http://thinkprogress.org/2007/05/13/lindsey-graham-troops-losers/Lindsey Graham: Escalation Critics Are Calling The Troops ‘Losers’
Today on CNN, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said Bush’s Iraq critics are calling the troops losers. “Let’s don’t undercut
,” he said. “Let’s don’t declare this war lost because you’re telling all these soldiers and Petraeus that they’re losers.”
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) immediately ripped into Graham’s characterization, stating, “I don’t know anyone who opposes this war that ever said our troops are losers. Our troops are winners.”
Boxer continued, “Lindsey, just be careful what you say. The bottom line here is that the losers are the ones who have engineered this war, made a huge mistake — Dick Cheney we’re in the last throes, the war will last six months — and all of you who have supported this escalation and have turned us away from fighting al Qaeda into putting us in the middle of a civil war.” Watch it at link~
Boxer concluded, “The loser is the Commander-in-Chief who has not led our country well.”
Transcript:
GRAHAM: And the surge is in its infant stages. Everyone’s not on the ground yet. It’s our last best chance. Let’s don’t undercut it. Let’s don’t declare this war lost, because you’re telling Petraeus and all these soldiers that Barbara just talked about they’re losers. They have not had the opportunity…
BOXER: Oh, I’ve just got to straighten out the record on this.
GRAHAM: … to implement this strategy.
BLITZER: All right.
GRAHAM: And if I may finish my thought, if I may finish my thought, those who, no matter how well-intentioned, are calling for our withdrawal, deadlines and timelines that inform the enemy about how to beat us, are in fact the authors of a greater war. The Bush administration screwed this up early on by not having enough troops.
I support the surge. I’ll take the consequences of its failure. Give it a chance. But if it all fails we’re going to have a bigger war.
BLITZER: Let me let Senator Boxer respond.
BOXER: I don’t know anyone who opposes this war that ever said our troops are losers. Our troopers are winners.
GRAHAM: Harry Reid did.
BOXER: Excuse me. He never said our troops are losers. Now, Lindsey, just be careful what you say. The bottom line here is, the losers are the ones who have, you know, engineered this war, made a huge mistake, Dick Cheney, we’re in the last throes, the war will last six months, and all of you who have supported this escalation and have turned us away from fighting al Qaida into putting us in the middle of a civil war.
Now, the fact is I want to be very clear on this, Wolf. I’ve lost in California 21 percent of the dead troops. You understand that? Twenty-one percent either were born in California or were stationed in California.
I have their names listed in the front of my office. If you come and see my office, they are all on these charts. And you know what, Lindsey? I have to keep making the print on the charts smaller and smaller to fit all the names on four full charts.
BLITZER: Senator?
BOXER: So don’t say anyone calls them losers. They’re winners. The loser is the commander in chief who has not led our country well.
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