But instead, it looks like this is what we're going to get instead. Looks like Harry Reid is ready to cave in and give Bush and the Republicans everything they want on Iraq.
Saying the coming weeks will be "one of the last opportunities" to alter the course of the war, Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) said he is now willing to compromise with Republicans to find ways to limit troop deployments in Iraq.
Reid acknowledged that his previous firm demand for a spring withdrawal deadline had become an obstacle for a small but growing number of Republicans who have said they want to end the war but have been unwilling to set a timeline.
I don't think we have to think that our way is the only way," Reid said of specific dates during an interview in his office here. "I'm not saying, 'Republicans, do what we want to do.' Just give me something that you think you would like to do, that accomplishes some or all of what I want to do."
God-freaking-damn-it!!! What the hell do you think we elected you guys to f*cking DO?? It was EXACTLY to tell those damned brain-dead Republicans DO WHAT WE WANT TO DO. On Iraq. On minimum wage. On national security. On health care. On global warming. Etc. DO WHAT WE WANT TO DO, not what you guys have been doing the last 6 years f*cking over this country in every which way!
And now Reid's already giving up before the fight even begins? Before the September report from the White House (with occasional input from Petraeus, but only if it jibes with the White House line)?
Remember those benchmarks that Bush said were crucial back in January when he began the "surge"? Well, Tony Snow just showed us how much those mean to Bush.
Again, I would -- if you take a look at what Congress has mandated for this report, it says, have you met these? Have you met them in full? Well, the answer is, you're going to find in a lot of cases, of course they haven't met them. Now, the real question is, do you have progress in the right direction?
The other thing I would suggest is that it would be a mistake to limit one's view of what goes on in Iraq to the benchmarks.
Tony, you guys weren't saying that in January. This is seriously like Lucy with the football, and Harry "Charlie Brown" Reid is dumb enough to fall for it again, thinking Republicans will actually "compromise". When have they compromised ANYTHING on Iraq, Harry? Please, give me just ONE example where they've "compromised".
As Joan McCarter (mcjoan on DailyKos) said: "Bipartisanship only works when the other side compromises, too. Otherwise it's just capitulation."
And thanks to these defeatist words from Reid, it looks like Democrats have already capitulated to the Republicans and Mr. 28%. You have just guaranteed the deaths of several hundred more American soldiers, and untold thousands of Iraqi civilians. I hope you can sleep tonight.
3 comments:
Unfortunately, what are the Senate Democrats supposed to do? We only have 51 senators (50 until Senator Johnson returns to work next week) - there is no way we can overcome a senate filibuster. At this point, isn't SOME ground, better than none?
But you're assuming there's SOME ground in the first place. What evidence is there of that? That first supplemental, what did it do to force Bush's hand? NOTHING.
You simply can't compromise with people who aren't willing to compromise. You have to stand your ground, and force THEM to crack under pressure. Show some damn spine, and when the Republicans see their re-election numbers go into freefall, I can guarantee they WILL crack.
Stories are coming in from around the country of angry constituents letting them hear it at town hall meetings.
We had the high ground, and Reid just surrendered all of it to the Republicans.
I'd love to be proven wrong, but it looks like September will only bring us every single goddamned thing Bush wants for Iraq.
The situation is actually even worse than Kyle portrays. Until Senator Johnson returns, the Democrats only have 49 Senators who are against the war. Remember, Joe Lieberman caucuses with us, but he doesn't vote with us on Iraq.
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