Constituents' Iraq Worries Growing, Lawmakers Say

[kskiska]

Lawmakers returning from their spring break say constituents are increasingly concerned about what they see as a lack of progress toward stability in Iraq, and want President Bush to spell out a clear strategy for victory.

They also found their constituents to be troubled by hearings on the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, although many seemed more upset by outbursts of partisanship in the proceedings than by revelations of failure to prevent the attacks.

Together, people's reactions to the bloody insurgency in Iraq and the contentious hearings at home showed an American public that is growing more restive over Washington's response to its concerns -- an anxiety reflected in hearings that opened in the Senate yesterday on the outlook for Iraq.

(snip)

At home during the recess, lawmakers found that constituents are not ready to "cut and run" from Iraq, despite uncertainty about what lies ahead. Nor do many people disagree with Bush's broad objectives for promoting democracy in the country. But they are beginning to lose patience because they do not understand where U.S. policy is headed and when U.S. troops can expect to come home, Republicans and Democrats said.

"As long as people can see a reasonable of Iraq as a functioning democracy, they will continue to support the sacrifice. But the lack of a well-defined plan for how to get there is getting to be more of a problem," said Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.).

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28712-2004Apr20.html

[David Dunham]

1. This should be on p. 1, not p. 5

[PROGRESSIVE1]

2. If they are so concerned then why has * support gone up???

:wtf:

[wtmusic]

3. Standing behind their leader in time of crisis

Happens every time.

[kalian]

4. Because the polls are being "manipulated"....

there's no question about it, they are prepping up the selections of
Nov 04...

[BostonTeaParty04]

7. Thank you, Kalian! It's manipulation of our perception....

I finally just saved my poll mantra to a word file to cut and paste on DU....

Why??? Because the polls are fraudulent!!! No.... Bush is not at 48 or 52% or anything CLOSE to that.

The polls are an integral part of the diebold election delivery system!

Keep an appearance of 'neck in neck' between bush and kerry, and when bush wins by 2%.... everyone will say, "gee, it was a close race. wish we had won."

If we had REAL poll numbers now, and bush 'won'... there would be a bloody revolution (literally). It would be, ack!, OBVIOUS that the election had been stolen.

If a REAL poll were done, I dare say you couldn't find more than 25% approval for bush right now.... I believe that....

So, if we dems were SMART, we would find a way to get a real poll done... from sea to shining sea... and get the real numbers out there.

But will it happen? Nope. And so... come november... when bush steals the election....we will be grasping at straws to prove it.... Oh this election here... and that election there... problems at the voting booths... and we will be portrayed as sore losers... and told to get over it. And Bush will get another 4 years plus FOREVER, no doubt.

The polling on stupid Nader is part of it. Bush has to have some showing as to HOW Kerry is not going to get at least the same number of votes as Gore did. Enter Nader and false polling for him. Et voila... 'gee, Nader did so much better... getting 8 percent of the presumed dem votes this time. Woooooo, in 2008, he will probably get a whole 15%!"

It's all bull and fabricated and judging from the way people FREAK about the numbers, quite effective. Seems everyone believes this crap. I don't understand why people say Polls are bull; and then get all freaked out when the polls show bush is doing an overwhelmingly 'fantastic' job in the eyes of the majority of the people.

Heck, I bet Hitler wishes he had had these modern polling 'techniques'.

[w4rma]

10. The polls are correct, imho. We need to work harder.

Trying to convince folks that when the polls are against us will prevent Dems from dealing with reality that this is going to take ALOT of work and luck.

[KissMyAsscroft]

5. Total bullshit...

So no one voiced concerns that the war was illegal and wrong...yeah, I bet no one said that...lol.

[KoKo]

6. That's a quote from a Repug. Here's what the Dems said in article:

Some Democrats said they encountered a more impatient and disapproving response from their constituents.


"People would like to know there is a strategy that will bring Americans home, but the situation appears to be going in the opposite direction," said Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.).

People express "dismay mixed with some puzzlement about how we got into this . . . varying degrees of anger and blame and widespread dismay," said Rep. David E. Price (D-N.C.).

Durbin said he believes Bush is being hurt politically, and Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) sees a "drip, drip, drip" effect that is gradually eroding support for the president. But Price said the "political fallout is not clear" and "it's not clear how much Bush is being held responsible."

[RoyGBiv]

8. Growing Discontent

Today I talked to someone working for a guy (Dem) running for Senate in OK today. A few days ago I'd sent him a rather heated letter about comments he'd made that appeared to be to be support for Bush. I was rather amazed, but the guy actually called me at home about it.

He said they'd been getting a lot of letters similar to mine, and a lot of the people they'd been talking to while campaigning were voicing similar concerns "especially military families."

This is state that votes heavily for Repugs in national elections, and the seat he's running for has been held by Don Nickles, a formerly powerful Repug in the Senate. But this candidate seems to be getting a lot of support, and it's turning on the economic and war issues. People are not happy about what is happening.

[Mari333]

9. well for christs sake Ive been on the phone with Repubs and Dems

all week yelling bring the troops home, and this war is a fraud , and Ive had plenty of them tell me their phones were ringing off the hook with the word "Impeachment" after 60 minutes was shown..
I personally think the polls should say that Bush has a 33 % approval rating, of only hard core evangelicals and extremist right wing people.
the draft will change even that.

[saigon68]

11. Good morning Mari

The Draft is coming soon. There will soon be a lot more mothers out there anguishing over their children, like you are over your son.

I hope and pray yours are safe today :-)

[pinniped]

12. What the hell do they mean "lack of progress"?

Didn't these morans here about the jump in US deaths and carnage over the past couple weeks?

attacks = progress

[drfemoe]

13. Lawmakers want more Iraq details

By John Yaukey and Jon Frandsen
Gannett News Service
April 21, 2004

WASHINGTON -- Lawmakers returning from their spring recess had plenty of questions, strongly worded advice and, in some cases, outrage for the Bush administration and its handling of Iraq.
...
"I think it's an outrage that the administration has not provided every witness we have asked for, said Sen. Joseph Biden, D- Del., the leading Democrat on the committee. "It's the president's responsibility to do two things: level with the American people and tell us the plan."
...
"Perhaps most importantly, in the year since Iraq has been liberated, no new mass graves have been filled with the bodies of innocent Iraqi men, women and children capriciously murdered by a brutal regime," he said. {Wolfowitz}

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy told Wolfowitz his testimony was "somewhat disingenuous."

Kennedy, D-Mass., faulted Wolfowitz for offering testimony that focused on human rights under Saddam Hussein's rule rather than the administration's main rationale for going to war last years -- the allegation that Hussein had an arsenal of weapons of mass destruction.
..more..
http://www.indystar.com/articles/4/139945-5564-010.html

Individual graves .. what an improvement!!

reposted from locked dupe thread

[dusty64]

14. But I thought

the People were rallying around the chimp and his poll numbers on these issues were rising?

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

15. Where were these idiots 13 months ago.

Although totally opposed to the war, I wanted the exit plan then. A year later the answer is "Ask Brahimi." :wtf: