Kennedy on the Levin-reed amendment - "It’s time to stop this madness"

[The Straight Story]

Mr. President, I support this amendment.

As we continue debating how best to support America’s brave military forces in Iraq, we must be clear about where we stand on the war. I strongly support our troops, but I strongly oppose the war. The best way to protect our troops and our national security is to put the Iraqis on notice that they need to take responsibility for their future, so that we bring our troops back home to America.
The Administration’s policy has put our troops in an untenable and unwinnable situation. They are being held hostage to Iraqi politics, in which sectarian leaders are unable or unwilling to make the tough judgments need to lift Iraq out of its downward spiral. We’re spending hundreds of billions of dollars on a failed policy that is making America more vulnerable and is putting our troops at greater risk.
We have lost our focus on apprehending terrorists and on capturing those who seek to destroy America. Osama Bin Laden remains at large. The war in Iraq has enabled Al Qaeda to recruit terrorists more effectively to work against America.
Our policy in Iraq continues to exact a devastating toll. Nearly 4,000 American troops have died, and 30,000 have been injured. The toll on Iraqis is immense. Tens of thousands of Iraqis have been killed or injured and more than four million Iraqis have been forced to flee their homes. Nearly a half trillion dollars have been spent fighting this war.

Our generals have acknowledged over and over again that a military solution alone is not the answer to Iraq’s problems. After more than four bloody years, political reconciliation remains elusive and Iraqi politicians are not being held accountable to any standard of progress or success. Yet, the President unacceptably continues to impose the enormous burden of Iraq’s sectarian violence on the backs of American troops.

Our military is stretched to its limits and is nearing its breaking point. The American public has lost confidence in the current direction of the war. They are tired of a war based upon a failed policy that has made America no safer and that is subjecting our military to Iraq’s intractable civil war. They are tired of Administration promises that success is just around the corner.

They want to know when the nightmare of Iraq will end.

How much longer will President Bush insist that our troops be held hostage to the abysmal failure of the Iraqi government to make the political compromises essential to end the violence, especially when there is no indication – NO INDICATION – that they will do so anytime soon?

How many more brave Americans must die?

How many more billions of taxpayer dollars must we spend?

How much more of a burden must we place on our military?

We all know what is going on. President Bush’s strategy is delay and delay. We never should have gone to war in the first place, and his misguided war has now gone on for more than four years. The situation is not improving—
It’s worsening. It’s not showing signs of meaningful progress. Year after year, it’s failed to deliver political reconciliation. The President finally admitted to Congress and the American people last week that his successor, the next American President, will inherit the war in Iraq. He calls himself “The Decider,” but he refuses to make the decision to end the war.
President Harry Truman said, “The buck stops here.” But the last thing President Bush wants is for the buck to stop on his desk. He’s desperately trying to buy time in order to pass the buck to his successor in the White House.
The first President Bush went to war with Iraq after 52 Senators voted in favor of a resolution of approval.
Now, 53 Senators have voted for a timetable to end the war, but this President Bush vetoed the bill because he refuses to accept responsibility to end a war he never should have started.

It’s time to stop this madness.

This amendment does that. It requires our combat troops to begin to come home in 90 days. It requires a change in mission for our military. It requires the vast majority of our combat troops to come home in nine months.
It’s up to us to end the open-ended commitment of our troops that President has been making year after year. The Iraqis need to take responsibility for their own future, resolve their political differences, and enable our troops to come home.
We need to tell the Iraqis now that we are going to leave and leave soon. Only such a step can add the urgency that is so clearly necessary to end their differences. We can’t allow the President to drag this process out any longer.

I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

http://kennedy.senate.gov/newsroom/press_release.cfm?id=856addc8-3b90-40d0-a45e-53d055a424cf

[brentspeak]

1. k and r

:kick:

[mike_c]

2. waste of time...

...although I suppose it doesn't matter too much if arguing about this amendment straightens a spine or two in congress. First and foremost though, it's a weak amendment in that it doesn't set any timeline for withdrawal and can be easily undermined by the admininstration-- if it passes, which it probably won't because republicans will not allow a vote, and even if it does, it faces a 100 percent veto likelihood.

The ONLY way congress can stop this madness as long as the republican party remains the party of monolithic lemmings is to prevent any war funding suppllemental appropriations from reaching the floor of the house. Not even a single vote is needed to accomplish that.

[Tom Joad]

3. shhessh. "put Iraqis on notice" ... as if they are the bad guys.

it's all about putting the criminal regime operating in DC on notice.