Kerry and Iraq

[Flying_Mollusk]

Ive tried defending what Kerry's policy toward the war on terror and Iraq might be. But he hasnt come out with anything comprehensive. Though Ive been wary of this since it has given ammo for some people's critique of Kerry, perhaps the best reason is to not incite furor towards him. Construe it as political if you want, but its not a good thing to try and undercut an active President in the middle of a war. Anti-Bushies such as myself do it because Bush deserves every ounce of critisism and the events speak for themself. But for Kerry to do it would probably be untactful and undiplomatic. Its bound to be construed as a political ploy though.

 

Here is what noted conservative Bill Oreilly has to say:

 

April 14, 2004 | With at least 83 U.S. soldiers killed since April 1, with scores of foreign civilians taken hostage, and with insurgencies spreading from the Sunni Triangle to the Shiite-dominated cities in the south of the country, the last two weeks have taken an ominous turn for U.S. interests in Iraq. But as the tenuous reconstruction threatens to erupt into a full-scale war, conservatives are divided about how the darkening situation on the ground will affect President George W. Bush's reelection bid.

 

Most on the right have rebuked any comparison of Iraq to Vietnam -- and indeed, to date, there is no equivalent in the pace of casualties, on either side. But Fox News icon Bill O'Reilly -- a loud war backer who began to turn against the president in February over the missing Iraqi WMD -- now sees Bush facing a bona fide quagmire.

 

"At this point, President Bush is actually running against himself," O'Reilly declared in his weekly column on his personal Web site. "With the situation in Iraq tenuous, Mr. Bush finds himself in a race against time to straighten things out in the land of Saddam. Even though the U.S. economy is improving, chaos on an overseas battlefield is emerging as the end-game issue in the upcoming election."

 

O'Reilly seems a bit torn between telling Sen. John Kerry to keep his mouth shut about the war mess, and admiring Kerry's political savvy for remaining relatively quiet on the issue.

 

"Wisely, John Kerry has said little about the Iraq fighting. You don't criticize the Commander-in-Chief in the middle of a firefight. That could be construed as putting U.S. forces in jeopardy and undermining morale. Kerry would be smart to keep it zipped.

 

"Also, the Senator can read the polls. President Bush is sinking into the morass that Iraq is threatening to become. If things are this messed up over there next October, Kerry won't have to say a word. He can wave at the voters, and they'll wave him right in."

 

Here, O'Reilly finds the Vietnam comparison apt. And the administration's proselytizing prior to the invasion, he says, doesn't help matters now.

 

"So George W. Bush has to stabilize things in Iraq over the next few months, or he goes the way of Lyndon Johnson ...

 

"Americans are not going to go for another Vietnam. A war of attrition is not going to cut it, especially since the removal of Saddam was sold as a quick, surgical action with overjoyed Iraqis at the end of the rainbow. That obviously has not happened."

[Fish Fillet]

I disagree with Reilly that Kerry should keep quiet and give Bush enough rope to hang himself.

 

Kerry has to devise a comprehensive and plausible exit strategy for Iraq or there is no reason to beleive he'd do anything different.

[Izzie]

great sig lcyberlina

[Das Texan]

Its April.

 

 

The election is in Novemeber.

 

 

 

Wait till I dont know....September.

[Shamrock]

Do any on the left truly think this could devolve into Nam? lol.

[Fish Fillet]

The comparisons t Iraq are ridiculous, but in the age of the 24 hour news-cycle and shock-value it's no surprise that the Libs are banging the drum.

 

I find the topic of bringing back the draft especially amusing. The only way the situation in Iraq precipitates a draft is if the insurgents decide to invade California.

[Shamrock]

The comparisons t Iraq are ridiculous, but in the age of the 24 hour news-cycle and shock-value it's no surprise that the Libs are banging the drum.

 

I find the topic of bringing back the draft especially amusing. The only way the situation in Iraq precipitates a draft is if the insurgents decide to invade California.

I didnt mean to insinuate there would be a draft in that earlier post...but if this does become a full fledged civil war I wouldn't rule it out as an option. Not likely, but not out of the question.