WP: Democratic Lawmakers Splinter on Iraq

[DeepModem Mom]

Democratic Lawmakers Splinter on Iraq
Many Surprised as Pelosi Calls for a Fast Pullout
By Jonathan Weisman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, December 2, 2005; Page A04


House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's embrace Wednesday of a rapid withdrawal from Iraq highlighted the Democratic Party's fissures on war policy, putting the House's top Democrat at odds with her second in command while upsetting a consensus developing in the Senate.

For months now, Democratic leaders have grown increasingly aggressive in their critiques of President Bush's policies in Iraq but have been largely content to keep their own war strategies vague or under wraps. That ended Wednesday when Pelosi (D-Calif.) aggressively endorsed a proposal by Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) to pull U.S. troops out of Iraq as soon as possible, leaving only a much smaller rapid-reaction force in the region.

The move caught some in the party by surprise. It threw a wrench into a carefully calibrated Democratic theme emerging in the Senate that called for 2006 to be a "significant year of progress" in Iraq, with Iraqi security forces making measurable progress toward relieving U.S. troops of combat duties. Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) said last month that "it's time to take the training wheels off the Iraqi government."

What's more, House Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) issued a statement Wednesday that was in marked contrast to Pelosi's. "I believe that a precipitous withdrawal of American forces in Iraq could lead to disaster, spawning a civil war, fostering a haven for terrorists and damaging our nation's security and credibility," he said.

Marshall Wittmann, a former Republican political strategist now with the centrist Democratic Leadership Council, said Pelosi may have resurrected her party's most deadly liability -- voters' lack of trust in the party on national security....


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/01/AR2005120101491.html?sub=AR

[blm]

1. Media still misstating Murtha's plan. He said PRACTICABLE and that it CAN

be done in 6months and practicable can also mean 8, 10, and 12 months.

They want to make it sound immediate so they can label it cut and run and keep dividing Democrats.

[HereSince1628]

2. ...a former republican political strategist now with the... DLC...(!)

Why doesn't the DLC understand this resurrects their elitist clique's most deadly liability...the party's belief that the DLC is actually part of the republican party?

[Maggie_May]

3. This is nuts

Lets move on the Democrats we have to be united. We found no WMD Saddam is out of power final elections in Dec. than get the hell out.
The timetable for withdraw.

[Call me Deacon Blues]

4. We should get out now

Everyone that's on the ground there now knows that regardless of what we do, Iraq will be fighting a civil war when we leave. We knew that going in, of course, but the Chimp ignored that little detail (naturally -- God told him to).

As for Rep. Hoyer -- I got news for you "Steny" (boy, I bet HE got picked on as a kid), 1)it's already a disaster, 2)we can't prevent a civil war, 3)if it's a "haven for terrorists", it's one of our own making, and 4)our nation's "security and credibility" is shot to hell already, and hanging around isn't going to make things any better.

Jeebus, these gutless, go-along, Vichy Democrats are going to be the death of our party.

And as for ol Marshall, I'll believe what comes out of another Republican's mouth when hell freezes over.

[Kolesar]

5. You ought to write to Steny

You have a valid thesis, and Steney could use a few "clue bucks".

[HereSince1628]

10. We'll be n pulling out soon...why and my predictions

First it is in the GOP's interests and Rove's desire to have the unpopular war out of the picture of domestic politics ahead of 2006.

Second the National Guard is limited to two years of active duty. Most USNG's are on their second tours in Iraq. Bush/Rumsfeld hasn't got the political capital to change the rules so...This will be the motivation to declare Iraq is ready for the US to bring out the 69K NG troops.

Here is what I expect...

1) The NG comes home starting in January or February...

2) The NG's equipment, always somewhat substandard and now nearly worn out, will be left behind.

3) Dozens of under-equipped Iraqi battalions will get the transferred equipment and be declared fully functional.

4) This will allow some additional US regular forces to be redeployed to neighboring friendly countries (I think THIS is the biggest sticking point for US withdrawl from Iraq.

5) The US will barter half a dozen or so permanent basing deals in "exchange" for the equipment.

6) The air force will invest more in the development of these bases into permanent American facilities and will maintain high tech reconnisance, tactical air support units. We might also get a deal for a port facility for US warships.

7) This, and some other major arms shipments to the Iraqis (probably sold by EU countries) will facilitate some further draw downs and the transition of the US from invader/occupier to paying guest.

8) By November 2006 the US will be down to its long term/permanent strength in Iraq...probably about 50-75K and composed of 2/3 ground forces and 1/3 air forces.

[leesa]

6. The DLC...working hard for the good of the GOP.

[electropop]

7. "Republican political strategist with ...Democratic Leadership Council"

:wtf: Why is anybody even listing the DLC as having some relationship with the Democratic Party? It's a Republican organization, and the fact that their opinions differ from those of sensible people does not indicate a split in the Democratic Party. They are not part of our Party.

[David__77]

8. Steny Hoyer is the Lieberman of the house....

It's true. He is an anti-Arab cheerleader.

[Straight Shooter]

9. What this tells me is that "Democrats" such as Hoyer trust bush's judgment

over the judgment of Murtha.

Gawd, sometimes it just seems like such a hopeless situation. How did so many idiots get into Congress? :shrug:

[goodhue]

11. Good for Pelosi!

Some applecarts need upsetting.