Comments on: Lugar: Plans To End The War Are ‘Very Partisan,’ ‘Will Not Work’ http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/ Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:34:18 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Keltoi http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/comment-page-2/#comment-3892148 Keltoi Thu, 28 Jun 2007 19:36:27 +0000 http://edit.thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/#comment-3892148 >>The comment about Bush losing two wars concurrently is a forerunner of what future historians will be forced to conclude. How about that for a legacy? Now, if he takes on Iran, Bush will win the trifecta. Comment by timeisart — June 28, 2007 @ 12:02 am Argh. I hope you are wrong. It seems to me though that we are neither winning nor losing either Afghanistan or Iraq. We are unwilling to wage total war against insurgents in either place, and we are unwilling to engage the puppetmaster of every terrorist group in the region, Iran. So it is just a slow, bloody status quo that gets us nowhere. Future historians may well wonder why we elected to fight these wars with one hand tied behind our back. If indeed we lose when all is said and done, the utter incompetence of Bush's prosecution of the war will be primarily to blame, but I must say the "progressive" rush to brand this conflict "Vietnam: Part II" will also deserve some historical criticism. >>The comment about Bush losing two wars concurrently is a forerunner of what future historians will be forced to conclude. How about that for a legacy? Now, if he takes on Iran, Bush will win the trifecta.

Comment by timeisart — June 28, 2007 @ 12:02 am

Argh. I hope you are wrong. It seems to me though that we are neither winning nor losing either Afghanistan or Iraq. We are unwilling to wage total war against insurgents in either place, and we are unwilling to engage the puppetmaster of every terrorist group in the region, Iran. So it is just a slow, bloody status quo that gets us nowhere.

Future historians may well wonder why we elected to fight these wars with one hand tied behind our back. If indeed we lose when all is said and done, the utter incompetence of Bush’s prosecution of the war will be primarily to blame, but I must say the “progressive” rush to brand this conflict “Vietnam: Part II” will also deserve some historical criticism.

]]> By: guns'n'bibles http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/comment-page-2/#comment-3891408 guns'n'bibles Thu, 28 Jun 2007 16:20:25 +0000 http://edit.thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/#comment-3891408 I heard Bush and the Republicans are coming out with an Iraq War Tax so that good Americnas can show their patriotism and support the war effort. Can anyone give me any details on this? I heard Bush and the Republicans are coming out with an Iraq War Tax so that good Americnas can show their patriotism and support the war effort. Can anyone give me any details on this?

]]> By: powkat http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/comment-page-2/#comment-3891388 powkat Thu, 28 Jun 2007 16:16:46 +0000 http://edit.thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/#comment-3891388 Ho-hum - another sneaky, lying republican. Ho-hum – another sneaky, lying republican.

]]> By: Egan Foote http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/comment-page-1/#comment-3891168 Egan Foote Thu, 28 Jun 2007 15:08:45 +0000 http://edit.thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/#comment-3891168 Wow, Lugar is a douche! Egan, out. http://eganfoote.wordpress.com Wow, Lugar is a douche!

Egan, out.

http://eganfoote.wordpress.com

]]> By: frenchfries http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/comment-page-1/#comment-3890758 frenchfries Thu, 28 Jun 2007 08:27:39 +0000 http://edit.thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/#comment-3890758 This is ridiculous. Why does anybody even listen to this joke of a senator? This is ridiculous. Why does anybody even listen to this joke of a senator?

]]> By: Don Bacon http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/comment-page-1/#comment-3890728 Don Bacon Thu, 28 Jun 2007 05:40:02 +0000 http://edit.thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/#comment-3890728 Lugar is saying that the surge won't work and that withdrawal isn't an option, and so the president needs to come up with a "Plan B". But there is no plan B and won't be, given all those stirred-up Iraqis resisting the brutal US occupation. Just more political blather. Lugar: ". . . the[ISG] report provides a useful starting point for the development of a 'Plan B' and a template for bipartisan cooperation on our Iraq strategy." Sounds like micromanaging the military, to me. Won't work. Time to pull the plug, which the pols have not been wont to do. Lugar is saying that the surge won’t work and that withdrawal isn’t an option, and so the president needs to come up with a “Plan B”. But there is no plan B and won’t be, given all those stirred-up Iraqis resisting the brutal US occupation. Just more political blather.

Lugar: “. . . the[ISG] report provides a useful starting point for the development of a ‘Plan B’ and a template for bipartisan cooperation on our Iraq strategy.” Sounds like micromanaging the military, to me. Won’t work. Time to pull the plug, which the pols have not been wont to do.

]]> By: Theresa http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/comment-page-1/#comment-3890680 Theresa Thu, 28 Jun 2007 04:44:53 +0000 http://edit.thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/#comment-3890680 Whoaaa..., didn't this idiot earlier today decry a withdrawl.... Granted... that was before The Luger, Clear Your Throat Call... Whoaaa…, didn’t this idiot earlier today decry a withdrawl…. Granted… that was before The Luger, Clear Your Throat Call…

]]> By: timeisart http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/comment-page-1/#comment-3890586 timeisart Thu, 28 Jun 2007 04:02:29 +0000 http://edit.thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/#comment-3890586 The comment about Bush losing two wars concurrently is a forerunner of what future historians will be forced to conclude. How about that for a legacy? Now, if he takes on Iran, Bush will win the trifecta. The comment about Bush losing two wars concurrently is a forerunner of what future historians will be forced to conclude. How about that for a legacy? Now, if he takes on Iran, Bush will win the trifecta.

]]> By: Probus http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/comment-page-1/#comment-3890579 Probus Thu, 28 Jun 2007 03:57:08 +0000 http://edit.thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/#comment-3890579 Someone with Sen. Lugar's experience on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee should know better than to say that timetables and benchmarks "have “no particular legal consequence”. This is clearly not the case. Timetables and deadlines provide the American people and the Iraqi government with a plan to end our military presence in Iraq. Right now we have no plan to get out of Iraq. We need a deadline to remove not some but <strong>all</strong> combat troops from Iraq. We need a deadline to leverage the Maliki government so that they know that they are on borrowed time. Having non-negotiable benchmarks that the president can't waive or ignore tells the Iraqi government that they must meet these benchmarks or face the consequences. Political and diplomatic progress must be made in Iraq if we are to get our troops out of there. We can no longer win this war militarily. If Sen. Lugar can vote to cut off funds for the Somali conflict then there is no reason that he can't vote to cut off funds for the Iraq war. If he can vote to set a deadline to remove troops out of Somalia then there is no reason to not do so for Iraq. If anything, senior republican senators can step up to the plate and make this issue of ending the war in Iraq a non-partisan one by simply calling the foreign policy in Iraq what it actually is - a failure. Someone with Sen. Lugar’s experience on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee should know better than to say that timetables and benchmarks “have “no particular legal consequence”. This is clearly not the case. Timetables and deadlines provide the American people and the Iraqi government with a plan to end our military presence in Iraq. Right now we have no plan to get out of Iraq. We need a deadline to remove not some but all combat troops from Iraq. We need a deadline to leverage the Maliki government so that they know that they are on borrowed time. Having non-negotiable benchmarks that the president can’t waive or ignore tells the Iraqi government that they must meet these benchmarks or face the consequences.

Political and diplomatic progress must be made in Iraq if we are to get our troops out of there. We can no longer win this war militarily. If Sen. Lugar can vote to cut off funds for the Somali conflict then there is no reason that he can’t vote to cut off funds for the Iraq war. If he can vote to set a deadline to remove troops out of Somalia then there is no reason to not do so for Iraq. If anything, senior republican senators can step up to the plate and make this issue of ending the war in Iraq a non-partisan one by simply calling the foreign policy in Iraq what it actually is – a failure.

]]> By: timeisart http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/comment-page-1/#comment-3890561 timeisart Thu, 28 Jun 2007 03:50:14 +0000 http://edit.thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/#comment-3890561 Harry Reid sure bit hard at Lugar's stink bait. He called Lugar's cover-my-ass speech "brilliant." He must be embarassed to have been led down the garden path yet again by this Republican snake oil peddler. Lugar's speech has been labeled an historic turning point and other gushing nonsense. Harry, do you really think Lugar is going to cooperate with your plan for Iraq? Get a grip, man. These Repubs are just maneuvering to discover who they can blame for their massive Iraq failure. Better shut up, Harry, or they'll blame it on you. Harry Reid sure bit hard at Lugar’s stink bait. He called Lugar’s cover-my-ass speech “brilliant.” He must be embarassed to have been led down the garden path yet again by this Republican snake oil peddler. Lugar’s speech has been labeled an historic turning point and other gushing nonsense. Harry, do you really think Lugar is going to cooperate with your plan for Iraq? Get a grip, man. These Repubs are just maneuvering to discover who they can blame for their massive Iraq failure. Better shut up, Harry, or they’ll blame it on you.

]]> By: Jay Randal http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/comment-page-1/#comment-3890460 Jay Randal Thu, 28 Jun 2007 02:49:35 +0000 http://edit.thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/#comment-3890460 LOL Karl Rove showed the pics of Lugar naked with little boys to him and that is why he has changed his tune. LOL Karl Rove showed the pics of Lugar naked with little boys to him and that is why he has changed his tune.

]]> By: chris joseph http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/comment-page-1/#comment-3890336 chris joseph Thu, 28 Jun 2007 01:38:43 +0000 http://edit.thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/#comment-3890336 I think there need to be some partisan fisticuffs on the floor of the house and senate. It seems to be the only thing some of these asses understand. Truth, honesty, integrity... don't look like they mean anything anymore. I think there need to be some partisan fisticuffs on the floor of the house and senate. It seems to be the only thing some of these asses understand. Truth, honesty, integrity… don’t look like they mean anything anymore.

]]> By: BARTLEBEE http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/comment-page-1/#comment-3890316 BARTLEBEE Thu, 28 Jun 2007 01:18:47 +0000 http://edit.thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/#comment-3890316 Sorry TP. Posted these in the wrong thread. Feel free to delete them. Sorry TP. Posted these in the wrong thread. Feel free to delete them.

]]> By: BARTLEBEE http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/comment-page-1/#comment-3890308 BARTLEBEE Thu, 28 Jun 2007 01:11:20 +0000 http://edit.thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/#comment-3890308 <b>National security experts have identified the shortage of Arabic linguists as contributing to the government's failure to predict the September 11 attacks. The 9/11 Commission Report's assessment of the nation's preparedness for those and future strikes indicated that the government "lacked sufficient translators proficient in Arabic and other key languages, resulting in a significant backlog of untranslated intercepts." A 2002 General Accounting Office study concluded that staff shortages in Arabic and Farsi "adversely affected agency operations and compromised U.S. military, law enforcement, intelligence, counterterrorism and diplomatic efforts." And an October 2001 House Intelligence Committee report found that "thousands of pieces of data are never analyzed, or are analyzed 'after the fact' because there are too few analysts, even fewer with the necessary language skills." Nevertheless, the available data now confirm that, in addition to those fired before September 11, the military has continued to discharge gay language specialists despite the ongoing shortage. In total, according to Pentagon data, there were at least 73 people discharged from DLI for homosexuality between 1998 and 2003. At least 37 of these discharges took place after the September 11 attacks </b> From the New Republic National security experts have identified the shortage of Arabic linguists as contributing to the government’s failure to predict the September 11 attacks. The 9/11 Commission Report’s assessment of the nation’s preparedness for those and future strikes indicated that the government “lacked sufficient translators proficient in Arabic and other key languages, resulting in a significant backlog of untranslated intercepts.” A 2002 General Accounting Office study concluded

that staff shortages in Arabic and Farsi “adversely affected agency operations and compromised U.S. military, law enforcement, intelligence, counterterrorism and diplomatic efforts.” And an October 2001 House Intelligence Committee report found that “thousands of pieces of data are never analyzed, or are analyzed ‘after the fact’ because there are too few analysts, even fewer with the necessary language skills.”

Nevertheless, the available data now confirm that, in addition to those fired before September 11, the military has continued to discharge gay language specialists despite the ongoing shortage. In total, according to Pentagon data, there were at least 73 people discharged from DLI for homosexuality between 1998 and 2003. At least 37 of these discharges took place after the September 11 attacks

From the New Republic

]]> By: BARTLEBEE http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/comment-page-1/#comment-3890307 BARTLEBEE Thu, 28 Jun 2007 01:09:32 +0000 http://edit.thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/#comment-3890307 <em>. Might this be considered a VERY special interest issue? </em> Comment by Mycelium — June 27, 2007 @ 8:33 pm Yes. A VERY special interest issue. That issue? The security of the United States of America. We have discharged close to 100 language experts from the Pentagons DLI, and other areas, who speak Farci and other arabic languages so desperately needed right now. These men are highly trained and highly specialized, so yes, it is a special interest issue. You bet it is. . Might this be considered a VERY special interest issue?

Comment by Mycelium — June 27, 2007 @ 8:33 pm

Yes. A VERY special interest issue.

That issue? The security of the United States of America.

We have discharged close to 100 language experts from the Pentagons DLI, and other areas, who speak Farci and other arabic languages so desperately needed right now.

These men are highly trained and highly specialized, so yes, it is a special interest issue.

You bet it is.

]]> By: FunMe http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/comment-page-1/#comment-3890265 FunMe Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:36:03 +0000 http://edit.thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/#comment-3890265 Now, now ... is this loser changing his tune AFTER meeting with the White House? They are all TRAITORS to Democracy. Get rid of all GOP representatives in 2008! Now, now … is this loser changing his tune AFTER meeting with the White House?

They are all TRAITORS to Democracy.

Get rid of all GOP representatives in 2008!

]]> By: BARTLEBEE http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/comment-page-1/#comment-3890246 BARTLEBEE Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:21:02 +0000 http://edit.thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/#comment-3890246 <em>Can anyone that voted for Dead Beat George ,tell me what have we gained from going to war with Iraq? Be truthfull.Thanks!</em> Comment by Bruce from Texas — June 27, 2007 @ 7:26 pm Medical and recovery services for tens of thousands of wounded vets? Hundreds of millions of dollars. War with Iraq. 700 Billion Dollars and counting. The enmity of the entire world..... Priceless. Can anyone that voted for Dead Beat George ,tell me what have we gained from going to war with Iraq? Be truthfull.Thanks!

Comment by Bruce from Texas — June 27, 2007 @ 7:26 pm

Medical and recovery services for tens of thousands of wounded vets? Hundreds of millions of dollars.

War with Iraq. 700 Billion Dollars and counting.

The enmity of the entire world….. Priceless.

]]> By: ForTruth http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/comment-page-1/#comment-3890083 ForTruth Wed, 27 Jun 2007 23:31:03 +0000 http://edit.thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/#comment-3890083 Yeah Spudge, I think he pulled an Arlen Specter. Phil Specter's brother. Yeah Spudge, I think he pulled an Arlen Specter. Phil Specter’s brother.

]]> By: Bruce from Texas http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/comment-page-1/#comment-3890070 Bruce from Texas Wed, 27 Jun 2007 23:26:40 +0000 http://edit.thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/#comment-3890070 Can anyone that voted for Dead Beat George ,tell me what have we gained from going to war with Iraq? Be truthfull.Thanks! Can anyone that voted for Dead Beat George ,tell me what have we gained from going to war with Iraq? Be truthfull.Thanks!

]]> By: ForTruth http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/comment-page-1/#comment-3889992 ForTruth Wed, 27 Jun 2007 23:03:25 +0000 http://edit.thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/lugar-iraq-timetable/#comment-3889992 Hey its cool Loogy spoke up, but I already told you it won't make a difference. Hey its cool Loogy spoke up, but I already told you it won’t make a difference.

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