Democratic Myths on Ending the War

Video and comments via David Sirota:

Watch Democratic presidential candidates pass the buck and pretend they have no power to end the Iraq War.

If you are not part of the solution,
then you are part of the problem.

WestConn War Protest in Danbury

Undoubtedly in consideration of the preznit playing politics with the soldiers lives by vetoing the funding bill in an effort to push failure of the Iraq war on to the next administration, the NewsTimes covers one of the smaller war protests in the State of Connecitut and the nation yesterday:

DANBURY -- About 30 people protested the Iraq war at the center of Western Connecticut State University's midtown campus Wednesday, calling the war a human and environmental disaster.

Josh Durkin, a freshman from New Milford, cited the human toll, saying more than 3,340 U.S. military personnel have died, and there is no foreseeable end in sight.

"This is really history being repeated," Durkin said, mentioning how the French fought in civil wars in Algeria and Vietnam and had to leave. He said the Soviet Union ran into the same problem in Afghanistan, and the U.S. faced the same problem in Vietnam.

"The strategy is broken," he said.

And as sure as the fact that the conservative party has succumbed to fringe thinking wackos, the comments head right towards illegal immigrants.

Posted by: sage Thu, May 03 2007
I gotta' solution that would satisfy a lot of the patrons of this blog, a solution that would effectively kill 2 birds with1 stone: draft all the illegals in this country into the armed forces and make them serve in the army for 4 years. After they have served their country, then they can attain citizenship.

So put your money where your mouth is illegal. You say you love this country and you say you want to win the war in Iraq. Well here's your chance. The only catch is you only have 2 options: I either you accept this "invitation" to defend your country or you are given a one-way ticket back to Latin America. And this is not negotiable.

Another ill conceived idea from the failed "great republican experiment"...

Drafting illegal immigrants into a high tech military and then having to train them would pose many problems for the immigrants that cannot read english all that well (I know that is not the case for most of them! But for some, language is a bit of a barrier). Yay! The military will have to train them even more than usual!

For those of you "deferement type republicans" that haven't a clue about the military, never mind the modern day one, even the Infantry and Marine ground pounders need to be prepared to learn a lot of high tech material these days. That is why they had standards for enlistment. At least they had standards before bush broke the military and they had to lower them to meet enlistment quotas...

You conservatives sure come up with some wacky fringe thinking ideas that can never work out in the long run. (See Iraq)

Not knocking the NewsTimes on their story, but the participants in the comment threads are nutjobs. Who could've predicted that a comment thread on protesting the war at the NewsTimes might degenerate into another round of "Deport Them!" fringe thinkers bashing illegal immigrants?

HatCity BLOG

People speak out against comments laced with racism and bigotry in the News-Times comments section. From Saturday's article on an illegal immigration forum. ... hatcityblog.blogspot.com/ - May 2, 2007 - Similar pages

HatCity BLOG

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION FORUM VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: Members of the community and students protest ... Criticsim over News-Times comments section intensi. ... hatcityblog.blogspot.com/2007/04/anti-immigration-forum-video-highlights.html - Similar pages

HatCity BLOG

... illegal aliens; it has to do with drunk driving.” Incredibly, a similar argument has erupted locally, in the comments section of the Danbury News-Times. ... hatcityblog.blogspot.com/2007/04/news-times-faces-more-criticism-over.html - Similar pages

HatCity BLOG

illegal immigration forum (a.k.a. fear mongering) round-up. Sunday, April 29, 2007 Time: 8:03 PM ... Criticsim over News-Times comments section intensi. ... hatcityblog.blogspot.com/2007/04/illegal-immigration-forum-aka-fear.html - Similar pages

HatCity BLOG

The picture tells the story: Volume 1 · illegal immigration forum (a.k.a. fear mongering) ... Criticsim over News-Times comments section intensi. ... hatcityblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/news-times-failed-to-get-real-story.html - May 2, 2007 - Similar pages

HatCity BLOG

Danbury, home to an estimated 9000 to 20000 illegal immigrants, gained national attention this year ... Criticsim over News-Times comments section intensi. ... hatcityblog.blogspot.com/2005_12_04_archive.html - Similar pages

HatCity BLOG

illegal immigration forum (a.k.a. fear mongering) ... Criticsim over News-Times comments section intensi... Henry Rollins: This is how I protest the war ... hatcityblog.blogspot.com/2006_10_29_archive.html - Similar pages

HatCity BLOG

From today's Danbury News-Times. I was very pleased to read the comments of the Rev. ... How does Marcianoor the CTCIC know that illegal immigrants bring ... hatcityblog.blogspot.com/2005/08/immigration-control-president-shows.html - Similar pages

HatCity BLOG

Advocates enraged over the federal roundup of illegal immigrants at Kennedy ... in the Danbury News-Times that there would be an increase in immigration ... hatcityblog.blogspot.com/2006/09/danbury-11-press-conference-video.html - Similar pages

HatCity BLOG

As of mid-June 2006, over 2000 illegal immigrants have been arrested, over 800 of which were ... Criticsim over News-Times comments section intensi. ... hatcityblog.blogspot.com/2006_09_17_archive.html - Similar pages

While the small vocal minority (can you say shrieking?) of illegal immigrant bashers try to stay on their bigoted message, ctblogger is busy Blogging about what is really going on in Danbury that should infuriate its residents:

There been an alarming amount of misinformation from those who are pulling all the political tricks in order to push this so-called "parade ordinance" through the system.

From the misinformation regarding the impact this new policy will have on spontaneous celebrations (e.g. immigrants World Cup festivities), to the possible constitutional problems, which could ultimately cost the city a GREAT deal of money in legal fees, more than ever, it's important for people to have a better understanding about what Mayor Boughton is attempting to push through the Common Council.

Since the News-Times failed to fully inform the public, I felt it necessary to pick up the slack and do the job that the mainstream media refuse to do.

Feingold Won't Back Down

Senator Russ Feingold, showing he has a spine, writes over at HuffPo:

After the Veto

The ink on the President's veto is barely dry, and already, a lot of Washington insiders - including some Democrats -- are saying Congress should just give in to the President. Never mind how hard people have pushed to bring Congress to this point, when we are finally standing up to the President's disastrous Iraq policy -- they want to give up on the binding language in the bill requiring the President to begin redeploying troops from Iraq.

But that's just letting the President have his way all over again. That's the kind of thinking that got us into this war in the first place, and it's not going to cut it anymore.

We can't keep giving in to this Administration on Iraq. Every time the Administration gets its way, it means that our troops will remain stuck in the middle of Iraq's civil war, and our national security will continue to be undermined. With so many Americans demanding that our involvement in this war come to an end, backing down is not the answer. No one else should die in Iraq to give political comfort to dealmakers in Washington.

Well I know whats right, I got just one life
In a world that keeps on pushin me around
But Ill stand my ground and I wont back down

Here's to you Senator Feingold:

Anemic Republican Response to Veto

Here is the anemic Republican response to their own failure to fund the troops:

“Several Republican leaders said Tuesday that they were likely to support such benchmarks, and White House aides said Tuesday that Mr. Bush…might back such a measure — but only if the benchmarks are nonbinding.”

Bush tells Americans that Congress can't have a say in what is going on because:

He said the measure would “impose impossible conditions on our commanders in combat” by forcing them to “take fighting directions from politicians 6,000 miles away in Washington, D.C.”

If bush really thinks this, why doesn't he just make those soldiers enlistment contracts "non-binding" and let them decide who they want to "take fighting directions" from? heh According to a January poll in the Military Times:

Only 35 percent of the military members polled this year said they approve of the way President Bush is handling the war, while 42 percent said they disapproved. The president’s approval rating among the military is only slightly higher than for the population as a whole.

I wonder where they would poll now considering the continued failures?

Anyways... What do Americans want their Congrees critters to do?

Do Democrats take John Edwards's suggestion, as relayed in his new campaign ad, and "send [Bush] the same bill again and again"? Or should Democrats and Republicans in Congress work with the White House to find some sort of solution that isn't likely to give either side a complete political victory?

A Pew Research Center poll released on April 26 suggests that the American public favors the Edwards approach, with each side standing their ground rather than compromising.

snip

Roughly six-in-ten people in the Pew sample (59 percent) said they want their member of Congress to back an Iraq funding bill that includes a timeline for American troops to begin withdrawing.

They want Congress to demand binding timelines. And they are right.

[Update]I just wanted to add these two responses to the Veto via The National Security Network:

Today, two retired Generals who led troops in Iraq expressed outrage at the President's veto of the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Health, and Iraq Accountability Act.

The President vetoed our troops and the American people. His stubborn commitment to a failed strategy in Iraq is incomprehensible. He committed our great military to a failed strategy in violation of basic principles of war. His failure to mobilize the nation to defeat world wide Islamic extremism is tragic. We deserve more from our commander-in-chief and his administration.
--Maj. Gen. John Batiste, USA, Ret.

This administration and the previously Republican controlled legislature have been the most caustic agents against America's Armed Forces in memory. Less than a year ago, the Republicans imposed great hardship on the Army and Marine Corps by their failure to pass a necessary funding language. This time, the President of the United States is holding our Soldiers hostage to his ego. More than ever apparent, only the Army and the Marine Corps are at war - alone, without their President's support.
--Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton, USA, Ret.

'Nuff said.

You Can't Veto The Truth!

Tell George Bush:
You can veto a bill.
But you can't veto the truth.

Call: 202-456-1111

AmericansUnitedForChange.org