CNN: Democrats want Iraq pullout to begin quickly: this year

Democrats want Iraq pullout to begin quickly
Levin: Proposal is not a 'timetable'
Monday, June 19, 2006


Sen. Carl Levin, D-Michigan, says the U.S. cannot sustain an open-ended commitment in Iraq.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Senate Democrats offered an amendment Monday that would demand that a pullout of U.S. troops from Iraq begin this year.

The plan, the product of weeks of intense negotiations between Senate Democrats and Minority Leader Harry Reid, is designed to give Democrats a unified position on Iraq as the November midterm elections near.

The amendment would:

Begin the "phased redeployment" or pullout of U.S. troops from Iraq in 2006.

Require the administration to submit a plan by the end of 2006 for continued phased redeployment beyond 2006.

Transform the role of troops left in the country to a "limited mission" of training and logistical support for Iraqi security forces, protection of U.S. personnel and facilities, and targeted counterterrorism operations....

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/06/19/iraq.pullout/index.html

The members of the Out Of Iraq caucus have been trying everything for years now, before they even had an Out of Iraq caucus

These guys just voted themselves a pay increase, for what? To waste our time with stupid, go nowhere proposals?

Instead of looking like idiots, the Dems need to grow a sack, and just walk out en masse. We've been acting like we're the opposition party for 6 years, and we have not won a single battle. We will NEVER get anywhere with these evil creeps. There is ZERO CHANCE that they're going to compromise, or listen to a thing we say.

It's way past time for the dems to come out and say it, and show the American public that the repubs are running a full blown dictatorship, and that this checks and balances bs is just a mirage.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060619/us_nm/iraq_congress_usa_dc_1


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Democrats presented two plans for winding down U.S. involvement in Iraq on Monday, one to pull out U.S. combat forces by July 2007 and another to begin withdrawing this year without a deadline for completion.

With an election looming in November, Republicans branded the two plans as defeatist and evidence of Democratic disarray. The Senate was to debate the amendments on Tuesday in the annual defense policies bill.

"Three and a half years into the conflict, we should tell the Iraqis that the American security blanket is not permanent," said Sen. Carl Levin (news, bio, voting record) of Michigan, top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee.

The House of Representatives and Senate have debated Iraq in often harsh terms this month. Republicans sought to depict Democrats as weak on terrorism, and Democrats condemned President George W. Bush's policies that they said have caused chaos in Iraq, detracted from the fight against al Qaeda and drained U.S. resources.

Levin offered a nonbinding resolution saying Bush should start withdrawing an unspecified number of U.S. forces this year and give Congress a plan for the continued withdrawal.

And if you believe that, I've got a bridge to sell you.

I can't understand why the Democrats continue to even try. Honestly, I realize people think they need to be showing that they're doing something, so people will vote for them. But they are wasting their time.

THE REPUBS CANNOT.....I REPEAT......CANNOT......SAY IT ONE MORE TIME WITH ME.....CANNOT COMPROMISE ON ANYTHING. THEY WILL NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, GO ALONG WITH ANYTHING THE DEMOCRATS PUT FORTH. THEY WILL NEVER, EVER, EVER WORK WITH THE LEFT, EVEN IF 90% OF THE PUBLIC THINKS THEY SHOULD.

THEY ARE IN CONTROL OF A DICTATORSHIP, WHICH WILL PROBABLY LAST AT LEAST 2 1/2 MORE YEARS. WHY SHOULD THEY COMPROMISE? WHY SHOULD THEY WANT TO GIVE THE DEMOCRATS ANYTHING......ANYTHING AT ALL? BECAUSE IT'S THE HONEST THING? BECAUSE IT'S FOR THE GOOD OF THE COUNTRY? BECAUSE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WANT IT? ARE YOU FRICKIN' KIDDING ME?

They don't give a Shit. They'll NEVER give a Shit!!! Quit wasting our time by proving this by putting forth proposals which are NEVER going to have a chance in hell.

I've got a better shot of getting Angelina Jolie pregnant, than the Democrats have of getting the repubs to listen to their side of the story. I've got a better shot of getting Brad Pitt pregnant, than....well, you know.

Very well stated!!! Too many of the Democratic Senators and Representatives are complicit in abetting the criminal war-mongering opportunists with the controlling reins of the USA's power, way too many.

Continuing to play the game and the bewildering refusal to call a spade a spade, when it comes to accusing the GWB administration of perpetrating and perpetuating these war crimes, can never be forgiven by me, or anyone, whatever their traditional political position, that has a working conscience.

Period.

That is the bottom line.

These "Democrats", with a few notable exceptions, are as guilty as anyone for the ongoing disaster in Iraq. Someday, I hope, they will have to face the music. Otherwise the USA will continue to engage in these murderous periodic forays on into the future. Only when the consequences are swift and appropriate will the rest of the countries and peoples of the world be safe from the USA! Only then will the USA stop being the actual "Axis of Evil".

So, this would mean the four megabases. Which essentially is a no-op. To protect these bases, we'll need all the troops currently in country. Maybe more.

Nothing will change if we insist on keeping the crusader fortresses in place. Eventually, we'll be thrown out by force. So the options are: Withdraw now and save a little face, or suffer a humiliating political and military defeat.

Thanks, Dems.

You can't honestly tell me a US Senator said such stupid words! They have little to no electricity, very little potable water and usually death comes unannounced. Security blanket, they mean like a Katrina sized blanket? A FEMA blanket?

We are all sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo fucked. Gulp. :(

Either you take ALL the troops out or you send in around 1 million. Only way.

They can't bring themselves to admit in any way what this country has done to Iraq and the Iraqis.

With a very few exceptions they see telling the truth as a losing proposition...the Murkan Sheeple wouldn't hear of it. So the Dem "leadership" plays the blame the Iraqis game...."get their act together", "American security blanket".

They should all be struck permanently mute for even uttering such bullshit.

I believe it was posted first. oh well.

more: http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Kerry_Feingold_counter_other_Democrats_demand_0619.html

Kerry, Feingold counter other Democrats, demand pullout by July 2007

RAW STORY
Published: Monday June 19, 2006


Tomorrow US Senators John Kerry (D-MA), Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) will offer an amendment to the Defense Authorization bill that sets a deadline of July 1, 2007, for U.S. troops to be redeployed out of Iraq, RAW STORY has learned.

From a release:

#
Below is a joint statement from John Kerry and Russ Feingold:

“For three years, Congress has played political games while the war in Iraq has gone on unchecked and unending. With the administration’s failure to offer a coherent or effective strategy in Iraq, it is long past time for Congress to offer a plan to redeploy our troops so we can give Iraq its best chance at stability, and refocus on al Qaeda and the terrorist networks that threaten the security of all Americans.

“We must redeploy to succeed – and we will put this national security imperative to a test in the United States Senate this week. We need a deadline for the redeployment of U.S. forces in Iraq. A deadline gives Iraqis the best chance for stability and self-government, and most importantly, it allows us to begin refocusing on the true threats that face our country.

put a lock on the front door and kicked all the Dems out! Screw calling it Congress, this is a DEM plan! Don't give any of the credit to the enemy!

Here is the meat of the amendment:

"The goal of the Kerry-Feingold plan is to undermine the insurgency by simultaneously pursing a political settlement and the redeployment of American forces. Their plan calls requires:

The redeployment of U.S. combat troops out of Iraq by July 1, 2007.

Only U.S. troops essential to completing the mission of standing up Iraqi security forces, conducting targeted counter-terrorist operations and protecting U.S. personnel and facilities would remain. President Bush has repeatedly said that when Iraqis stand up, we will stand down. However, that has not been happening. So far, the Iraqis have trained 265,600 security forces – just 7,000 shy of the Bush administration’s stated goal of 272,566. Yet just a few weeks ago, the Pentagon announced that they are sending 3,500 additional U.S. troops from Kuwait to Iraq.

The United States to maintain an over-the-horizon military presence to prosecute the war on terror and protect regional security interests.

The President to work with the new Iraqi government to convene a summit that includes those leaders, the leaders of the governments of each country bordering Iraq, representatives of the Arab League, the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, representatives of the European Union, and leaders of the governments of each permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, to reach a comprehensive political agreement for Iraq that addresses fundamental issues including federalism, oil revenues, the militias, security guarantees, reconstruction, economic assistance and border security.

The Secretary of Defense to report to Congress on how U.S. troops will be withdrawn from Iraq by July 1, 2007."

I`d like to hear Kerry mention our over-the-top mega (so called)embassy and its several thousand employees.

The Citadel on the River.

I love it, but I hope they're prepared for the onslaught, as they're drawing fire away from Jack Murtha.

This is gonna get good, if they're really ready to fight this one here and now (referring to Kerry, Feingold and Boxer).

:wow:

450 right-wing talkers, all the news networks, and legions of right-wing newspaper editors will go personal on them.

They will be relentlessly smeared for opposing the Bush Crime Family.

We're gonna need some reinforcements here.

... becuase the media is then going to use the disagreement as the basis for a "Dems in Disarray"-story. I'd rather they pushed for this, voted for it, and if it fails, make sure to vote for the OTHER Dem bill demanding a pullout, just not on a timetable but with benchmarks.

later.

I have nothing against the Kerry/Feingold/Boxer bill but I'm sick of this stupid "Dems Divided"-crap. The overwhelming majority of Democratic officeholders agree that we need to change course and pullout, the question is how and how quickly do you pull out. That's NOT the same as the Republicans who cling to their disastrous "stay the course" rhetoric.

Freepers only se dollar signs and dellusions...When you have a President that is uneducated, ditches a draft and is truely a coward, what can you expect other then monronism.

But, Bush isnt all to blame. Dont forget Congress who lets it all happen and the Senators who only listen to oil Barons and Religious fanactical Lobbyist who only care about MONEY. Yes, even the hardcore bible thumping looney is a greedy pig, dont let them fool ya. Oil Barons, MegaChurches and Corperations LOVE this GOP, they get whatever they want and get their way due to their great leader, GWB and Co.

GWB is making bank on this war and Oil companies (and other major corperations) are also hitting all time highs in the profit sector. Now, we all know that the right thing to do 10 years ago was to start investing in alternative energies, but GWB being the Oil Pirate he and his crew are, it never happened and now yet again we are being set back in the progress department.

This GOP is a total and utter artrocity, disater and ruiner of this country. Not only is the Iraq mess out of hand but so his the Religious Fundamentalist who want to dominate this country. Iraq is part of a mega-Agenda called Project For the New American Century, this GOP has all the intentions of fulfilling this Global disaster. The only way I see this agenda falling in on itself is by starting at the bottom of the plan and work your way up and along the way cutting veins within it. Severing the system to the point of incompasitation, It might still be breathing but it cant move anymore.

We need to get the Hell out of Iraq. All but 1 crusade and 1 inqusition has been an failure, are presents alone in the region is just history repeating and if we dont leave soon, the fire will just burn higher and hotter. This is a Jihad for those people and they want us to leave, but dollar signs are all that flash in the eyes of this GOP and its supporters.

Everyone with a brain and sees thru the smoke screens knows Bush is a damn liar and his crew of crooks are all in it for themselves. I personily dont have much trust in politicans, they are so easliy corrupted by lobbyist from Fundamenatlist groups and Corperations that they dont care about real social issues, but more about making those Corps happy so they can get more money, trips, dinners etc..I feel that this country will have to implode in order to get back on track, it will fall in on itself so hard that the world will seem to stop for possibly years. We can not afford to let 1 religion control/dictate society and we surely should not allow a religious dictator ru(i)n our country.

The tide needs to turn hard and not only in Iraq/middle east, but on all the issues which need to be resolved quicker so we can move on.
Yes, Gay people should have civil unions,
Yes we need to start redeployment,
Yes women have the right to choose...
Yes the government needs to stop meddeling into private affairs of its citizens.
No, we are not going to give tax breaks to Coperations and the Rich but we will actually double the their taxes to compensate for the breaks Bush gave them.
No, we will no drill for anymore oil but we will take that money and give it to GM, Ford, Toyota and Honda as well as invest in Solar, wind and hydro power alternatives.

I could go on, because I know that the answers to the hardest issues have the simpilist solutions. I can do this because I dont see dollar signs...I see resolve and progress.

doesn't matter for shit.

Great job -> :thumbsup:

:sarcasm: