Iraq dilemma stymies Democrats

[sabra]

<<SNIP>>
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8194578/

Iraq dilemma stymies Democrats
Encouraged by dropping Bush poll numbers, party leadership meets in Washington to chart course for 2006 and 2008 campaigns

By Tom Curry
National affairs writer
MSNBC
Updated: 1:07 p.m. ET June 13, 2005

WASHINGTON - At a meeting of the Democratic National Committee in Washington, party activists were hoping to hear one of their leaders denounce President Bush’s Iraq policy.

One rose to the occasion, electrifying the crowd by asking: “What I want to know is why in the world the Democratic Party leadership is supporting the president's unilateral attack on Iraq?”

That question, in February of 2003, helped make Howard Dean the frontrunner for his party’s presidential nomination.

The DNC executive committee met this past weekend, again in Washington, and again Iraq was on the minds of party activists.

At a time when opinion polls show increasing public uneasiness about President Bush’s Iraq policy, no Democratic leader — not even Dean himself — has unleashed the kind of rousing rhetoric Dean used two-and-a-half years ago.

<</SNIP>>

[bpilgrim]

1. you were LIED to

peace

[bpilgrim]

2. start PLOTTING a fucking 'STRATEGY' to get OUR TROOPS HOME!

that was easy :evilgrin:

peace

[TahitiNut]

5. What happened to the presidential candidate who admitted ...

... he was "brainwashed"???? :eyes:

[bpilgrim]

9. the 1 who said he'd do the SAME FUCKING THING? he got less ELECTRICAL VOTE

weird ain't it :eyes:

peace

[karynnj]

13. His son became Governor of Massachusetts?

[TahitiNut]

22. The duck will fly down and award you $10.

Under the rules of "establishment thinking," it's OK to be wrong or even criminally negligent, as long as you stick with the company line. People who get out of line, even when proven correct, attract snipers from all sides.

[bpilgrim]

3. if we knew THEN what we KNOW NOW we would have voted NO

real easy

peace

[anarchy1999]

7. Where were all of them when we were on the streets saying no!

We knew, why didn't they?

[bpilgrim]

11. 911 the M$MW - the TERROR THREATS were MOSTLY aimed at them

and they are/were freaked, no doubt like the rest of us, but i HOPE they're coming round.

:hi:

peace

[anarchy1999]

18. Thank you and many hugs and kisses.

:bounce:

:kick:

you are a rock!

[bpilgrim]

38. right back at you

:hugs: :loveya: :hi:

peace

[bpilgrim]

4. we DEMAND INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATIONS.

peace

[anarchy1999]

6. Our leaders are "stymied"? Oh dear lord.... help me.

God forbid anyone of "them" should get a conscience and do what is right. Hell, they are just "our" elected leaders. Once elected screw the constituents. Right? Who cares what we all have to say.

[ElectroPrincess]

8. It don't stymie this Democrat who lived through the Vietnam Era ...

Declare victory and get the hell out! Simple and EXACTLY what we will eventually be *forced* to do. The only question is, "How many more of Our Troops and Iraqi Citizens must die to prove that to the GREEDY POLITICIANS?!?

Damn! We lived through this through the end of the 1960s. The increasing body counts on both sides. The LIES that we were winning by *both* Democrats and Republicans.

It was only when THE PEOPLE demanded it did the slimy and gutless politicians concede.

As much as I've come to admire Dean, he just don't get it. :(

[TahitiNut]

10. Iraq War Resolution - 23 Senators voted NO

23 Senators voted NO: Akaka (D-HI), Bingaman (D-NM), Boxer (D-CA), Byrd (D-WV), Chafee (R-RI), Conrad (D-ND), Corzine (D-NJ), Dayton (D-MN), Durbin (D-IL), Feingold (D-WI), Graham (D-FL), Inouye (D-HI), Jeffords (I-VT), Kennedy (D-MA), Leahy (D-VT), Levin (D-MI), Mikulski (D-MD), Murray (D-WA), Reed (D-RI), Sarbanes (D-MD), Stabenow (D-MI), Wellstone (D-MN), Wyden (D-OR).

Clue: Clinton, Kerry, and Edwards voted YES. :puke:



House Roll Call Vote: 296(Y) - 133(N), with only 6 Republicans having the courage to vote No.
81 "Democrats" voted YES. :puke:

Clue: Kucinich voted NO.

[Itsthetruth]

14. Thanks A Lot Howard! Leadership In Action

From the same article:

“I think Democrats have largely been backed into a corner on Iraq,” said Judith Hope, a DNC executive committee member from New York. “While most of us believe we should never have gone in there in the first place, many of us believe that now that we’re there, we have no choice but to finish the job. It would be both immoral and dangerous to bail out of that part of the world, given what we know today.”

She added that the day may come when “the political leadership of this country has to say, ‘Not only was it a mistake to go in there, it’s a failure, and we’ve got to get out,’ but I don’t think we’re there yet.”

Dean, who is now the DNC chairman, didn’t speak about Iraq at this weekend’s meeting. He did say Democrats will appeal to voters as the party that will provide universal health insurance, build “national defense based on international cooperation,” and buttress parents’ moral authority. “We’re going to make it easier for parents to teach their kids right from wrong,” Dean said.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Howard Dean already spoke out clearly on the war against Iraq when he recently said:

"Now that we're there, we're there and we can't get out. The president has created an enormous security problem for the US where none existed before. But I hope the president is incredibly successful with his policy now that he's there."

Thanks Howard! Now the Democratic Party can campaign on a really big issue, teaching kids right from wrong!

[bpilgrim]

15. the DLC is down with PREVENTIVE WAR

and PNAC apparently

peace

[anarchy1999]

19. Sweet Clue! Clinton, Kerry and Edwards??? What is up with that.

Tin Foil Hat time!

Get thee soon to a "Grassy Knoll Society" meeting in your area.

Bildergbergs be damned!

And yes, Edwards attended the last one or the one before.

[TahitiNut]

21. Well, Wellstone voted NO and look what happened to him.

:shrug: In America, opposing a war isn't popular with the "establishment."

[anarchy1999]

25. Ah yes. Tin Foil time. My hat is on. We are re wallpapering the walls

soon. Looking at the ceiling next. Thank you for reminding us. Any space left in Hawaii?

:tinfoilhat:
:yourock:
:loveya:

[Orion The Hunter]

24. RE: Go MD!!

I just gotta say at least my state's Senators held up our end! Just too bad we still got that knucklehead Ehrlich in the Governor's mansion because Kennedy-Townshend could not run a decent campaign (but Ehrlich will not be there for too much longer hopefully).

[TahitiNut]

29. Hawaii, Michigan, Minnesota, Maryland, Rhode Island, and Vermont

:thumbsup:

[NickB79]

30. Scratch MN from that list, we lost Wellstone shortly afterwards

A sad day indeed for us. If that vote were held again today, MN would have voted yes for the war, unfortunately :-(

[TahitiNut]

34. I'll never forget that Minnesota gave us Wellstone.

May he and those who died with him rest in peace.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

36. Dear God, seeing Wellstone's name on that list was wrenching.

It was nice to know he would always vote with his integrity and principle. MKJ

[Doctor_J]

12. isn't amazing how the liars who got us into this are fine,

and the ones who knew it would be a disaster are stymied? The media run this country, not the citizens.

[bemildred]

16. The party hacks are "stymied", "Democrats" are not.

One could say the hacks are "Hoist on their own petard" too.
They voted for this shit, enthusiastically. They should all
resign in favor of new blood next time around, before we throw
them out.

[Lorien]

17. Amen! n/t

[stickdog]

20. Here's the meme we need to win & serve the country: "Bush was wrong."

"I don't think we should be over there."

[Bigmack]

23. Stymied about what?

The Dems aren't obligated to come up with a solution for the clusterfuck that Bush lied us into!

How about this for a strategy... every time a Dem speaks - anywhere - he/she prefaces his/her remarks with something like:

"Bush not only lied us into a war, he screwed up the postwar plan, gave corrupt contracts to his contributors, destabilized the ME, and recruited thousands to the terrorist cause. Nearly 2,000 Americans have died, another 20 thousand wounded, with no end in sight. He broke it, let him fix it....NOW!"

[anarchy1999]

26. Well now, that is a lovely rant and welcome to DU.

n/t

[underpants]

27. Exactly-this story is complete BS

I am sure it will be reported right after the story about Dean talking too much.

[damntexdem]

28. No, not Iraq: Democrats stymie Democrats.

Suckered into supporting the invasion, afraid to speak out now, some Dem pols are simply self-stymied.

[Disturbed]

31. "we have no choice but to finish the job."

What exactly is that job?

[Dr Fate]

33. Their 1st job is to recruit more troops, apparently.

All these DEMS on TV saying we need to finish the job had better come up with a troop recruitment plan.

I ain't going. Period.

[nolabels]

39. Send all the politicians sons and daughters first

The playing with other peoples lives never occurs to them.

[Dr Fate]

32. That is what they get for ignoring the base- just like now with the DSM.

The DEMS never seem to learn-

They continue to ignore the base on the DSM just like they ignored us when we BEGGED then to accuse Bush of lying about WMDs instead of voting for the war.

Old habits die hard- the DNC and most top Democrats STILL ignore our demands for them to speak out on the DSM. That is part of the reason why the media gets away with ignoring it as well.

The Top Democrats seem to care more about "moderates", "swing-voters" and their media driven perceptions than they care about the base- except when it's time to ask for money.

[meppie-meppie not]

35. I couldn't agree with you more!!!

:toast:

[Chauga]

37. Who wrote this article, the Republican National Committee?