"Feingold says Democrats will announce intentions for Iraq"

[Rowdyboy]

Democrat takes swipe at Secretary of State Rice

WASHINGTON -- Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) says Senate Democrats will soon introduce more elements of their party’s plan to resolve foreign policy with regard to Iraq. “You’ll see more evidence of that coming out of the Democratic caucus this week,” he told RAW STORY.

The Wisconsin legislator is at the vanguard of his party as the only senator to propose a date for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq. Though he's introduced a target date -- Dec. 31, 2006 -- his party has struggled to articulate a cohesive plan for the turbulent nation. Only Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) has joined him in calling for troops to be withdrawn.

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Feingold_says_Democrats_will_announce_plan_1006.html

Its about time to begin getting a coherent message from the Democratic party...

[bemildred]

1. When they say the USA has no business meddling in other nation's affairs,

then I will start to listen.

[merwin]

4. That alone, however, will not get people on our side come election day.

We need a specific plan to get the hell out of Iraq. Not just 'leave now', because most people don't like that answer... they want a specific plan on what we are going to do and how we are going to exit Iraq without leaving it in shambles (or at least not screwing it up any worse than the Republicans already have).

At that point, we can tell them that we have no business meddling in other nation's affairs.

[Rowdyboy]

5. No, but at least its a start.....

Sad to say, I'm thrilled just to finally get to stage 1.

[bemildred]

6. Here's a plan:

The Plan: The National Command Authority orders all US forces redeployed out of Iraq within one month and out of the theater in two months. Any commander that fails to meet the deadline will be summarily relieved, and replaced with a commander that will thereby be placed on a shorter timeline. I can promise anyone who has no experience of the military that this is perfectly feasible, and that with that kind of command emphasis, the mission can and will be accomplished.

Here, of course, is where we discern the liberal pre-occupation (pun intended) with "overseeing" disengagement and other such poppycock. Oh Gasp! they will delcare. What then will become of these simple-minded brown people who want nothing more than to drink each other's blood? At the end of the day, a liberal can be every bit as much the white nationalist as any rock-ribbed Republican Confederate. They really believe that the United States is the beacon of civilization because we have sitcoms and theme parks, and that the brutality of the US military occupation is an aberration -- the antithesis of our true nature. Under all this verbiage is plain, Anglo-American Kiplingesque white supremacy. Remember the "white man's burden to civilize the dark races?"

http://www.counterpunch.org/goff08252005.html

[Voltaire99]

22. Stan Goff is correct: the Dem leadership is as guilty as Bush.

Thanks for posting that.

[bemildred]

25. Nixon had a plan too. I remember.

It was seven more years with his "plan".

[marmar]

2. It's refreshing to hear they have a plan...

my hope is that there's strategy behind all this silence from Dems - that they've been kibbutzing to put together their own Contract with America - hopefully a real one.

[deadparrot]

3. Good news. Rec'd.

:kick:

[Jon8503]

7. It is good that the dems are starting to get a united message of

some sort. One thing about the plan however & I certainly don't disagree with our side coming up with a plan but always felt the media should have pushed the powers that got us into this and are running the show and have all the inside knowledge to have a plan of their own instead of worrying about a party not in power to come up with a plan.

[stevedeshazer]

8. Damn, I hope so. Soon is about three years late.

If Russ says it, I'll take him at his word.

[Rowdyboy]

9. Thats why I find this item worthy....Its Russ Feingold....I also take him

at his word. He's a class act.

[eaprez]

10. Three years too late. I'm tired of the Dems. I really am.....

....we need to replace them with some new ones.

[Rowdyboy]

11. Thats right, lets shit-can the most progressive Democrat in the senate....

because we're pissed that the Democratic senate party isn't anti-war enough. Thats a solid strategy. :sarcasm:

If you're so tired of Democrats what are you doing on Democratic Underground? Or do I really even need to ask....

[eaprez]

12. Calm down. We complain because the Repubs didn't question their own...

...don't crucify me for being impatient with my party.

[Rowdyboy]

14. I'm probably over-reacting because I really admire Russ Feingold

Democrats are a minority, trying to build back to a electoral majority. I resent anyone who attacks and tears down Democrats like Feingold because that makes our goal that much more difficult.

I feel that when you're in the minority, your only goal is to regain the majority so your vote means something again. You, apparently, want to purify the Democratic party. You would replace good Democrats with better Democrats; I want to replace Republicans with ANY Democrat who votes for Harry Reid for Majority Leader.

Therein lies the difference.

on edit: that sounds really snotty. Let me rephrase. I feel that when you are in the minority, your only goal is to regain the majority so your vote means something again. You made a comment that I exaggerated into an issue that probably isn't there.

I really do believe that we need to concentrate on adding new Democratic senators rather than purifying the ones we have. I want to be competitive again soon, very soon.

Again, sorry for being so snotty.

[eaprez]

16. I just want them to stand up and say SOMETHING and stop cowering

looking at poll #'s. The country is in desperate need of LEADERSHIP and we aren't offering any. The country would respond to ANY leader right now if they just had the courage of their convictions. The population is so hungry for an end to the bullshit and for a voice to come from someone!!! If Feingold does that then I will be the first to say so. Will Pitt wrote a pretty scathing piece about the Dems this week too......time for us to put pressure on them to get their stuff together. Pretty bad when a Zogby poll shows now that even after Katrina...Bush STILL edges out Kerry. That is pathetic. If the dems were showing any kind of Leadership then ANY dem would poll higher than the miserable failure in the WH now. They need to be hitting the Repubs every day --- like Stephenopolis and the Ragin Cajun did back in the Clinton days...not sitting back waiting for them to self destruct.

[MrTriumph]

13. It is the Democratic Party. Not 'Democratic Office Holder' Party

If our Democratic Senators do a poor job of standing up to boneheaded, anti-American Republican ideas, it is fair to denounce them.

[IndianaGreen]

17. Democrats cannot win elections on their own!

Democrats need to appeal to those independents that are issue-oriented, you know, the ones that don't vote on the basis of the letter "D" or "R".

Democrats are not entitled to their votes!

Democrats have to earn their votes!

Democrats don't earn votes by insulting them, e.g., berating them for being too "antiwar" or too "women's rights" or too "gay rights."

It is long overdue for some of you to learn that the voters owes you NOTHING if you don't do anything for the issues they care about.

A wishy-washy party is respected by none and despised by all. So pick your weapons and go fight the rightwing and start standing up on principle.

A political party can either be a party of opposition, or one of coalition, anything else is just a political club!

[rfkrfk]

15. what about mercenaries? n/t

[Earth_First]

18. Or the depleted uranium...

[leesa]

19. Well, lets get on it already. People are dying every day.

[mzmolly]

20. I wonder if they'll endorse The Center for American Progress plan?

:shrug:

I'm glad they're putting something together.

[Dr Fate]

21. Media meme: "Democrats don't have a plan"

And they will still say it after this too.

[High Plains]

23. And they will be right, sad to say...

It looks like Feingold has a plan and Byrd is on board. That leaves how many Democratic senators and congressmen?

[Dr Fate]

27. Wrong, they will be lying through their teeth, as usual.

Even conservative DEMs have presented plans on how to handle Bush's mess- no one said you had to agree with the plan.

[TankLV]

24. Oh. My. God! They're getting MARRIED!

We know they helped knock her up - now they're doing the "right thing"!

This is soooo kool!

[txaslftist]

26. Verrry interesting who the announcement is coming from...n/t