Republicans slam Pelosi's comments as 'demoralizing'

[ckramer]

Seven Republican members of Congress said yesterday House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi was "demoralizing" U.S. troops by saying twice Tuesday that the war in Afghanistan is over during a press conference she held to call for an investigation of detainee abuses.

"Would you prefer that they gave up the fight, stopped hunting for Osama bin Laden and allowed the terrorists to run free?" the Republicans, all members of the House Armed Services Committee, wrote in a letter to the California Democrat.

On Tuesday, Mrs. Pelosi and three other top Democrats called for a commission to investigate reported abuses of detainees from the war on terror. Mrs. Pelosi said it is past time that the administration established a policy on determining the fates of the detainees at U.S. Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, arguing that most are from Afghanistan and that the conflict there has ended.

"I assume that the war in Afghanistan is over, or is the contention that you have that it continues?" she said to a reporter.

link

[Kagemusha]

1. If no one's noticed yet, all battles will be over this from now on

Everything anyone says is either pro war or anti US soldier.

Period.

Accept it. Do something about it.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

4. Slam back, and harder

That's been the game plan from the beginning - you're with us or against us, why do they hate America? That sort of black-and-white crap that resulted in the insidious "blue state, red state" crap that's meant to divide us even more.

Why doesn't Pelosi - backed by a slew of Democrats - come right back at him with an even harder statement, slapping him as hard as possible, and then ratcheting it up even higher?

As long as they're allowed to frame the debate, and we keep buying into it, they will prevail.

How long will it take before someone gets wise to this obvious fact?

[Iowa]

44. Exactly! And well said!

[Judi Lynn]

6. You forgot to interweave fundie Christians. Praise the Lord.

They've got it fixed so Christ and war are on the same side! Figure THAT out.

[The_Casual_Observer]

2. It's not a war, it's an occupation.

The USA is fully occupying a foreign country and those bastards are all for it.

[w13rd0]

3. If it continues...

...why hasn't Bush put forth the resources to FINISH IT? Where's Osama? Why did he LIE to rush us into a war in another theatre, a war and an occupation that were unnecessary. Was it just to have an issue for the 2002 Midterm elections? Why?

[Roland99]

7. If * invaded Iraq to liberate it from a brutal dictator...

why doesn't he take on Pakistan and the Pashtun area?

Surely that would be a cakewalk. After all, there aren't any WMDs there.

[MichiganVote]

17. Oil, oil and more oil

[redqueen]

5. They should slam their fearless leaders' reasons for war as demoralizing.

Frickin idiots these guys are.

[deadparrot]

8. I think the poor men and women in the Middle East

have a little more to worry about than what Nancy Pelosi is doing in Congress.

Democrats certainly stayed quiet long enough when it came to the war; look how well that strategy turned out.

In any case, there needs to be an investigation if abuse is suspected. Such actions are illegal, and should not be ignored if we have any respect at all for the Constitution and the entire body of laws.

[Larkspur]

9. Will Pelosi follow Amnesty International's policy of standing firm and

going on the offensive against Repukes or will she cave-in and apologize, like Durbin?

[Toots]

10. Why don't Democrats get it...This is an "unending war"

War is their Hallmark and they have finally found the perfect war. No real enemy yet a way to use the entire US Treasury to benefit Republicans. "War for Profit" is what they live for and as long as they are in power it will continue.

[UpInArms]

11. Cheney declared Afghanistan a "success" just yesterday

How can you have "success" if you are still at war?

Must be over :eyes:

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/06/23/cheney.interview/

Cheney: Iraq will be 'enormous success story'

excerpt:

"We will succeed in Iraq, just like we did in Afghanistan. We will stand up a new government under an Iraqi-drafted constitution. We will defeat that insurgency, and, in fact, it will be an enormous success story."

[habitual]

18. EXACTLY

can you explain to me the difference AT ALL. HE SAID we were successful in the outcome, THEY SHOULD BE FURIOUS AT HIM for demoralizing our troops still there!!!!

WHAT THE HELL!

[UpInArms]

23. Welcome to DU habitual!

Glad to have you here among the outraged!

:hi:

[IA_Seth]

33. My first thought as well!

Why can't the "official" dems figure this shit out!

[Tamarin]

12. Ms. Pelosi can be forgiven,

since the president forgot to include funding for Afghanistan the year after the invasion.

[pointsoflight]

13. Be sure to contact Nancy to tell her we have her back.

Stand strong, do not back down.

http://www.house.gov/pelosi/contact/contact.html

[iconoclastic cat]

16. I hope that the Dems are taking our advice: Hit 'em, let them fume,

don't apologize, then hit 'em from another angle. Attack their "strengths."

[Debi]

34. I will...right after she starts backing Howard Dean and his comments

which are also the truth.

Cheney: "We will succeed in Iraq, just like we did in Afghanistan."

[Bonhomme Richard]

14. Let's all keep our collective heads.....................

in the sand and hope the insurgents don't realize the damage they are doing to us. Maybe it will all just go away.

[iconoclastic cat]

15. People, I think this response is exactly what Ms. Pelosi wanted.

She should let them fume while the American public says, "Hey, wait--Bush never did find bin Whatsis, did he?"

On edit: This is also a good time to bring up the resurgence of the Taliban. Wow, we cleaned those guys up, didn't we?

[BR_Parkway]

19. Why are they hunting him? Goss says he knows where he is.

[ckramer]

30. Well, before the invasion

they said they knew where the WMDs were too.

Fucking liars.

[democrat_patriot]

20. Cheney said the war in Afgh is OVER.

So what's the freaking dfference?

Hit back. Hit hard.

[shanti]

21. nancy, do NOT apologize!

PLEASE!!!

[zbdent]

22. She should have replied (right after the "Would you prefer...

that they gave up the fight, stopped hunting for Osama bin Laden and allowed the terrorists to run free?" comment):

"No, I wouldn't act like the pResident . . . I would have stayed focused on OBL and taken him out . . . like the pResident promised . . ."

[CAcyclist]

41. Exactly

I would have countered:

Then where is he? Where is Osama bin Laden? Why don't we have him? Why are we in Iraq when we don't even have Osama? Why don't we pull out of Iraq and go finish the job in Afghanistan?

It seems to me that the Republicans already have stopped hunting for Osama years ago. When did Bush say that he "doesn't think much about him anymore"?

[TankLV]

43. Not to mention "We're not concerned with OBL anymore" or whatever

it was that he said.

Anybody have an exact quote from a couple years ago?

[zbdent]

46. 3/13/2002 on the White House web site

If you want to prove to some freepin' idjit . . .

Here is th link:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/03/20020313-8.html

About a third of the way down. And the video has been up for the last few months - it was taken down right after the moment Bush said "I don't think I ever said that" after being called on it by Kerry - in the second debate.

[lapfog_1]

24. In my dreams

"It's not my comments that are demoralizing the troops, but rather a
the lack of leadership, the lack of a clear objective and timetable,
the influx of highly paid mercenaries, the prospect of reduced benefits
and/or medical treatment, and the lack of moral authority in this war
which is demoralizing the troops." - Nancy Pelosi

Oh, and P.S. "It's because we are losing this stupid war!"

[dArKeR]

25. Democrats in the House and Senate need to print these pics in 3x5 and

pin them to their clothing each day. Democrats need to unify and make a statement which the American Corporate Whore Nazi Media can't ignore!

[mondo joe]

26. She should say "Don't dishonor our many good soldiers by hiding

or denying the acts of those few who abuse their authority."

[Dr Fate]

27. "I'll apologize as soon as Bush answers the DSM inquiries. Deal?"

That would shut them up.

[confludemocrat]

28. Sooooo susceptible to being demoralized are we, Mr. toughguy hawks?

Or are you speaking for the troops all of the sudden, well that's a surprize. You've been fellow travelers to the Bush Admin. disdain for these poor soldiers sent into an unwinnable mess based on lies you help perpetuate every day.

Corrupt, lying fucks.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

29. "Demoralizing" to whom? The NeoCons?

[bunkerbuster1]

35. No, it's the delicate egos of "duh trupes"

these mythical "troops" who can't possibly bear to hear that anyone might think that violence and horror are bad things.

[Lorien]

48. Like soldiers who are democrats who are told that they want

to give the terrorists "therapy" instead of bringing them to justice?

Karl Rove; demoralizing our troops after having put them in harms way!

[bunkerbuster1]

51. They never consider the demoralization of liberal soldiers, do they?

Ah, crap, who am I kidding?

I'm sure high-level Reeps don't believe that there are any liberals in uniform.

[LynnTheDem]

31. Republicans ratcheting up the ol' Goering technique.

"All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger."
-- Herman Goering at the Nuremberg trials

[GoddessOfGuinness]

32. What's really demoralizing

is participating in an immoral war.

[Lecky]

36. Exactly

That can really affect our military's morale. As well as the entire nation's.

[samsingh]

37. lying about a war and incorrectly blaming the intelligence

services is demoralizing and illegal.

[Lecky]

38. The fact our country supports torture

is demoralizing.

The fact that our government doesn't properly arm our troops is demoralizing.

The fact that our government is responsible for over 100,000 meaningless deaths is demoralizing.

The fact that the world holds China in higher esteem is demoralizing.

[zara]

39. If we all close our eyes and click our heels three times with...

our ruby red slippers on, we'll be back in Kansas,
just in time for
the rapture!!!!!!
What a mad mad world.

[Endangered Specie]

40. Funny part is is, thanks to republican policy..

we HAVE stopped hunting OBL AND have allowed terrorists to not only run free but to get stronger!

I hope Pelosi tells them to shove it

[designforce]

42. If it isn't demonizing the troops

...it's persecuting christians, or hurting our children, or.....

man, I hate republicans and their dirty politics....

these repukes can never answer a direct question, they just attempt to divert attention to something else.

ROVE MUST GO!

[neuvocat]

45. That gap in logic is so huge you can fly a plane through it.

They just aren't trying anymore.

[LightningFlash]

47. Another laughable attack.

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Backstory_Confirming_the_Downing_Street_0614.html

Read the facts and weep, rethuglicans. It wasn't the fault of the troops that these atrocities happened. It was your grossly fascist MISadministration's fault.

[pinniped]

49. That CIA spook said last week that OBL is in a sovereign country.

Those repuke POS didn't get the memo.

That doesn't mean AFG unless they got their so-called "sovereignty papers" with "Let freedumb reign" on it.

No OBL there. Try Cuba or Venezuela.

[OETKB]

50. The Wrong End of the Telescope

The "Republican Seven" are just mouthing exactly what they are doing. There is no active search for OBL, terrorists are running free, and they are not fighting but are in a protect your ass mode while the people of Iraq(whom we are suppose to be protecting) are blown apart. Their militant approach is not working so guess who gets the blame.

We need to turn the telescope around and focus on them. Every chance we get to make this public should be used. There is no reasoning with people who feel they are the "chosen" and those that disagree are branded as evil.

In my mind they are close to pushing insurrection against the principle of representative government. This is treason.