****Official Petraeus Hearing Thread - FOUR****

[gateley]

Here's the link to Thread Three:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=3124497&mesg_id=3124849


Links to Two and One are on those threads.

[opihimoimoi]

1. Huh?????

[gateley]

2. Did I screw it up? (I always seem to when I try to do this). nt

[PatSeg]

3. Looks okay to me

I rec'd it.

[gateley]

9. I love you, tsegat --

Thanks for being my friend. :hug:

[PatSeg]

21. Back at ya!

:toast:

[opihimoimoi]

10. N/P its ok.....

[gateley]

14. Who is this dick who's up now? Grrrrr nt

[RepublicanElephant]

4. thread looks okay to me

:)

[Ichingcarpenter]

5. Sen Pryor is doing the Iran thing

He's a democrat.

[sabra]

8. his questions seem kind of useless...

:shrug:

[Ichingcarpenter]

12. What a weak Democrat first time I've seen him

Ass kissing both of them almost, Sen. Warner did a better job
and he's a Repukeican.

[sinkingfeeling]

137. Pryor supports the occupation.

[MiniMe]

6. Biden's committee

I will be happy when we get to the foreign relations committee this afternoon. I think the questions will be much better.

Changed title, was comfusing

[gateley]

22. Last week's hearings (Biden's committee) were much more substantive.

I'm hoping today will be as well.

Boxer, Kerry, Biden, all were impressive, as were others.

[bdamomma]

I will be glad when I hear Biden

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

7. You should edit to include links to the other three threads. Thanks

for staring this and recommending!

[gateley]

See? I always forget to do it "right" -- Thanks!! nt

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

41. YW!!!!

[pleah]

11. I can't wait for someone to snap and tell Crocker to spit it out!

:rofl: uhuhuhuhuh!

[RepublicanElephant]

15. i say we send him to the cloakroom with code pink.

5 minutes.
just 5 minutes!

[pleah]

25. I don't think he would last 5 min. with them!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[NJSecularist]

13. Wicker can go DIAF. n/t

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

16. Al Qaeda yet again! Unfrigging believable???? If they say it often enough,

they convince the people that it is the truth.....

[bobthedrummer]

19. Classical conditioning component of US mind control/militarized neuroscience

on edit: there is an Al Qaeda of course-just as real as LIHOP

[Solly Mack]

"credibility" (torture, illegal detentions, indefinite detentions, extraordinary renditions)

If that "credibility" is protecting anyone...TAKE COVER!!

[Graybeard]

17. This dumb bastard Wicker? He's telling the witnessses that things are better

...instead of asking them. What a butt kissing piece of crap.

[pleah]

18. I think Wicker (R) Mississippi must be mentally challenged.

A real poor attempt at ass kissing.

[RepublicanElephant]

20. yeah, these 20-yr-olds signed-on for this lying war for oil.

and you gop bastards won't even treat their ptsd properly!

[pleah]

23. Sen. Webb is supposed to be next.

[gateley]

27. Woo Hoo! I have high hopes! nt

[bdamomma]

24. thanks for the threads

[Windy]

31. Anything on Iran as predicted by the Guardian in the UK?

It was reported the Patraeus was going to testify that Iran was interfering in Iraq and the uptick in violence was related to Iran's assistance in arming fighters, training etc...

Anything yet?

[sinkingfeeling]

138. Just the whole damn hearing.

[Ichingcarpenter]

26. Thom Hartman just pointed out McCain got the Sunnis and Shiites

mixed up again at the hearings

[gateley]

28. Can we just shoot him now? (Hello, NSA!) nt

[bdamomma]

29. the wires in his head, are mixed up.

[gateley]

33. It would be an act of compassion. And of self-preservation for our country. ns

[Graybeard]

39. McCain sure did and looked like a dithering fool.

How much do you want to bet that sound bite doesn't make the evening news?

[bobthedrummer]

30. More DLC talking points here

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

37. Yes. Kindler and gentler Republican.....

[Ichingcarpenter]

40. DLC members dominate this Committee

I'm going on mute.. the next hearing 'might' be better.
But this one is really disappointing.

[gateley]

32. I'm glad she's addressing this issue! nt

[bdamomma]

34. Iraqis are paying with their innocent blood

we are paying with our troops blood and our country, no winners here.

[spanone]

36. so if they pay for, we'll stick around longer??? this is NOT the issue. imo

[libnnc]

35. Hey, here's an idea...instead of paying the Iraqi govt not to kill us

Why not just get the fuck out?

[gateley]

I know I've become a broken record,

but from last week's SFRC hearings I got the impression they've moved onto that. It's over, we're leaving, how can we best do it? I hope I'm right in my assessment. We'll see in a little bit.

[gateley]

38. Who is this woman? I like her. First real spine I've seen since I tuned in. nt

[NJSecularist]

43. Senator McCaskill from Missouri n/t

[gateley]

45. Thanks! nt

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

46. Oh, she's likeable if you don't mind her voting to spy on us, etc. She votes

most of the time with the GOP.

[bobthedrummer]

42. The Human Cost of the War in Iraq: A Mortality Study 2002-2006 (pdf)

http://web.mit.edu/humancostiraq/reports/human-cost-war-101106.pdf

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

44. McCaskell seems ok with the war as long as Iraq pays us... She is a GOP.

undercover operative.

[gateley]

48. I may have misinterpreted the reason for her toughness. I'll try to be more

discerning. :7 Thanks for the reality check!

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

51. Your welcome. Please do a search on her disgraceful voting record.

:hi:

[sinkingfeeling]

139. Wow, what a concept! Have the occupied pay the occupiers for the occupation!!

[shaniqua6392]

141. I thought she was a huge Obama supporter.

I thought I remembered seeing her on Obama's airplane in the background several times. I must be thinking of someone else.

[bushmeister0]

47. Watch out for the "Sadr Trend!!!!"

I like that little sound bite. 'You know he wants to become an Ayatollah. You know what THAT means!'

Weren't our good Shia buddies in Iraq the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, formerly known as "Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq?" Didn't the leader of that group, Ayatollah Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim, who fought on the side of Iran in the Iraq/Iran war of the 80's, meet with W. in the White House a while back?

I guess he's a good Ayatollah, though.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003462167_hakim05.html

[MiniMe]

49. Saxby Chambliss, repuke and neocon deluxe up now

[Solly Mack]

50. I tol' and tol' myself not to tune in....

[spanone]

53. my blood pressure is boiling

[spanone]

58. a q i ???? al qaeda????

[Solly Mack]

66. I know! Didn't ya just love that? al-Qaeda in Iraq

barf

[hisownpetard]

97. Made me want to barf.

That guy is repulsive!

[Solly Mack]

These things aren't good for the health at all

[bdamomma]

76. mine too, I have been angry all day.

[gateley]

52. Why do they all have to overdo the praise and gratitude? A simple 'thank you' would suffice. nt

[bdamomma]

84. yea, it's not like their butts are on the lines like our troops.

or coming back with mental disorders.

[Solly Mack]

54. that man...that horrible, horrible man

[alfredo]

55. CNN.com has a related poll on the surge.

[bdamomma]

79. here's the link

http://www.cnn.com/

go vote

[RepublicanElephant]

56. so that's where gop cuts to the small business adminstration are going.

any more questions, senator crony?

crap, thought that was cronyn of texas.

i can't tell these two apart!

[laststeamtrain]

57. Dear Saxby: I guess I haven't been listening to what's going on.

Hello, all my DU friends & enemies. I've just joined the broadcast in progress.

[spanone]

59. welcome, it's a military circle jerk....as usual

[gateley]

63. I tuned in late, but heard Kennedy was good --

and Clinton did well, but she seemed really tired.

[bdamomma]

90. oh I missed Teddy.

:-(

[gateley]

60. Cnn is airing (on another feed) Ahmadinejad "on nuclear technology" -- coincidence? nt

[spanone]

61. i don't believe in [political] coincidences

[Solly Mack]

62. I've got a use for his "measuring stick"

Swing....

[spanone]

64. watching this...you'd think there was little if any opposition to this illegal war

[gateley]

68. I know --

And again, I'm so sorry to keep harping on this -- but the SFRC's hearings last week seemed to have moved beyond this point.

[Solly Mack]

73. too many acting as if America did Iraq a favor.

[pleah]

65. What happened with Webb, is C-SPAN

screwing up today or what? At the bottom of the screen it said he was next after Wicklicker.?:shrug:

[bdamomma]

67. I would love hearing from Iraqi citizens to hear what they think

about us being there, it seems like both the Iraqi government (lack of one) and the US government (lack of ours) are not listening to the people.

[pberq]

69. Webb is up!

Talking about his son serving in Iraq

[Ichingcarpenter]

74. Webb was a life long Republican before he got elected

Don't forget that.

[gateley]

70. Webb! Opening with the TRUTH -- calling bullshit!! nt

[pleah]

71. Webb up now!

[RepublicanElephant]

72. funny, when you watch the news from the various arab news broadcasts

on linktv, they hardly ever mention al qaeda.

they focus on the suffering of everyday iraqis under american occupation, much of what you heard from the winter soldier hearings.

[spanone]

75. america needs the bogeyman

[gateley]

80. America doesn't need the bogeyman -- Bushco does. Assholes. nt

[RepublicanElephant]

77. whoa webb just took a swipe at mccain's lack of support for g.i. bill!

hello v.p. webb!!

[gateley]

81. I'd love to see that --

when Biden was running (and I thought he had a chance) I liked the idea of Webb then, too.

[bushmeister0]

78. I like how they keep mentioning the Iranian military influence in Iraq

as if it's a fact. I'm not naive enough to think they aren't fiddling there, why wouldn't they be after their previous experience with Iraq, but Patraeus has yet to provide ANY actual proof of what exactly Iran is up.

[Ichingcarpenter]

82. He is asking about Permanent Bases and the definition of it

Crocker says he is not a lawyer.

[bdamomma]

87. arrogance again.

dripping with it.

[Ichingcarpenter]

92. this hearing is just bullshit

I'm disappointed with the whole lot of them.
Webb could have called him out on that statement and didn't

[RepublicanElephant]

83. say it... say it...

say how bush is above the senate again!

[Lautremont]

85. Who's "Senator Pundt Bauxide"?

Have I got that right? Those are some seriously stupid questions at any rate.

[bushmeister0]

86. Of course the JCS agreed with him!

They saw what happened to Fallon, but last time I checked Patraeus is the supreme commander in IRAQ, not in Pakistan or Afghanistan. How exactly are we going to send more troops to Afghanistan, where they're desperatly needed, while we're bogged down in Sadr City and in Mosul, for instance.

That sort of strategic thinking is way above his pay grade is it not? So why is he the man of the hour?

[RepublicanElephant]

88. ah....

senator crony, biggest bushie in the senate!

[LiberalFighter]

89. Ambassador Crocker is really a crock

Colin Powell called him "one of our very best foreign service officers"?

Crocker does a lot of ehms while talking.

[bdamomma]

91. these are all *'s cronies.

meaning Petreaus and crocker of sh$t.

[spanone]

93. cornyn - the prospect of failure in iraq....bwahahahahaaaaa

an illegal occupation is doomed to fail mr john

[gateley]

94. How do the SFRC and SAFC differ in their focus? Thanks. nt

[gateley]

96. FYI -- Four soldiers killed today, according to CNN. nt

[bdamomma]

99. sadly yes.

4,024.:grr:

[bdamomma]

95. Foreign Relations Committee is up at 2.30 p.m.

here is the next team.

110th Congress
Committee Members

Chairman
Joseph R. Biden
Ranking Member
Richard G. Lugar
Christopher J. Dodd
Connecticut

John F. Kerry
Massachusetts

Russell D. Feingold
Wisconsin

Barbara Boxer
California

Bill Nelson
Florida

Barack Obama
Illinois

Robert Menendez
New Jersey

Benjamin L. Cardin
Maryland

Robert P. Casey Jr.
Pennsylvania

Jim Webb
Virginia



Chuck Hagel
Nebraska

Norm Coleman
Minnesota

Bob Corker
Tennessee

George V. Voinovich
Ohio

Lisa Murkowski
Alaska

Jim DeMint
South Carolina

Johnny Isakson
Georgia

David Vitter
Louisiana

John Barrasso
Wyoming

[spanone]

98. thanks

[bdamomma]

112. I hope we get some sort of action from alot of those committee members.

[gateley]

104. I'd forgotten that Dodd was on the SFRC! It'll be good to see him! nt

[gateley]

108. DELETE - wrong place (talking to myself)

Did I hear that right??/

[LuckyLib]

144. What a line-up! Will Obama be back in Washington for the hearing?

He should be sitting there asking withering questions of these Bushbot warmongers.

[bushmeister0]

100. Remember Odierno created Abu Ghraib

Thomas Ricks "Fiasco" from the the WaPo:

" unit , a heavy armored division despite its name, was known for 'grabbing whole villages, because combat soldiers unable to figure out who was of value and who was not,' according to a subsequent investigation of the 4th Infantry Division's detainee operations by the Army inspector general's office. Its indiscriminate detention of Iraqis filled Abu Ghraib prison, swamped the U.S. interrogation system and overwhelmed the U.S. soldiers guarding the prison."

When complaints came to Odierno about the overcrowding, he said he didn't want to "hear the bad shit."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/23/AR2006072300495.html

Now he's Patraeus' number two. Great!

[spanone]

101. the soft balls lobbed by cornyn were breathtaking

[cboy4]

103. I liked how he tied 9/11 to Iraq

:eyes:

[Ichingcarpenter]

105. Sen. Bayh on now saying no one can predict anything on Iraq

He is doing a decent job. Turn the mute off

[spanone]

102. bayh is worthless

hope he proves me wrong

[NJSecularist]

109. We'll see. n/t

[Ichingcarpenter]

111. At least he is arguing against Betrayus but not making headway

Last one to speak today BTW.

[libnnc]

106. Widgets. Not people.

They're all just widgets. Over a million Iraqi widgets and over 4000 American widgets. Faceless, nameless, soulless widgets.

This war will never end.

[bdamomma]

114. they do not want it to end.

they are making too much money, alot of blood money.

[RepublicanElephant]

107. independent thinking in THIS administration?

do you know how many generals have been fired for that?

[gateley]

110. Patraeus: We haven't turned a corner, no light at the end of the tunnel!

Did I hear that correctly?

[spanone]

115. yes, but we can't pull out...stay the course...more must die

[bdamomma]

119. 4,024 is not enough bodies for the rapture, we are dealing

with ideological concepts by our thuggish regime. good vs evil, black vs white....all that religious extremism coming from bushco.

[PatSeg]

117. That's what I heard

[bobthedrummer]

113. Birch Evans Bayh III-DLC apparatchik supreme

[bdamomma]

they can take that pre emptive stuff and shove it.

[RepublicanElephant]

116. a safe base we created for al qaeda in iraq.

sheesh

[gateley]

118. "Don't take our marching orders from OBL" -- he's doing pretty good, IMO.

[spanone]

120. better than i expected!

[gateley]

122. Good question about creating more terrorists globally!

[Solly Mack]

121. but...but...I thought Iraq was the front-line on the war on terror?

[Ichingcarpenter]

123. He is slamming McCain right now

which is good and McCain is not there

[spanone]

124. mccain has left the building??? photo op over....next

[gateley]

125. McCain no longer here. Taking a nap. nt

[bdamomma]

126. commitment without end.

that is our answer, now what will be our response. ENOUGH.

WHEN THE CONDITIONS ARE MET???? Have we heard enough BS!!!!

[Ichingcarpenter]

132. That was a good point he made...

Commitment without end .... I think he did better than I thought he would
better than many in the committee. I don't care for him much
but I like how he summed it up.... NO Change,

[Solly Mack]

127. "We'll know when we get there" = "We don't know where the fuck we're going"

[spanone]

128. it appears the military has NO plans...whatsoever....

ah, there's the old men and women fought so hard to achieve bullshit

[RepublicanElephant]

129. ha-ha code pink time!

!

[spanone]

130. what song are they singing?

[gateley]

131. ****Official Petraeus Hearing Thread - FIVE****

All ready for the SFRC hearing!!


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=3125327&mesg_id=3125327

[Deny and Shred]

140. Crocker averages 4 UHs per sentence.

[hisownpetard]

142. Once you start to notice those 'uhhhhhh's,' it's impossible to listen!

It was driving me crazy.

[bdamomma]

133. Code Pinkers!~!!

what are they singing???


well we got our answer, never ending war, more dead, and this disgusting administration is smirking at all of us right now. we have been seriously played.

they should not ignore us any longer, we need to rise to the occasion.

[Graybeard]

134. Petraeus ended by saying there is no end in sight.

Four and a half hours of bull-shit.

[pleah]

135. This was a huge waste of time in my opinion!

If our reps and sens cave and get Godless Warmongering Bastard more money and troops for this war for oil, I will never forgive them.:grr:

[LiberalFighter]

136. They always come up with the "endangering our young men and women"

First, they aren't all young.

Second, they all volunteered.

Third, military leaders do your efing job.


Oh did you hear when he also stated that they fight to protect those rights?

EXCUSE ME. They are not the protector of all protectors of our freedom. We pay their salaries. They aren't doing it out of the goodness of their heart without pay.

We are also the protectors of our freedoms. They have to worry about whether we decide to revolt. And no efing military will be able to keep down 300 million people. Especially when most of them are in Iraq, Afghanistan and wherever they are stationed.

[Pisces]

143. Pontificating blowhards. No one is saying anything different. Waste of time