Harkin riles GOP, again, by comparing Bush and Aristide

[kskiska]

Sen. Tom Harkin called Thursday for U.S. peacekeeping forces to be dispatched to Haiti, saying Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was elected with stronger voter support than President Bush.

"He's got more support there than Bush got in this country," said the Iowa Democrat in a conference call with Iowa reporters. "He's a legitimate, democratically elected president."

Added Harkin: "Bush did not win the popular election in this country. He won because he got one more vote in the Supreme Court of the United States in a case that never should have been decided by the Supreme Court. I'm saying Aristide got a higher percentage of the vote in Haiti than Bush got in this country."

(snip)

Republicans said Harkin's comparison was outrageous.

"He is taking a cheap, partisan political jab at the president at the expense of the Haitian people, not worthy of a United States senator," said Gentry Collins, deputy chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa.

more…
http://desmoinesregister.com/news/stories/c4789004/23651425.html

[truthspeaker]

1. Go, Tom!

[coloradodem2005]

2. Harkin is the man.

[Gringo]

3. Gotta love Tom Harkin

He's got it right on the nose.

[UpInArms]

4. Hey Tom Harkin!

:yourock:

(edited to add:

Hey GOPers! Get over it! (Isn't that what you (the GOP) keep telling the public to do when they ask questions you don't want them to?)

:nopity:

[alittlelark]

5. What is the GOP so upset about??

It's the truth.

[Lisaben2619]

6. I love one of our Senators, Russ Feingold, but...

I'll trade ya Herbie Kohl for Tom Harkin in a heartbeat!

[Bandit]

7. The Truth really gets their goat doesn't it?

Comparing Bush* to a Black man must really frost their ass. Aristide was Democratically elected Bush* was selected what is there to argue about? If the GOP supports armed thuggery and armed insurrection instead of Democracy then people should be made aware of that fact.

[schultzee]

12. Yea, Bu$h is a closet racist, sexist, and religious crazy.

[xxqqqzme]

8. I don't have a problem

w/ anything Harkin said. I do expect that crap from a DEPUTY chair of the IA rethugs tho. And his statement isn't cheap or partisan?

[Democat]

9. Go Tom!

That's great.

[bobbieinok]

10. '...at the expense of the Haitian people,...'??????????????????

what did he say against the Haitians????????????

[Sparkle]

11. ROTFL! Good on ya Senator Harkin!

I always liked his quips. Especially the one during WJC's bogus impeachment by the republicans when he called it complete dung!

[snippy]

19. I often tell Reich wingers that Harkin's "dung" comment

was the "most comprehensive, in-depth, well researched, detailed, and non-partisan analysis of the republican impeachment" of Bill Clinton ever done. They sputter and sometimes object to my saying it was "non-partisan" and I point out that had it been a partisan comment Harkin would have said "republican dung." They also object to my saying "the republican impeachment."

[tom_paine]

13. Good for Tom Harkin!

:toast: :toast:

[yellowcanine]

14. "I tell the truth. The Republicans just think it is hell." - Harry Truman

Harry Truman's response to a farmer who shouted, "Give em hell Harry!"
Tom Harkin is a worthy successor to HST in telling the truth to Republicans.

[Mountainman]

15. Repugs talk about bringing democracy but only if their man wins

Venezuela cannot have their elected president, Haiti cannot have their elected president, Iraq cannot elect a Muslim leader. Al Gore could not be president even though he won the popular vote.

No the repubs do not believe in democracy.

[MasonJar]

16. I'm going to call Tom's office tonight and thank him. And all I have is

Mitch "no capmpaign reform" McConnell and Jim Bunning ( a Pug to the core.) Oh, Iowans I am so jealous. The Dems are waking up and pounding away; now if only the press wakes up in time.

[nolabels]

17. OUTRAGEOUS TRUTH, sort of like the .................

Roaring silence

[joanski01]

18. I listened to Tom Harken's

speech on the Senate Floor this afternoon. He said he truly hoped that someone in the State Department or in this administration would get a conscience and send peacekeepers over there with the OAS and stop this before thousands of people get killed. He said send them NOW. Harken said how could Colin Powell ask a democratically elected president to resign so that the thugs could take over. He explained who some of the thugs and criminals were and asked where they were getting their weapons. He said there were only about 40 of them, but they had the guns. Aristide has no military.

Oh, shit. How horrible!

[eridani]

23. A problem with that

The peacekeepers would be fighting the Duvalier backers that the CIA is supporting.

[Judi Lynn]

20. More,from the New York Times

(snip) But three Democratic senators, Tom Harkin of Iowa, Bob Graham of Florida and Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, said at a Capitol news conference that the United States should send troops to Haiti, and the sooner the better.

"This crisis in Haiti is speaking to our values," Mr. Harkin said. "The people of Haiti, the poorest people in this hemisphere, are crying out to us for help. We simply must help this nation. We must help the poorest people in this hemisphere. It is a moral imperative for the United States to act and we have to do it this weekend."

Mr. Dodd said, "We can do it sooner — and minimize the loss of life and property destruction — or we can do it later when we will be sending body bags to dispose of the dead and Coast Guard cutters to pick up Haitians at sea."

Mr. Graham said the administration's policy of returning refugees is inadequate. "I joined a number of colleagues yesterday in signing a letter urging that temporary protective status be made available to Haitians who are currently under orders of deportation," Mr. Graham said. "The idea of sending people back to the killing fields of Haiti is violative of all of our values."
(snip)

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/27/international/americas/27CND-TROO.html?ex=1078549200&en=2bf4c3c5a2462681&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE
(Free registration required)

[bushwakker]

21. I voted for Harkin in 1992 Dem Pres primary

I Love Fightin' Tom Harkin.

[Just Me]

22. When will the funneling of funds to "terrorists" come into play?

I thought there was clear evidence that a Republican NGO and USAID had funneled money to these militant despots. When will that be fully exposed? The problem I have with politicians is that they all have "skeletons" or are vulnerable to "false persecution"; hence, they are too chicken to put out the tough truths. I am grateful for the "weighed" courage that is being generated,...but,...I want more. I want the kind of courage demanded from all those who truly sacrifice in support of this country.