Pelosi On Opposing Iraq Escalation: "We Will Not Be Swiftboated On These Issues"

[kpete]

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Pelosi On Opposing Iraq Escalation: "We Will Not Be Swiftboated On These Issues"

In a media conference call Tuesday, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) reinforced the tough stance that she and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) are taking against the Bush-McCain doctrine of escalating the Iraq war, denouncing Bush's historic "poor judgment" and warning that Democrats will not allow their loyalty to the troops to be questioned because of their stance.

...................

Pelosi also made it clear that she and the rest of the Democratic leadership are ready for predictable attempts by the Bush administration to spin opposition to an ill-advised Iraq escalation as Democrats not supporting the troops.

"We will say what we believe is right for our country and if he wants to say 'you're cutting off funding for the troops,' we just have to come right back on that -- because that's all they say," said Pelosi. "What are they going to say? 'You want to cut off money for the troops' -- we're not doing that. There are people who want us to, but that's not what the leadership and the Democratic party in Congress is advocating, by and large.

"We will not be swiftboated on these issues," the House Speaker said firmly.


more at:
http://bobgeiger.blogspot.com/2007/01/pelosi-on-opposing-iraq-escalation-we.html

[Blue_Roses]

1. I really like her...

at least she sees this administration for what they are: bullshitters. They ARE going to try and "swiftboat" this issue since it's all they have.

[Peace Patriot]

2. Kudos to Pelosi for using this term! It is so long overdue for the Dems to

take back this ground from Bush and his nutball supporters and from their corporate news monopoly echo chamber, and restore the meaning of patriotism. The Founders of this republic designed the Constitution with one overriding, unanimous and passionate goal, which was to prevent the Executive from becoming a tyrant, and, to them, nothing summed up tyranny more than the king's conscription for the king's self-glorifying and imperial wars. Were they cowards? George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Tom Paine, Benjamin Franklin? Did they believe in fighting when you NEED to fight? For defense? For a just cause? They surely did. And yet they DESIGNED THE CONSTITUTION TO STOP UNJUST WAR! Using patriotism as a shibboleth to support unjust war puts you on the side of Dictators and Feudal Monarchs and the madmen of history! It puts you on the side of traitors and fascists. It is the most anti-democratic, anti-american, anti-constitutional argument of all. And the rightwing billionaires who now own our public airwaves, and the war profiteers behind them, and the Bushite electronic voting corporations that force elections to endorse their fascist views need to be shut down!

The worms in the White House have tried to create a situation in which we must pay for their corporate resource wars with our lives and our taxes, no matter how wrong and unjust it is, by wrongfully and unjustly invading another country and putting US soldiers in harm's way, and keeping them there. They are USING the lives of US soldiers as BLACKMAIL against us. And the lowlife that prosecuted the "swift-boating" campaign against John Kerry were doing their bidding--were HELPING them blackmail the American people. I am extremely glad to see the Democrats at last recognizing this crap for what it is, and standing up against it! Thank you, Madame Speaker!

[Strawman]

3. Unfortunately, that seems like the goal

To not be swiftboated rather than ending the war.

We can say we're denying increased funding for any "surge," without actually having the spine to cut the funds and force the war to end.

[mzmolly]

4. Lessons learned perhaps?

:toast: