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If the war in Iraq an unwinnable mess, why not cut-and-run? That seems like the patriotic thing to do.
Or, is she in agreement with Rumsfeld critics, like Bill Kristol who say we need to add 30 to 40k more troops over there.
And does she agree with Emanual in the Easton article when he said I still believe that getting rid of Saddam Hussein was the right thing to do, okay?.
If she agrees, it seems to be it's a question of the right tactics because, unlike Vietnam, we've got the local politics right in Iraq, it's a tactical question of did we execute the occupation and rebuilding right.
It's impossible for Duckworth because her core thinks Iraq wrong, probably immoral, and at their worse, a ruse by Bush to instill fear in the electorate. She needs every vote and can't put that at risk.
I'm guessing, in her heart, she's with Kristol.
I haven't had as much time as I would have liked to follow the 6th district race. It's kind of tough when you live in the east side of the 5th. How has Duckworth's campaign been exploiting her injuries?
But stating that a vet who lost her legs is guilty of "cut and run"?
That does cross the line.
The "run" part implies cowardice. For a personal injury lawyer to imply that a disabled American vet is a coward is extremely poor judgment.
If Roskam hnd any integrity -- no sign of that so far -- he would apologize.
Seriously.
Under what circumstances would Roskam say things have gone badly enough that it's time to change policy in Iraq?
Or does he want to merely pretend that Bush's original decision to invade Iraq is infallible as long as he can get away with it.
Apparently, Tammy Duckworth's campaign listened to a different debate than the one Senator Peter Roskam participated in last Friday. Earlier today, her campaign manager sent out an indignant email claiming, falsely, that Sen. Roskam accused her of wanting to "cut and run." From Duckworth campaign manager's email:
Not surprisingly, Peter Roskam got nasty, as a career politician can. He accused Iraq war veteran Tammy Duckworth of wanting to "cut and run" from Iraq. It makes you wonder - is he the kind of person we want to send to Washington?
What Roskam actually said:
Q: How about you, Senator Roskam? (inaudible)
PR: No, absolutely not, but I do think finishing well is a notion that resonates well within the 6th Congressional District. I've knocked on over 5,300 doors in this campaign and have heard a wide range of opinions about whether we should have gone, whether we shouldn't have gone, and so forth. I'll tell you why. The 6th Congressional District is not a cut and run district. It is not a timetable district. It does not embrace Nancy Pelosi, the Congresswoman from San Francisco who would become the speaker if my opponent were to win this race. It doesn't embrace Congressman Murtha who likely would become the Majority Leader. It's a district that wants to ask tough questions of the administration; wants to ask (inaudible) questions; wants to ask questions of our Iraqi partners - why there is so much corruption in the Iraqi government. It wants to ask questions of the international community as to why they haven't ponied up the grants and pledges that they made back in 2003. But I believe wholeheartedly that the 6th Congressional District wants to finish our job in Iraq and finish it well.
“During an election debate at the weekend in the outskirts of Chicago, Peter Roskam, the Republican candidate for Illinois's sixth district, trotted out the familiar line that his Democratic opponent wanted America to "cut and run" from Iraq. His opponent, Tammy Duckworth, a former National Guard pilot who lost both her legs in Iraq last year when her helicopter was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade, was visibly angry at the exchange. "I just could not believe he would say that to me," said Ms Duckworth, who now walks on artificial legs with the help of a cane. "I have risked my life to serve my country and you cannot question my patriotism."
Yup, you're right he didn't imply that Duckworth advocates a "cut and run" strategy. In fact, he never used the words "cut and run". Riiigghhhttt.
Isn't it funny how Conservative Republicans apparently can't read and have a tenuous grip on reality...
Roskam has not, and will not, question Duckworth's personal "patriotism" or her personal courage. What she will vote for or support as a politician is another thing altogether.
As Bill Baar points out above, without saying it, is that the Democratic position, including Duckworth's, on Iraq is an incomprehensible muddle. As such, it is a fair conclusion to consider it a "cut and run" strategy, and Duckworth has to face that critique, instead of hiding behind her medals, as she is doing. As Nyberg inadvertantly admits, we "cut and ran" in Vietnam. 30 years later, it remains a totalitarian cess-pool. How does Duckworth's "position" avoid the same consequences? How does her "position" matter anyway?
Shouldn't we be concerned about Rahm Emanual's "position" on Iraq, because that is how she will vote anyway?
By the way, all these liberals who want to sanctify Duckworth for her war injuries, I don't seem to remember them all that interested in Bob Dole's war injuries in 1996. It all depends which party you are with...
And the Republican position is more of the same, we don't have a plan, we are creating more terrorists, we are losing thousands of American lives, but we want more of it!
"Shouldn’t we be concerned about Rahm Emanual’s “position†on Iraq, because that is how she will vote anyway?"
Right, and Peter Roskam is not the person who A) said he would vote on ethics issues how the Speaker told him to B) copied word for word from the RNC his position on senior issues C) Has yet to stray away from national Republican talking points.
So yes, its Duckworth who will be a rubber stamp for her party.
Phocion, glad to hear you have a heart...and that you bought the only issue she's running on.
"Democratic and Republican strategists said they expected over 90 percent of the advertisements to be broadcast by Nov. 7 to be negative."
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/27/us/politics/2...
What exactly does that mean? Sounds like more meaningless Republican rhetoric to me. Most of the people fighting in Iraq are Iraqi citizens fighting against the American occupation of their country.
There is no job to finish in Iraq when the problem is and will remain a political problem. No amount of military might will solve Iraq's sectarian problems.
Imagine a unified Vietnam -North and South- in 1968 or 1972 with national elections with wide participation and a gov with broad support.
What will be interesting to see with Duckworth is what if she wins and finds herself tacking right to hold a razon thin majority. I'm certain here service will not save her from some harsh criticism from those supporting her now.
That's a strategy with at lot of appeal for Americans. It think it means wars of anniliation.
I think if Duckworth is going to stand with Kerry's position there, we should know, because I believe it ultimately will mean hell for people in the middle east. No American President will hesitate to do the first strike if things become so bad, if there is no other resort than that....
They'll be too much mud slung in this election for serious talk... but if the opportunity comes up, I'd really like to hear the candidates talk about what Kerry presented in that debate.
Since Diersen keeps deleting my post over at Illinois Review, I'll share it with you kids here since it's the same topic:
Folks, you can listen to the tape of the WBBM debate.
Peter Roskam said "The 6th Congressional District is not a cut-and-run district. It is not a timetable district."
He may not have said she advocated cutandrun but that is clearly what he is implying.
Of course, according to the Illinois state GOP leaving Iraq sooner rather than later is a (quote) "principled" stance. The GOP sent out a mailer saying 8th District candidate Bill Scheurer is "principled" for wanting to leave Iraq ASAP.
Maybe Roskam needs to get in touch with the GOP to get the latest talking points accurately.
C.R. writes "As Bill Baar points out above, without saying it, is that the Democratic position, including Duckworth’s, on Iraq is an incomprehensible muddle."
Well, if by "an incomprehensible muddle" you mean:
- Increase the size of Special Forces to destroy Osama Bin Laden and terrorist networks like al Qaeda.
- Implement the bipartisan 9/11 Commission proposal to secure America's borders and ports and screen every container.
- Fully man, train, and equip our National Guard and our police, firefighters and other first responders.
...Why then yes, I suppose those three basic points that Democrats keep trying to get through Congress are really so very incomprehensible. In fact, they must be so incomprehensible that that is why Republicans keep refusing to call the Dems' proposals for an up-or-down vote.
Of course, since you are a "Conservative Republican" you probably already prefer the Republicans' plan to "staythecourse". What course is that? Why it includes:
- Nearly 3000 of our brave soldiers dead
- More than 20,000 of our intrepid troops injured, many have lost limbs, eyes, ears, etc.
- Underfunded, underequipped and undermanned troop rotations ("You go to war with the Army you have")
- And no plan whatsoever for how to actually win the war, let alone end it
Great idea you've got there Conservative Republican, staying on the (wrong) course will surely help bring our hearty men and women in uniform back home safe, sound and soon...
--
But that's not enough for you, is it Conservative Republican. You go on with more Great Republican (Non)Ideasâ„¢...
You ask with a twinge of whine in your writing "Shouldn’t we be concerned about Rahm Emanual’s “position†on Iraq, because that is how she will vote anyway?"
Funny, it was Dick Durbin who recruited Major Duckworth to run for Congress. Rep. Emanuel came into the picture after Senator Durbin talked with her about running.
But why let facts get in the way of a good rant, eh?
Speaking of, you've clearly missed the media interviews in which Major Duckworth has disagreed with Emanuel and Leader Pelosi.
Why are conservatives so afraid of an independent woman who has honorably served her country and who has not forgotten the principles and values this nation was founded on? Roskam has said over and over that he'd vote however the Republican leadership wants him to vote -- even to the point of saying he thinks the Republicans' Pork Gluttony is a good thing. By extension, he must believe saddling our kids with trillions in debt to Red China is also a good thing.
Still, that's not enough for you. You feel the need to add one more zinger, but instead you fall flat on your face.
You take us back a decade to whine about Bob Dole of all people with this classic from the Winger Wurlitzer: "By the way, all these liberals who want to sanctify Duckworth for her war injuries, I don’t seem to remember them all that interested in Bob Dole’s war injuries in 1996. It all depends which party you are with..."
I seem to recall 1996 more clearly than you do. I remember many Democrats and independent folks who were handicapped wondering why Bob Dole didn't do more to advance the ADA and other common sense measures which dramatically improve the lives of people with handicaps, whether from war, accident or birth.
Major Duckworth's injuries have nothing to do with this until conservatives bring them up by attacking her home, her service and her honor.
She proves her willingness to stand up for America every time she takes a step.
Roskam is sadly proving the only people he'll stand up for are radical conservatives who (when they have ideas at all) have ideas that Pres. Bush has shown are proven failures.
If your explication of "the state of the world" as set forth above is in fact Duckworth's view (which she does not concede), and if the voters of the 6th District come to understand it as such, then the 6th District will go for Roskam.
What are you trying to say there Mr. Conservative Republican?
Can I play your "What if" game too?
If the temperature in Denver is greater than the RPMs of a vinyl record in Chatanooga then the leaves in Wisconsin will turn red in the next few weeks. If not, then the water on the Mississippi River from the Quad Cities to St. Louis might be choppy.
Man, I kept saying that to Cegelis supporters and they had fits about it in the Primary.
As it relates to the "cut and run " jive ; these chicken hawks won't know an M16 from a P38 (C ration can opener). Petey should stick to telling us about his paper route and having cookies and milk on Mrs Miller' front porch.
I thought Sen Aiken's (D-VT) statement on Vietnam, The best policy is to declare victory and go home made sense at the time. Cut-and-Run seems a variant on it. If Iraq a lost cause, or worse creating more terrorists, I don't seen any implied criticism of patriotism with it. It's the only strategy that makes sense.
It abandons many allies in Iraq, as we did in Vietnam, but if you're an American Firster (as Duckworth refers to herself in this ad) it makes sense. A lot of Americans our America Firsters... alway have been.