The Left Coaster: Comment on Don't Make Too Much Of Yesterday's Empty Votes By The Senate On Iraq

Comments: Don't Make Too Much Of Yesterday's Empty Votes By The Senate On Iraq

I agree with your analysis, but I think you're moving a little too fast. The first vote, the one that got shot down, received (I think) 40 votes in support of a timetable for withdrawal. Yes, those were all Dems (I think), but still - that's 40 votes behind Kerry's (and others') initiative to begin a phased withdrawal.

The next vote was important because it was a bi-partisan consense. Of the 19 who voted nay, the majority were Repulicans who wanted to support Bush, but a decent handful were Dems who thought the non-binding resolution was too weak. (They included Kerry and Kennedy, but not Clinton or Feingold.)

At the very least this bipartisan vote was a rebuke to Bush and the leadership of the Senate, and it sends a clear signal that there is a new status quo: the Republican Party is no longer under the thumb of BuchCo. Where that will lead I don't know, but factionalism in this case is a very good thing.

Posted by Beacon at November 16, 2005 12:39 PM

Regarding White Phosphurous, more information here that I have researched and that does not appear elsewhere afaik

Posted by Shaggydabbydo at November 16, 2005 12:43 PM

JABBS has had two posts, including one today, on Bush's angry and empty spin that critics are trying to rewrite history. I'd welcome your feedback.

Posted by davidrmark at November 16, 2005 02:04 PM

2079

Posted by Judith at November 16, 2005 02:05 PM

When I saw that article about the Shia abusing those Sunnis Darth Cheney style, I knew the whole mis-adventure was doomed to a bad end.

But then again, I knew that 3 days into the war.

We would have had to do this with a pure heart and a damn good plan.

We had neither.

Posted by SnarkyShark at November 16, 2005 02:36 PM

Sealing the borders isn't going to do much good. Foreign fighters make up only 4-10% of the insurgency. The US and Iraqi governments overstate the number of foreign fighters in Iraq, because it'd be embarassing to admit that the overwhelming majority of the insurgency is Iraqi.

Posted by croatoan at November 16, 2005 03:04 PM

Can you imagine today's Democrats if they had to deal with WWII?

"We demand an exit strategy. Withdraw the troops by 1943."

Posted by muckdog at November 16, 2005 03:23 PM

"We demand an exit strategy. Withdraw the troops by 1943."Posted by muckdog

You probably aren't aware, but the cause of WWII was that the US was attacked by Japan and Germany declared war on us. That war was conducted by a Democratic president and supported by all. To this day, there are Republicans like Bob Dole who call it a Democrat war. There are no democrats today or at that time who denigrate that way that war was fought or the men who fought it. It was during the Somoli operation that George H.W.Bush began that Republicans began whining about "exit strategy" and "mission creep." It was during the Kosovo operation that Republicans like Trent Lott and Tom DeLay were refusing to support the troops and asking what was the exit stategy. You must be proud of your ignorance; you flaunt it at every opportunity. Posted by Mike at November 16, 2005 04:10 PM

"We demand an exit strategy. Withdraw the troops by 1943."

One thing the Democrats(now or then) wouldn't have done was cut taxes in the middle of it.

Or told everyone to go shopping.

Thats why your trying to underhandedly compare WW2 and this so called WOT is exceedingly lame.

Sacrificing on the front so the troops can use all the resources avaliable for maximum effort in order to win completely is a great exit strategy.

Too bad the Republicants can't figure this out.

Posted by SnarkyShark at November 16, 2005 05:45 PM

front=home front

Posted by SnarkyShark at November 16, 2005 05:46 PM

"We demand an exit strategy. Withdraw the troops by 1943."

We damand the troops garrison up, and dodge IEDs in perpetuity to prove how manly Republicants are.

Even though they personally are making no sacrifice,are doing no fighting, and hate the pointy headed intelectuals who make the weapons these manly Republicants love so much.

Dont you silly leftist understand?

Posted by SnarkyShark at November 16, 2005 05:51 PM

Republicans have such (convenient)short memories.

Posted by Judith at November 16, 2005 08:29 PM