Mutha just did an end run on the GOP

[nadinbrzezinski]

who was getting ready to ahem declare victory and come home before the 2006 elections. This is what this is all about folks and it is sheer genious. If they call for immediate withdrawal (to save their seats mind you) they will be calling for Murtha's plan

Marvelous!

[rainy]

1. God, I was thinking the exact same thing. The election in Dec.

they could hype and say mission accomplished. My only problem with this is if they would really leave? All that oil you know.

[MADem]

2. And if they call for phased withdrawal with timelines, they are endorsing

the Democratic resolution that Reid, et. al. proposed initially.

No matter how they play it, they are being dragged to the left.

Murtha is on MSNBC right now, and he is quite forceful, BTW--he will not back down, and he will not let the interviewer bullshit him or frame the debate. He is framing, and kicking ass!!

[tularetom]

3. How long can they play chicken

Support the war, bad mouth Murtha and the Dems, and then turn around and support bringing the troops home at the last minute just in time for the mid term elections. I mean their constituents are sure as hell gonna remember all their tough talk next year aren't they?

[Sick_of_Rethuggery]

7. Their (core) "constituents"

do not care about anything that their elected reps say or do, as long as they are all together demonizing the "libruls". These are sick, sick people, with no moral compasses at all...

[bluedog]

4. .....itchslapped Nora O'Donnell

Nora saying he was called a coward.

He replied: "You guys have a habit of trying to distract from the issues."


guess hes not going to take any crap from the media!!

:woohoo:

[flpoljunkie]

5. Best response ever to talking head! Way to go, Murtha!

[displacedtexan]

6. That' s the first thing I thought of, too!

Brilliant!

[understandinglife]

8. Agreed. I've spoken to several colleagues since yesterday about the ...

... the one/two punch delivered by Kerry, then Murtha. Kerry calls for 20,000 home by the holidays, followed by Murtha calling for all out in six months.

Bush and the neoconsters and their weeny Republican congressminions are down for the count. They are stuck with 'stay the course' - which the Nation now despises. Because the moment any of them say anything about exiting, partially or totally, everyone can immediately respond -- "glad you finally accepted what Kerry, Murtha have demanded."

It was strategically important for Kerry to not immediately agree with Murtha. Very, very important. To have done so would have allowed the propagandists to claim "flip flop" when what really matters is that Kerry has set an immediate-term (by the holidays) withdrawal and Murtha has set a six month full withdrawal boundary. You better believe no Republican wants American soldiers dying in Iraq next year, but now they have been cornered by Kerry and Murtha (and McDermott) and all plans for exit belong to the Dems. Now, if they will just continue to control the news cycles the way they began controlling them when Reid and Durbin forced focus on the Senate via Rule 21.


Peace.

[ZippyTeapoe]

12. 'stay the course' = our children die in Iraq

Three Thanksgivings and Christmases and Hanukas and every other sacred holiday without the families together is enough. And the wing nuts are too stupid and blind to see that. Let them screech the manta till New Year's Day.

The people have spoken, these scumbags have no clothes, and we are not afraid to tell them so.

[understandinglife]

13. Welcome to DU. And, I agree with you.

Peace.

[ZippyTeapoe]

15. Thanks, a Bud of mine has been telling me about here for a LONG time

but I never had a computer with internet access at work before. And I have a second job so this is all the time I have to post during my lunch hour.

I hate constrictions. Maybe some day they'll discover boss exlax to shit out the shitty bosses.

[Strawman]

9. wow. and I thought I was cynical

I don't suspect this is gamesmanship by Murtha. Maybe I'm being naive here, but I don't think so.

As for the Repubs, it possible they were considering that (it would certainly make sense since the entire war has been fought for *'s political benefit), but I'm not convinced that they would pull out by Nov. 2006.

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. He is a politician and all of this is strategic

they just took the lets declare victory and go home tactic away from the crying connies

[Jai4WKC08]

11. Strategic AND coordinated

Reid, Pelosi, Dean, Clark... they're all in this together. They've been working on political strategy for many months. Count on it.

Mao wasn't the only one who understood attrition warfare. ;)

[Strawman]

14. if you say so, but I don't see any evidence

I don't see why Pelosi would be saying Murtha speaks for himself then.

I kind of see the Murtha thing as the essence of a public stance that is driven by reality and by coming forward to do what is morally right and less by political "strategy."

And if they were such a cohesive and coordinated bunch of master strategists working in concert all along, why the wait? I'm not buying into that fantasy.

[Roland99]

16. Interesting take. We'll see how many Dems are willing to put up or shut up

if this goes to a vote.


It's time to call.

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. that will be the true test... and if I am right

the GOP fell for the bait... FULLY