our own government.
LA Times headline: “McCain has edge over Democrats,” with pie charts show McCain 46% vs Hillary 40% and McCain 44% vs Obama 42%. In each case 5% favor someone else and 9% don’t know
The poll was conducted at RNC headquarters,
in other news, the RNC today announced massive layoffs……
It’s 100 years of kickbacks to and nonservice by the Bush family. Mission Accomplished!
Now that’s what I call an objective poll. Did KKKarl provide the call list?
This is me repeating my current mantra. What we are seeing here is another example of the Republicans constructing a narrative. This time it is “The surge is a big success.” As per usual, they will repeat it and stick to it regardless of the facts. This is the reason they are willing to have a “debate” on Iraq now. That we will end up with more not fewer troops in Iraq post-surge, that 2/3 of the American people think Iraq is a disaster and want out, that the surge per se failed to accomplish either its tactical or strategic goals (the Sunni civil war between jihadis and tribal sheiks in Anbar, ethnic cleansing in Baghdad, an opportunistic truce with the Madhi army, the buying off of the Sunni insurgency rather than its defeat, the complete and total lack of any progress toward a national political settlement between Shia, Sunnis, and Kurds, all of these things contributed to the current situation and the surge had remarkably little to do with or effect on any of them), all of these things will have no impact on the Republicans or their narrative. They will repeat it and repeat it and repeat it. Reality and the consequences be damned.
It is for Halliburton, KBR, and Blackwater. Business has never been so good for them.
I think Democrats do need to make up a cost-benefit analysis of the war in Iraq. The current benefits certainly don’t come near being worth the costs and, I think that would be the case even if Iraq ultimately turned out to be a “somewhat stable” independent country. I think it might have only been worth the cost if Iraq had been an imminent threat to the U.S.. That gets us back to the lies which got us into the mess. Democrats should win that basic argument, whatever the prevailing propaganda is about the surge.
Ask a kid in the 1st Cav who is going on an op tonight about the cost/benefit.
yup, and we’re stuck on arguing about the “surge” rather than the larger narrative of the War on Terror being a lie.
Even if they did the analysis, the Democrats have no one to make the case.
I strongly question the validity of the Time/Bloomberg Poll. Almost all other polls have Obama over McCain’t by double digits. Keep in mind that the media wants the General election to be a close race so they can sell more advertising. I call B.S. on that Poll.
That’s the point. Costs are things like dead and wounded, expansion of Iranian power, revelation of the limits of our own conventional military power, loss of trust among our allies, etc.,. I wasn’t using the term in the narrow sense.
I’m a vet too, although I wasn’t in Viet Nam. So, I wasn’t implying a business school idea. I meant a continual repetition of: Has this been worth it?”
A close election can be more easily “fiddled” than a blow-out. That’s the ball to keep your eye on.
Didn’t mean to say you were bro (or sis if that be the case) just commenting on the entire narra. . .I mean cluster fuck!
It seems to me that the Republican Party is hellbent on doing as much damage as they can before the people throw them out in November.
Why should they pay any attention to reality or common sense. They could care less. They know they are finished and they are just like bullies everywhere. They’re just going to try and fuck as much shit up as they can as they go down.
And if, gawd forbid, we some kind of “National Emergency” then heaven help us all because all bets will be off, and that applies until 11:59:59 EST on 1/20/09.
I disagree completely. I’m not sure where you get the 44% number – that’s a new one on me. For at least the last 9 months polls have shown that 2/3 of the electorate dislike Bush’s policies and when the contest becomes Obama (I hope) vs. McCain we will begin hearing how a vote for McCain is a vote for Bush.
Roger that, and I’m a guy. We’ve talked before about it, when I had a different “callsign.” I’m the one who was sent to Korea during the Pueblo Incident,concurrent with the Tet Offensive. I initially had my regular initials and got a more memorable “name” when FDL revised the format.
Costs are things like dead and wounded
With Bush/Cheney Incorporated, these are two distinct entries on the balance sheet.
Killed in Action: Simple write-off. Minimum casualty fee for the survivors.
Wounded: Way more costly. Permanent medical care for missing limbs, burns.
Their Corporate Ethos tells them that a KIA is much more cost effective.
An ad for a new book titled “Marching toward Hell” by (somebody called) Michael Scheuer sat beside the NYT crossword puzzle yesterday, and the ad copy was so strange I googled for some more input. Have FDLers b een following this guy, and what’s up with him?
OT, but to expose the “ethics” of the MSM, WJIM 1240AM in Lansing, Michigan is turning over their morning time slot to a substitute host for tomorrow’s broadcast. It’s Saul Anuzis, the Republican Party chairman for the state of Michigan. Anuzis was a big promoter of Dick “Amway” DeVos for governor. His “guests” on tomorrows program will be Newt Gingrich and Karl Rove. It’s time for anyone in Michigan to file a complaint with the FCC here:
https://esupport.fcc.gov/sform2000/new_complaints.action?request_locale=en
William F Buckley dead at 82.
He exhaled polysyllabically one last time.
Human costs are of little interest to Bush and Cheney. No one from their families even serves. They do like the way their family wealth has grown, however.
I’ll never forget . . .
dehobgoblinization
My favorite quote from the MoDo piece this morning:
Sounds right.
Much More Important Developments today:
_____________
News You Can Use.
He’s the eerie ex CIA guy whose role in life was to track and kill Ben Ladin. He was critical of both Bush and Clinton administrations for their lack of diligence in going after Bin Ladin. His personality reminds me a little of G. Gordon Liddy.
Yeah, he gets a lot of CNN etc face time, I see him interviewed a lot.
A well-written definitive smackdown of Russert and his Farrakhan nonsense is posted at Dkos by 8ackgr0und N015e: http://www.dailykos.com/storyo…..952/464844
The nation’s thesauruses have gone into mourning.
BTW IIRC Buckley came out against the Iraq war before Hillary Clinton.
I have a problem with CIA types who see an enemy around every corner, sitting in every coffee house, strolling the beach, on the ski slopes. Such personalities are called paranoid schizophrenics. That organization attracks some very strange personalities. I look at them suspiciously ;)
The thing that pissed me off overall last night — particularly w/respect to Russert — is that this was ostensibly a “debate” between the candidates, not intended as a Press The Meat got’cha grilling. Pose a relevant policy question, and then let the candidates debate their respective positions. How difficult is that to understand?
Just a good thing that it wasn’t Tweetie up there instead of Pumpkinhead, though, I guess.
This is great news! the Senate Republicans will go make speeches before the Novebmer election about how great Iraq is…just at a time when gas prices are going higher.
Come election day we run ads pointing out how many solders have died since the GOP Senators praised the war.
Then we point out that we won WW2 in less time. Then we compare the cost of this war to other wars and the number of troops in each war and ask just where is the money going?
Then we flash to pictures Of Haliburtron and KBR and the Senator in whoose district that we are running ads.
That lady needs a vacation, and tranquilizers
Thanks. I’m inclined to agree with you. I can’t find anyone who admits to favoring McCain — some will however admit to “concerns” about Obama, e.g., experience. (”So what executive experience does McCain have?”) IMHO, the general will be a landslide.
In any case, with that headline up on the LA Times, there’ll never been a better time to place your wagers on the outcome of the general election. You’re unlikely to get better odds as time moves on.
Why I love Stephen Colbert..“Good Bad Journalism”
In fact Hillary and Russert turned into a tag team against Obama during the Farrakahn thing.
And the 28,000 who have been maimed and must endure a life of permanent pain and extensive disability. Not to mention the now very high suicide and attempted suicide rate.
Yeah, they did, that’s right. It sucked. “Moderator,” my ass.
Presidential elections don’t often break out of the 55%/45% range. State by state polls are more interesting. And I wouldn’t pay much attention to those until after the first Presidential debate.
poblano, at DKos, is attempting to run some numbers:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/…..136/464643
With all these folks like you looking at them suspiciously, it’s no wonder they’re paranoid.
*g*
My problem is that they siting in coffee houses, going to the beech they should all be learning Arabic and going to Pakistan.
Coffee houses and the Beech are where you go after you get Ossama.
Cost benefit analysis is impossible for these cost plus suits that plan,
profit from, and propagandize for perpetual war. The fortunes of the kids
they move around like toy soldiers on the floor, that is literally the
experience most of them have, mean absolutely nothing to them, they are
defense intellectuals, best example is the fighting Kagans and Kristols
of this world, who never went on a campout and sang hello mudda, hello
fadda. Scheuer is vastly inferior as a CIA type to Chalmers Johnson,
Scheuer is the typical ferret wanker diddy bop well known to the Vietnam
era folks.
I agree so much with this post, I don’t know where to begin.
So, here goes nothing.
“Why should they pay any attention to reality or common sense?”
Never have and never will. Stealing money via access to power is their reason for being.
“They could care less.”
Slight correction, although I know what you mean. “They could not care less”, about the uninsured, veterans from their bullsh*t war, etc.
“They know they are finished and they are just like bullies everywhere.”
That’s why all the good hair Rethugs are taking a pass on this election, and serving up McBush this election to be run over by the Democratic tidal wave. They don’t like him anyway, and this will get him out of their hair for good.
“They’re just going to try and fuck as much shit up as they can as they go down.”
Exactly why we’ll be seeing $4/gallon gas this year. A big wet kiss to Saudi Arabia & the rest of Big Oil before these oil men leave office.
And don’t buy the bullsh*t that prices have to be this high.
$40-$50 dollars per barrel is just speculation in the trading pits.
Who else
sent a letter to the editor
about Nedra’s AP story sliming Barack Obama?
Today I looked in the local newspapers Ltr to Editor section and found nothing. If you find a letter, post a link. Who as noticed how quickly right winf sites posted articles about how Nedra was covering for Barack on the same issue. Makes me think we’re looking at a coordinated campaign. Is Nedra the next Miller, taking stenography to advace her career without ever sniffing out that she’s being played?
Yeah we should have a contest who can come up with the best TV comercials for November!
I did. Just got feedback letter too.
I’m in Pennsylvania.
That was a great.
Sorry to be OT but this is the only moment free I have to ask the pups for advice. Will ck back for answers. much appreciated.
OT, re Russert last nite/Farrakahn as a passthrough for anti-semitic rightwing sphere.
Anyone organizing anything as we did vs. Nedra the Pickle/AP?
Any Jewish org.? Media matters? The people slamming the smear for jews campaign, the one we are told on daily kos in comments on the top. rec. diary is coming from The Womens Coalition a branch of the RNC (but w/o any source, so I am passing it on with a ?)
I’m a new commenter here. Forgive me if this point has been made already. Be gentle. kthx.
Time was when a debate on Iraq would prove risky for the Right. With a truly fair and unbiased media that would still be true. The facts would speak for themselves and expose the lies of the past 7 years. They can now rely on the power of the press to insure that Cletus and Brandine (or any other low-info voter) will never hear the whole story on any national outlet. The “liberal MSM” is nothing but wingnut fiction. Lip service to those who oppose and all glory to BushCo/Hate Inc.
WHAT? I don’t find the word “Coalition” anywhere in that article or its comments.
Perhaps I misunderstood your point.
Thanks. (Sorry to be slow to respond; had to step away from the computer — imagine that!) Sounds like his position is that the U.S.’s interests are so important that they override things like international relations: alliances and diplomacy are so ‘Cold War’. He might well make “good TV”, but the argument sounds, shall we say, unfirm.
It pays to be careful when the (R)’s do something that seems out of character. In this case, they’d rather be debating Iraq and bragging about how the surge has “succeeded,” than voting on the next bill in line which is the housing bill that would assist the folks caught in the mortgage scam. The banks are lobbying ferociously to prevent that bill from passing or to gut the provisions that would prevent foreclosures. The (R)’s haven’t changed their spots, they are just trying to protect their banking industry contributors by delaying to give them more time to change or defeat that bill.
Slightly off topic, but I am still fuming over the lies Rep. Kingston (R-GA) made about Obama on Bill Mahr show Friday. I have called his office to complain and got nowhere. Yesterday, I contacted the Georgia Dem. Party to find out if someone is running against him. Received an email this morning with the news that Bill Gillespie is running. If you are as outraged as I am, please go to his website and make a contribution. It is
billforgeorgia.com
If everyone takes some action, maybe we can rid of this pondscum. It should be unethical to make the comments he made knowingly lying.