From the AP:
The GOP-controlled Senate on Thursday rejected Democratic calls to start withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq by years’ end, as the two parties sought to define their election-year positions on a war that has grown increasingly unpopular.
“Withdrawal is not an option. Surrender is not a solution,” declared Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee, who characterized Democrats as defeatists wanting to abandon Iraq before the mission is complete.
Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada, in turn, portrayed Republican leaders as blindly following President Bush’s “failed” stay-the-course strategy. “It is long past time to change course in Iraq and start to end the president’s open-ended commitment,” he said.
In an 86-13 vote, the Senate turned back a proposal from some Democrats that would require the administration to withdraw all combat troops from Iraq by July 1, 2007, with redeployments beginning this year. No Republicans voted in favor of the plan.
Minutes later, the Senate rejected by 60-39 the proposal more popular with Democrats, a nonbinding resolution that would call for the administration to begin withdrawing troops, but with no timetable for the war’s end.
That vote was mostly along party lines.
[…] Republicans argued the United States must stay put to help the fledgling Iraqi government, while Democrats demanded that the Bush administration make clear that American forces won’t be in Iraq forever.
“We must give them that support and not send a signal that we’re going to pull possibly the rug out from under them,” Sen. John Warner, R-Va., said.
“The United States, with our Iraqi partners, has the responsibility to see this through,” Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., added.
But Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., said: “It is time to tell the Iraqis that we have done what we can do militarily.”
“Maintaining the status quo … is a recipe for continuing instability and failure,” Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., said.
Breaking from the Democrats on the issue of withdrawing troops for the sake of saying they voted for a resolution to begin withdrawing troops were Sens. Mark Dayton of Minnesota, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, Bill Nelson of Florida, and Ben Nelson of Nebraska.
The lone Republican Senator to vote in favor of continuing the war with troop numbers decided upon by Congress (rather than by the generals actually running the operation) was Lincoln Chafee.
In regard to Chafee, I think you need to put “Republican” in quotes.
86-13 is mostly along party lines? The non-binding resolution doesn’t mean diddly.
Maybe the Republicans and Democrats could arrange a trade – Chafee for Lieberman. I don;t think there would be any salary cap problems, I hear they make the same $.
Ahh … I see Katrina Mary realizes she can’t be re-elected if people here know where she REALLY stands, so she switched sides to show how much she “supports the war and the troops”.
I hate to tell her, but just about the only thing that Louisiana’s Cajuns and Hillbillies can agree on is that the Landrieu family are all abominations.
Come January, I suspect you’ll be putting “Former Senator” in front of it.
Heh. Indeed
Sounds like a bunch of HemmhorReid’s erstwhile fellow travelers also back the “failed” strategy. Or at the least, realize that cut-n-run is fuck-n-stupid.
So let me see if I have this… the mightiest military the world has ever seen is supposed to throw up its hands and say – “we give up” and leave. And the Iraqis are supposed to then do… what?
And Senator Levin says that if we stay it will cause problems, and by leaving ….?
I guess those two are simply talking to their respective bases – they can’t really be trying to persuade or engage anyone on the fence.
On a related note, a vote to set the date for ‘Insurgent Victory Day’ was postponed because of voting “problems†in the U.S. Senate.
I’d love to get some Democrats’ firm predictions about what happens in Iraq if we announce a date for withdrawal (I mean, a firm date?!? Where’s the nuance in that?) and meet it.
My guess is that kites are involved somehow.
… and smiling happy little cherub faces… Daddy’s not dead, he’s just sleeping….
I could not have scripted this any better myself. This gets better everyday. When will the dems get the hint?
Via the Corner, John Kerry’s mass email. He claims some kind of moral victory.
On a somewhat related note, now that Saddam’s trial seems to be winding down any guesses on what date he ends up on the wrong end of a rope?
Wonder what Reid, Feingold, Levin and company will have to say about that.
They’ll deplore the misapplication of the death penalty against a man who was only trying to the best for his people.
I want just once for some journalist to get after these bums to define just once what their idea of winning would be. Not bullshit platitudes, but a concrete fucking timetable of their own ideas of success.
Is there really anyone who wants to stand with these skidmarks on the underwear of humanity? Anyone? Bueller?
This is not a joke… it is on the AP wire at the NY Times:
This is just the first couple graphs–
So…. yeah.
Do you think they sit around the office and laugh out loud like a bunch of immature frat boys while typing this stuff up?
Bono is probably spinning in his grave…..
Too funny.
I hear they have padded chairs, too. Fucking hedonists.
91B20: No, I think that’s the right end of the rope for Saddam—finally.
Big Bang Hunter: Don’t forget the flowing rivers of chocolate.
John Kerry: Why did you leave Senator Chafee off your list of heroes?
Cher: Say hi to that intense journalist Anderson Cooper for me.
Turing Word: left, as in, I’ve been waiting for this word to come up forever and now I’m at a loss for sufficient snark to do it justice.
Dibs on Feingold when the revolution comes. < eliminationist rhetoric
I don’t give a $#!t about eliminationism.
With this opening, one would expect to see a closer vote.
What!!! 86-13? The majority of Democrats voted against it. Oh, the non-binding proposal ”was mostly along party lines.” If the AP had a shred of integrity, instead of the gratuitous GOP bashing, it would have looked at why so many Democrats were willing to support only the non-binding proposal.
It wouldn’t be eliminationist, it would be a service to mankind.
Handy media guide:
1. GOP + some Dems = mostly along party lines;
2. Dems + John McCain = bipartisan.
Any one else to see Mark Dayton on that list of Dems voting with the R’s? I had written that guy off as a nutbag, and he’s not even running for reelection.
And what is this ‘breaking a course’ to which Senator Kerry refers in his mailing? Perhaps it’s a translation from the French. But, in English, while you can set a course, reverse one, deviate from one… en Anglais, on ne peut pas briser une route.
Now a commitment: there’s something you could probably find a way to break.
I wonder if the plastic turkey was air-conditioned?
I have been a regular contributer to various Republican campaign committees in the past. However, for the past 18 months, and into the foreseeable future, I return each request with the following message written on them:
“Not until the Republican party stops financially supporting Sen Chafee’s campaign, and instead supports a true Republican candidate for his seat.”
Just curious when the generals running the operation started setting the troop levels.
How can I get Cher to give my helmet a close imspection?
gahrie sez:
Steve Laffey is that guy. Linc is in trouble with the Republicans. But RI is the bluest of the blue states, such that Patrick Kennedy will get another nod.
It’s going to be interesting.
Not to state the obvious, but Kerry’s letter was composed by a hired master of sales jargon.
“But wait! There’s more! If you call NOW, we’ll throw in this nifty universal health coverage AND a FREE national card with polyvinyl siding and a backyard pool, all yours for nine ninety nineteen ninety nine if you call NOW! Dont delay; operators are standing by!”
Kerry is walking, incontrovertable, horsefaced proof that politicians (a) know you can bullshit a substantial portion of the country’s morons at least part of the time, and (b) are willing to sell their mother’s souls doing so.
My god, that’s pathetic.
You know, even if we do pull out, studies have shown that there’s around a 75% chance Iraq could still get pregnant.
Hey John,
That’s a pretty open ended commitment there. Almost rings like “I’ll stay the course”.
I demand that you set a date-certain deadline for when you will stop doing what’s “right”.
I tell ya nothing helps the GOP like Democrats running their fool mouths off.
I’m sure Dayton didn’t have a clue what he was voting on.
“maintaining the status quo…is a recipe for continuing instability and failure.”
It was living for fourty years under false accusations that America is to blame for worldwide instability and failure achieved by maintaining the status quo of peace, love and understanding man which motivates me to support The Bush Doctrine. 9/11 triggered the day I stood up and said I wasn’t going to take it anymore.
Sweet. Son of Iraq. But would John Kerry be the father of that love child?
Ron Wyden should be taken out back and beaten with a hose. I am ashamed to even be from the same state as this stain.
Especially when that doesn’t actually involve, you know,doing anything…
Glad to! Where’s MY ticket to Switzerland, you posturing man-whore?
9/11 triggered the day I stood up and said I wasn’t going to take it anymore.
You and a whole lot of other people. And that’s what the left understands, it’s why the legacy media refuses to show any footage of the events that day, why there’s been no movies about the event, and why any time anyone brings it up, they scream about politicizing the event. They fear awareness and memory of that day. They fear it’s power to wake people up.
Well, someone said that if Kerry’s proposal is cut and run, Levin’s is something like cut and jog, or maybe cut and saunter. Wish I could give proper credit.
tw: believe. “Every man should have a belief. I believe I’ll have another drink.” William Claude Dukenfield
There must be some Democrat/leftist Word macro going around with “air-conditioning” in it.
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeevil Rethuglican air-conditioning!
While, I suppose, John Kerry is personally fanned with palm fronds during the June D.C. heat by servants from the Heinz plantation . . . at least that’s “carbon-friendly”, right?
JorgX  t’aint a fit blog out for man nor beast…
86-13. “Mostly along party lines.”
Is the AP using the metric system or base 8 math?
I busted my slide rule trying to get this one to work…
Hey, I’d be willing to pull out next month – if you folks don’t mind us doing some clean-up first. There’s several towns in the Sunni triangle that need vaporizing. Likewise several Shia towns down south. No survivors.
Then, turn the Kurds loose, finally. Full autonomy. Free Kurdistan. They deserve it.
After that, it’s all yours again. See ya, take care.
…
What, too harsh for ya?
SB: consider
alternatives
totally sweet! I hope our troops never leave Iraq! Except to keep invading other places! Totally sweet and awesome!
kinda like Germany, Japan, Korea, Kosovo….. except we’re still there. oh well.
TW: french, it being late, that just makes me giggle.
We should do France again, and keep it this time.
Rich in Martigues,
If a “celeb” who doesn’t support the war but does things to try to help the troops and their families then I am OK with that.
Same with Martin Sheen. He said in an interview his positions and stated that he knows that many will not agree with him and he understands and totally respects that. He is not one of those “celebs” who screeches “McCarthyism” whenever some one disagrees with him.
Pulled my Kerry Translator out of mothballs and plugged it in:
Hey! It still works!
Gee, thanks for that, wishbone. Will you please excuse me whilst I run screaming from the room, memories of base eight math crowding their way back into my memory. New Math, indeed.