http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/8093Democrats Are Playing Politics With Iraq
by Cenk Uygur | Jun 13 2007 -
So, Harry Reid says he is going to revive talks of a withdrawal again in the Senate. But get a load of this paragraph from CNN explaining the leading Democratic plan:
"The first (plan), sponsored by Reid and Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, would set a goal of beginning the withdrawal of U.S. troops by April 2008, unless the Iraqi government demonstrated political and security progress. However, President Bush would have the power to waive that requirement."
That is the leading plan the Democrats have. The second plan sponsored by Feingold and Reid (the Majority Leader is leading by supporting every plan there is - very bold) is more sensible but is not expected to receive enough support, even from Democrats, to get very far. So, basically, all we have is what you see above. And that's awful.
That is the equivalent of saying that you are going to let this president run out the clock on withdrawal. You are going to let him keep all of those troops in there until he leaves office. The withdrawal begins in April, 2008? It is only triggered if Iraqis don't make progress? And the president can waive it even then? Come on, that's not a real proposal to get us out of Iraq. That's politics.
Here's how the Democrats think it's going to work out - they appear to be pushing to get us out of Iraq, but in fact let the Republicans keep us in Iraq until the 2008 elections roll around, and then they hang that political albatross around the Republicans' necks and walk away with a landslide in 2008.
That would be a fine political strategy if this was an unimportant issue. But this is not such an issue. You are playing with people's lives. This kind of callous political calculation is so raw and dishonest that it makes me question your integrity.
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If Harry Reid and Carl Levin and the rest of the Senate Democrats think they are going to get away with this junk, they got another thought coming to them. September should have been the real deadline. They already blew that. They should have set real benchmarks a long time ago. Now, everyone's patience has run out. Now, there is only one choice left. Either pack our bags in Iraq or pack your bags in DC.