Bill Richardson will never be president so he knows he can say anything he wants.
Thank God
Posted by jj at October 3, 2007 05:45 PMI'll vote for anyone who says they will end this madness.
Posted by Judith at October 3, 2007 06:15 PMI'd be interested in knowing what Edwards' position is on getting out of Iraq, paradox. Sounds like you know what it is, so perhaps you could enlighten me.
Posted by Julie at October 3, 2007 06:26 PMThe Big Three are all saying they will keep a "limited presence" in Iraq, which could mean anything except that we're staying.
It's craven, cowardly, ethically appalling beyond belief, tactically disastrous (we're breaking the Army and Marine Corps!) and far, far worst of all, it legitimizes the war and Bush.
Fuck all of you candidates who cannot see this horror. Bush just loves how you approve if his war, God damn you, what about us! What about the base and our people!
Fuck you for taking us so for granted! Oh yeah we'll always, always vote for the Democratic nominee, no matter what they do.
Even if we stay in Iraq, I'll vote for you, how sure you all are of that. God damn you for ever putting me in this heinous position, you sickening bastards.
Posted by paradox at October 3, 2007 06:45 PMSenator Edwards, in his second run for the Presidency, is a different man, and a different candidate, than the Senator Edwards of 2004. Back then Senator Edwards of 2004 was a conservative Democrat, hoping to make the Clinton case. A great deal has happened since then, and without speculating too much on the means of his conversion, he has walked across the road from a man who, in his gut, believes the system works and ordinary people just need their share - that is a conservative populist - to be a progressive populist. A man who believes, fundamentally, that the game itself is holding us back.
In his "End the Game" speech, Edwards cements this position as the essentially progressive major candidate. He is now against the war he once accepted on faith from experts from the old order. He is now adamant about universal health care, and he is watching his country struggle with a cancer the way his wife is struggling with a cancer. And he has closed the loop. Our small problems and our large problems are the same. The reason ordinary people don't have enough, is because there isn't enough to go around.
I carry the promise of America in my heart, where my parents placed it. Because of them, I believe in people, hard work and the American Dream. I believe the future belongs to us if we only dare to seize it. And I believe to seize it, we must blaze a new path, firmly grounded in the values that first made America great. We must cast aside the established ways of Washington and replace them with the timeless values of the American people. We must end the game controlled by a privileged few and restore the promise that America owes to us all.
We are not yet to a New Deal for America, but this is closing in on it. It retains his essential optimism from his first campaigns, he is still John Edwards, and while there are clouds across his brow, his face still shines with hope.
http://agonist.org/stirling_newberry/20070823/john_edwards_ladder
Julie, here's your answer:
Presidential hopeful John Edwards said Monday that Americans should speak out against the war in Iraq this Memorial Day weekend, renewing an anti-war call that has been criticized by the leader of the American Legion.
Edwards also said all young people should serve their country, "not just poor kids who get sent to war."
The former U.S. senator from North Carolina and 2004 vice presidential nominee said the most patriotic position now is to end the war, and the best way to honor veterans this Memorial Day weekend is to bring the troops home from Iraq.
"There's another thing we need to do as patriots, to serve the men and women who are serving this country in Iraq, and that is to speak out this weekend," Edwards said.
He said ending the war is key to repairing the damaged U.S. reputation abroad.
"America desperately needs to reclaim our moral position in the world, which has been so devastated," he said. "America has to be a force for good. ... The world thinks we're a bully and we're selfish."
Thank you Bill Richardson for the stark non-bullshit, I'll not only vote for you, I'll have your freakin baby. Though I am still betrothed to Dennis Kucinich.
It could have been you, Hillary. Sheez, I don't even prefer men!
Stop This Fucking War needs to become the sole mantra of all US political life. How many millions and billions per day and week for this endless slaughter? Will the bush/congressional/hillary/aipac/MIC mob reduce us to fucking Haiti before this very expensive genocide is over?
Like Harrison Ford said in Witness, as the townsfolk all silently surrounded the murdering assholes - "Enough.....Enough!"
I listened to Timmy demanding a pledge from the "front runners" that they would have all troops out by 2012, or not. They all refused to take that pledge. I believe Hillary truly does intend to keep a presence in Iraq for her entire presidency, based on many of her other statements.
I cannot assume that either Obama or Edwards were stating their intention to do likewise SIMPLY because they would not make any ironclad statement to the contrary. Listen to the word, people, not the presumptions! Any responsible candidate should NOT play along with stupid gotcha hypotheticals spun out by the like of Russert. They did NOT say they would definitely still have troops in Iraq in 2012. Let's try to be rational abut this.
Posted by DeminNewJ at October 3, 2007 07:24 PMplease people, Big Bill has nothing to lose. It is easy to talk tough when you are behind by 30 points.
Posted by john at October 3, 2007 07:35 PMThanks, Judith. After being a bit disturbed with Edwards' Iraq position being painted with the same brush as Hillary's Iraq brush by EVERYBODY in the blogosphere, I finally got this information directly from Edwards' site, which paradox can bitch about or not, as he wishes, now that he has it from the horse's mouth:
http://johnedwards.com/issues/iraq/
"We don't need debate; we don't need non-binding resolutions; we need to end this war. In order to get the Iraqi people to take responsibility for their country, we must show them that we are serious about leaving, and the best way to do that is to actually start leaving." -- John Edwards
There is no military solution to the chaos in Iraq. Instead, the Iraqi people must solve the problem politically by taking responsibility for their country. By leaving Iraq, America will prompt the Iraqi people, regional powers, and the entire international community to find the political solution that will end the sectarian violence and create a stable Iraq. We must show the Iraqis that we are serious about leaving by actually starting to leave, with an immediate withdrawal of 40,000-50,000 troops.
We can only achieve these steps through legislative action. Edwards strongly supports the supplemental spending bill passed by both Houses of Congress and vetoed by President Bush that funds the troops with a timetable for withdrawal. He has called for Congress to respond to the President's veto by sending back the same bill—and doing this as many times as it takes for the President to end the war. Edwards supports the following specific steps:
Stop the Escalation and Immediately Start the Drawdown
Edwards opposed President Bush's "surge" and supports immediately drawing down 40,000 to 50,000 combat troops.
Require Troops to be Ready
We should prohibit funding for any new troops that do not meet real readiness standards and that have not been properly trained and equipped. American tax dollars should be used to train and equip our troops, not to escalate the war.
Clarify the Lack of Legal Foundation for the War
The 2002 authorization did not give President Bush the power to use U.S. troops to police a civil war. Edwards believes that Congress should make it clear that President Bush exceeded his authority long ago. The president now needs to end the war and ask Congress for new authority to manage the withdrawal of the U.S. military presence and to help Iraq achieve stability.
Withdraw Combat Troops within Nine to Ten Months
Edwards believes we should completely withdraw all combat troops in Iraq within nine to ten months and prohibit permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq. After withdrawal, we should retain sufficient forces in the region to contain the conflict and ensure that instability in Iraq does not spill over into other countries, creating a regional war, a terrorist haven, or a genocide.
Take Additional Steps to Stabilize Iraq
Edwards believes we should intensify U.S. efforts to train the Iraqi security forces. He would also step up U.S. diplomatic efforts by engaging in direct talks with all the nations in the region, including Iran and Syria, to bring a political solution to the sectarian violence inside Iraq, including through a peace conference.
I have also decided to vote for Bill Richardson. We badly need to get out of Iraq immediately..to get All of our troops out, not just some.
Further, the man knows diplomacy. He knows the leaders of foreign countries. He's Governor of New Mexico and the citizens of that state highly approve of him. And finally, he has common sense about the immigrant situation.
Yes...I will definitely vote for Bill Richardson and that's that.
Julie, and that is why I am voting for Edwards whether or not he gets the nomination. I haven't changed my opinion of Hillary and will not vote for her.
Posted by Judith at October 3, 2007 09:41 PMA republi-con will never be president so they can say anything they want.
Thank God
Posted by Seven of Six at October 3, 2007 10:01 PMDitto, Judith.
Posted by Julie at October 3, 2007 10:21 PMEdwards will never get the nomination because the korporate media has decided he is the new Gore. They slimed Gore, they slimed Dean, and now they slime Edwards. Big Business does NOT want an economic populist in the White House.
Posted by Gay Veteran at October 4, 2007 06:08 AMUdall has my vote and full support for the U.S. Senate. He's the best for the job, and he could beat Heather Wilson. No one else could. I don't see it ever becoming completely blue, however. Y'all ever been to Hobbs, New Mexico or Texico, right on the border?
Our Eastern tier is called Little Texas, mostly by politicians and pundits, for good reason. Truly,
Stephen Fox
Managing Editor, Santa Fe Sun News
Founder, New Millennium Fine Art
217 W. Water St.
Santa Fe, New Mexico
For Gawd's sake, dig up Sadddam, stuff him, and stick a shotgun in his hand. Iraq would settle down very quickly. Oh, I guess a little makeup would help. It has been a while...
Posted by tempus at October 5, 2007 08:03 AM