Democrats bank on anger, offer plan, but hedge on Iraq

Democrats cast themselves Saturday as the party that will change the nation's unpopular course - but hedged on precisely how they would do it.

The Democratic National Committee used a three-day meeting to unveil a six-point statement labeled as the party's vision for governing - yet it avoided such thorny issues as Iraq or immigration. And party leaders put off further discussion of a Democratic plan for Iraq until later this year - and then it will be done in private, perhaps after the November election.

Throughout the strategy meeting, Democrats said they were confident that anger at President Bush puts them in position to win control of Congress this November.

Washington State Party chairman Dwight Pelz told Dean that the party's "murkiness" on Iraq was causing problems with the rank-and-file and that tension between activists and the national party leadership in Washington could sap their energy this fall.

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/news/nation/14406188.htm

an issue that has become indefensible. The lies are being exposed. What is the problem????????????????????????????????????

Why commit to a plan when the Republicans are squirming now.

Why can't the cantidates stand up and spit in the fascist's faces?

maintain this silence, why make it look like you're stymied and have no clue as to what to do when you should just step up and tell it like it is. We need to get out. Let the dems running for office bring up the world's biggest embassy and the 14 air bases. Let them tell the public the truth, the repukes NEVER INTEND TO GET OUT.

:wtf:

Even the Dems who were fooled and voted for Iraq, simply need to admit that Bush tricked them, and they won't be fooled again. They can say now that they "get it" and are ready to end the Iraq disaster.

They gave us John ("Knowing what I know now I would have voted the same way on the IWR") Kerry instead of a real answer.

He said Bush needed to quit shifting the war to the next president and get us out of there. It was pretty clear.

If you don't believe me, watch it on replay, or find a transcript.

taken over by the pugs. Why should we help them out with ideas? Let the elephants wander the wilderness by themselves.

This morning Dean said Bush needed to get them out of Iraq, and quit leaving it for others.

I guess I will have to go transcribe that portion from the tape, as the media will spin.

He has said every time they put out something on Iraq the Republicans take it and make it their own.

He said Bush needed to get us out. How much clear do you want?

DEAN "It's not fair for the President to leave his mess in Iraq to someone else: He got us into this mess and he owes it to the American people to get us out."

Kerry:

The War in Vietnam and the War in Iraq are now converging in too many tragic respects.

As in Vietnam, we engaged militarily in Iraq based on official deception.

As in Vietnam, we went into Iraq ostensibly to fight a larger global war under the misperception that the particular theater was just a sideshow, but we soon learned that the particular aspects of the place where we fought mattered more than anything else.

And as in Vietnam, we have stayed and fought and died even though it is time for us to go.

We are now in the third war in Iraq in as many years. The first was against Saddam Hussein and his supposed weapons of mass destruction. The second was against terrorists whom, the administration said, it was better to fight over there than here. Now we find our troops in the middle of an escalating civil war.

Half of the service members listed on the Vietnam Memorial Wall died after America’s leaders knew our strategy would not work. It was immoral then and it would be immoral now to engage in the same delusion. We want democracy in Iraq, but Iraqis must want it as much as we do. Our valiant soldiers can’t bring democracy to Iraq if Iraq’s leaders are unwilling themselves to make the compromises that democracy requires.

As our generals have said, the war cannot be won militarily. It must be won politically. No American soldier should be sacrificed because Iraqi politicians refuse to resolve their ethnic and political differences.

Our call to action is clear. Iraqi leaders have responded only to deadlines—a deadline to transfer authority to a provisional government, and a deadline to hold three elections. It was the most intense 11th hour pressure that just pushed aside Prime Minister Jaafari and brought forward a more acceptable candidate. And it will demand deadline toughness to reign in Shiite militias Sunnis say are committing horrific acts of torture every day in Baghdad.

So we must set another deadline to extricate our troops and get Iraq up on its own two feet.

Iraqi politicians should be told that they have until May 15 to deal with these intransigent issues and at last put together an effective unity government or we will immediately withdraw our military. If Iraqis aren’t willing to build a unity government in the five months since the election, they’re probably not willing to build one at all. The civil war will only get worse, and we will have no choice anyway but to leave.

If Iraq’s leaders succeed in putting together a government, then we must agree on another deadline: a schedule for withdrawing American combat forces by year’s end. Doing so will actually empower the new Iraqi leadership, put Iraqis in the position of running their own country and undermine support for the insurgency, which is fueled in large measure by the majority of Iraqis who want us to leave their country.

http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=2723

...sounds pretty specific to me...

It does no good if we don't maximimize exposure for it. The corporate media will bury it, and pundits will continue to bemoan the lack of plans from Democrats.

I will have a story on the speech, and the interview transcript, hopefully ready for publication by tomorrow night.

.

We could add Murtha and Kucinich and a host of others to that list. Somebody with acess needs to identify the scaredy-cat faction and name names. :)