Discussing Iraq. Kerry on Larry King tonight.
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Sen. John Kerry, 3rd Ranking Democrat on the Foreing Relations Committee in the 110th Congress that convenes in January, will be on the LArry King Show tonight (11/29) to discuss issues around Iraq, the release of the Baker Commission or Iraq Study Group report and other issues.
These are some recent statements from the 4 leadings Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as they pertain to Iraq. Some of this might come up in tonight's interview, unless Mr. King decides to question Sen. Kerry about his decision not to take up Stand-Up comedy as a profession.
Joe Biden http://biden.senate.gov/issues/iraq.cfm Not updated since 11/05
“As the Baker-Hamilton commission deliberates its recommendations for Iraq today and in the coming days, it faces a tremendous opportunity and responsibility. The opportunity is to generate a bipartisan way forward in Iraq. The responsibility is to make the hard choices required to turn Iraq around.
“I advocate – and have advocated directly to the Baker-Hamilton Commission – the need for a political settlement among Iraq’s major groups. The best way to get there is through federalism: maintaining a unified Iraq but decentralizing the country and giving Kurds, Shiites and Sunnis breathing room in their own regions. A central government would remain, responsible for the distribution of oil and border security. We would get Sunni buy-in by guaranteeing them a proportionate share of the oil revenues and we’d bring the neighbors in to support the political settlement. If we do all these things, we can withdraw most of our troops from Iraq by the end of 2007, with a small residual force to focus on counter-terrorism.
Chris Dodd http://www.chrisdodd.com/issues/iraqOn October 12, 2006, in a speech at Providence College, his alma mater, Senator Dodd called for a new direction in the United States’ policy in Iraq.
He believes that America’s fighting men and women are doing their job in Iraq with extraordinary skill, commitment, and courage.
He also believes that the best way to honor their service, and better provide for the security of our nation, is to set a new direction for America’s policy in Iraq. In his speech at Providence College, Senator Dodd calls for an end to America’s open-ended commitment to remain in Iraq indefinitely. Instead, he believes that the time has come for the Administration to begin to reposition troops to safer areas within Iraq, as well as to Afghanistan and other areas in the Middle East where they can serve other pressing national security priorities. He also called for measures to encourage peaceful, constructive political engagement within Iraq and among Iraq’s regional neighbors and the larger international community. In addition, he called for the international community to redouble efforts to rebuild Iraq and create the conditions for sustained economic development, which is so critical to that nation’s stability and success.
These steps would be in accordance with a law passed by the Congress and signed last year by the President that 2006 should be a period of ‘significant transition to full Iraqi sovereignty, with Iraqi security forces taking the lead for the security of a free and sovereign Iraq . . . .’ These steps would also help ensure that the United States has a sufficient military presence in other nations and other regions where our vital interests are at stake – including especially our interest in combating terrorism.
John Kerryhttp://www.johnkerry.com/news/releases/release.html?id=29Kerry: Administration Has No Iraq Plan
“The President is working overtime to change his rhetoric on Iraq when we need him to change his policy. Our heroes are paying the price for the President’s pride and stubbornness.
Today’s performance was another attempt two weeks before an election to convince the American people he has a plan for Iraq. But the President can’t sell what he doesn’t have. One day President Bush invites comparisons to Vietnam, the next day Vice President Cheney says Iraq is going remarkably well, and every day the civil war intensifies and young Americans continue to die.
Iraq is in the middle of a civil war because there has been too little pressure on Iraqi politicians, not too much. Today, the President expressed confidence in the Prime Minister, even as Maliki rejected the toothless timelines the Administration was selling yesterday. All the President’s guarantees that he’ll ‘stay as long as it takes’ have given Iraqi politicians permission to take as long as they want. President Bush needs to change course and tell the Iraqis that no American soldier will be sacrificed because Iraqis refuse to settle their political differences. President Bush now acknowledges we need a political solution in Iraq even as he prepares to continue the failed course of trapping more troops in a civil war.
The President who has had a stand still and lose policy in Iraq and a cut and run policy in Afghanistan has no credibility raising the specter of Iraq becoming a terrorist haven when it’s the war in Iraq that our own intelligence agencies say has weakened us in the fight against terror.
“We have to get tough on Iraq with deadlines to get Iraq and its neighbors to do the diplomacy necessary to achieve a political solution. And we need to make clear that American troops will be leaving within a year to force Iraqis to make the tough compromises. Only then do we have a chance to make Iraqis stand up for Iraq and bring our heroes home.
Russ Feingold http://www.feingold.senate.gov/~feingold/releases/06/11/20061114.htmlFEINGOLD CONTINUES PUSH FOR A TIMETABLE FOR IRAQ REDEPLOYMENT
Feingold Introduces Measure Requiring Vast Majority of U.S. Troops to Redeploy from Iraq by Mid-2007
November 14, 2006
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Russ Feingold today introduced legislation requiring U.S. forces to redeploy from Iraq by July 1, 2007. The legislation, which builds on an amendment Feingold authored earlier this year, would allow for a minimal number of U.S. forces to remain in Iraq for targeted counter-terrorism activities, training of Iraqi security forces, and the protection of U.S. infrastructure and personnel.
“Redeploying our troops will pressure the Iraqi government to get its political house in order while allowing us to re-focus on global terrorist organizations and trouble spots that threaten our national security,” Feingold said. “It simply doesn't make sense to continue devoting so much of our resources to one country while ignoring the growing threats we face around the world.”
In August 2005, Feingold became the first U.S. Senator to propose a target date for the redeployment of U.S. troops from Iraq. Earlier this year, Feingold cosponsored an amendment to the Defense authorization bill that would have required the redeployment of U.S. troops from Iraq by July 1, 2007. In September, Feingold also introduced a resolution addressing the need to strengthen our efforts in Afghanistan so as to prevent that country from again becoming a key staging ground for terrorists.
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Notice to Kerry Fans, Worshippers, minions, sycophants,
hangers-on, suck-ups, Friends, Kerry Quakers (you know who you are), and other adherents of The Faith:
Services tonight at 9:00 pm Eastern on CNN. You know what to do. Mind the candles and the altar clothes. We have told you countless times to make those altar coverings out of flame-proof material. There was a memo. Geesh.
Minions, prepare to man your posts. You know what to do. Implement plan Alpha Beta Amore 12v.