Reply #32: Saw this too late last night to respond. [View All]

[TayTay]

And it's long, maybe we can take it in pieces.

First: Nice job. I appreciate the time and effort that went into it. I wish all posts on DU were this good and this specific. I wanted that out in front before we discuss the specifics. (Sometimes debates get heated on DU. In case this one does, I wanted it up front that I respect your views, respect your opinion and the thought that went into it.)

Second: It is long and I am at work. I am going to try and summarize what you are saying. I could get it wrong. Feel free to have at any suppositions I make and do corrections. I will do the same.

Okay, that said let's go. As I read this, one of the big problems you have with this is that there is no punch behind the threat. I read in your post that you think Kerry is making a 'threat' of sorts that if certain things aren't done in six months, then what happens.

The truth of that is that neither he nor the other Dems are in a position to do much of anything in Iraq. They can suggest, they can try and formulate a consistent view of Iraq that the Party can take into next year's mid-terms, but they can't do anything concrete unless they can peal some Repubs off in the House and Senate and convince them to come along. (Maybe this will happen, but I still doubt it. Beyond Chafee, Snowe and maybe Collins, which other Sens. might come over to the Dems side?)

I read the speech and my thoughts on it were that the 'what happens if six months go by and it's more of the same' as Kerry calling it a quagmire, and asking for withdrawal. I saw him asking for the 20,000 troops who will be there for the elections in Dec to come home after that election. Then he wants our troops to draw back and have Iraqi troops slowly take over the defense of their own country. I also heard another call for the US to firmly and unequivocally state that the US has no plans for premanent bases in Iraq. This seems to be a very firm position on Kerry's part and this is not the first time he has said this. (He said it, for example, in June on the Senate floor.)

Again, you raised a lot of points (and I'm at work) but it's a start.