Centrists Finally Face Reality on Iraq

Catherine · **Posted:** Fri Jun 29, 2007 6:50 am

Centrists Finally Face Reality on Iraq

Sen. Richard Lugar, the Indiana Republican who has long served as his party’s voice of moderation on foreign affairs, is better known for judiciousness than courage. As the ranking member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he has certainly taken his time assessing the catastrophic war in Iraq.

But in a speech on the Senate floor this week, Lugar served notice that administration policy is failing.

"In my judgment, the costs and risks of continuing down the current path outweigh the potential benefits that might be achieved,” he said. “Persisting indefinitely with the surge strategy will delay policy adjustments that have a better chance of protecting our vital interests over the long term.”

His warning came well in advance of the September deadline for the “surge” that other Republicans have suggested, indicating that the center will no longer hold for President Bush’s war.

Washington’s self-styled centrists, as usual, are trailing far behind public opinion, which is strongly polarized against the war and in favor of disengagement. Centrists in both parties enabled the neoconservatives in the White House by repeatedly failing to speak out about their destructive fantasies and stunning incompetence as, year by year, we sank deeper in the quicksand. Smugly congratulating themselves on their own “seriousness” while mocking liberals who foresaw this disaster, the politicians (and pundits) of the center have much to answer for.

shoeless · **Posted:** Fri Jun 29, 2007 12:51 pm

Catherine wrote:

Centrists in both parties enabled the neoconservatives in the White House by repeatedly failing to speak out about their destructive fantasies and stunning incompetence as, year by year, we sank deeper in the quicksand. Smugly congratulating themselves on their own “seriousness” while mocking liberals who foresaw this disaster, the politicians (and pundits) of the center have much to answer for

In the beginning about 75% of the American public supported this war. That number has dropped to about 30%. That means almost half of the country has changed their minds, and now realize that we who were railing against this atrocity from the beginning were correct.

That is all and good, but the first thing these people have to do is apologize to us. That is the only way they can be taken seriously. Richard Lugar should begin by saying, "I'm so sorry I supported this war, I'm sorry I didn't speak out when I first realized it was a mistake, and those of you who opposed the war were correct all along. Please accept my heartfelt apology."

Then, we can all move forward together.

Bilbo37 · **Joined:** Sun Jan 21, 2007 1:57 pm **Posts:** 50

It would be nice to have most of them say that they were mistaken in the way that they acted..

Though it would probably be better if they had relatives serving over there to bring it home for them..

Catherine · **Posted:** Fri Jun 29, 2007 8:32 pm

I agree. An apology would be a very small step, but they can't just apologize for their YES vote to begin the war. They must also apologize for their continued support for the war when they saw that it had its beginning based on lies, that there was no exit strategy, that there was and continues to be widespread corporate contract abuse, especially by Halliburton and other large companies which are growing wealthIer by the second while our troops are dying by the hundreds, and they must especially apologize for voting for that awful and totally unsuccessful SURGE:

SURGE ISN'T WORKING: Deadliest three months for US troops since Iraq war began

Quote:

Insurgents killed five US soldiers in an ambush in Baghdad as the military said it had detained dozens of suspected Al-Qaeda linked militants in raids across Iraq on Friday.

The soldiers were killed, and seven more wounded, in southern Baghdad on Thursday when their attackers detonated a roadside bomb against their patrol and then opened fire on it, the military said on Friday.

One of the wounded soldiers had returned to duty but six more were still receiving treatment, the military said.

The latest fatalities took US losses in Iraq to 82 this month alone and to 3,559 since the March 2003 invasion, according to an AFP count based on Pentagon figures.

In May, 121 US soldiers were killed, making that month the deadliest since November 2004, when US marines stormed the former rebel town of Fallujah.

"The toll for the past three months - 329 - made it the deadliest quarter for U.S. troops in Iraq since the war began in March 2003," the Associated Press reports.

Bilbo37 · **Joined:** Sun Jan 21, 2007 1:57 pm **Posts:** 50

I do agree with you on that Catherine.. Though we know that they will not turn themselves around like that. Wishful thinking I guess...

Catherine · **Posted:** Fri Jun 29, 2007 8:47 pm

Yes, I know, Bilbo...

In fact, I doubt if there would be even this small amount of rebellious rumblings from within the war supporters' ranks if the surge had worked, even for a small amount of time, AND if there wasn't a major election coming up in 2008 while the war grows more and more unpopular every day.

Channel Zero · **Posted:** Wed Nov 28, 2007 2:18 am

Add Lindsey Graham and Saxby Chambliss to the list of those republicans questioning our efforts in Iraq.

Republicans threaten Iraq aid cut -- Say more political progress must be made

Quote:

November 27, 2007 - 3:24am. | By BEN EVANS and ANNE FLAHERTY

Two Republican senators said Monday that unless Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki makes more political progress by January, the U.S. should consider pulling political or financial support for his government.

The stern warnings, coming from Sens. Lindsey Graham and Saxby Chambliss, are an indication that while GOP patience on the war has greatly increased this fall because of security gains made by the military, it isn't bottomless.

"I do expect them to deliver," Graham, R-S.C., said in a phone interview upon returning from a Thanksgiving trip to Iraq. "What would happen for me if there's no progress on reconciliation after the first of the year, I would be looking at ways to invest our money into groups that can deliver."

Chambliss, R-Ga., who traveled with Graham as part of a larger congressional delegation, said lawmakers might even call for al-Maliki's ouster if Baghdad didn't reach agreement on at least some of the major issues seen as key to tamping down sectarian violence.

"If we don't see positive results by the end of the year I think you'll probably see a strong message coming out of Congress calling for a change in administration," he said in a conference call with reporters.
...

Why dick around anymore with being in-or-out. Why should you expect to positive results now? Jebuzz, how much worse does it have to get?

Centrists Finally Face Reality on Iraq

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