Hagel on Senate floor: "This madness must stop." Calls for ceasefire.

[DeepModem Mom]

CNN on-air: Republican Senator calling for immediate Mideast ceasefire. Calls for end to "sickening slaughter." CNN's Dana Bash points out that even Democrats have not called for a ceasefire.

LINK UP NOW:

AFP: Top Republican asks Bush to push for immediate Lebanon ceasefire

WASHINGTON (AFP) - A leading Republican senator urged US President George W. Bush to call for an immediate ceasefire in the war between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon.

"The sickening slaughter on both sides must end now. President Bush must call for an immediate ceasefire. This madness must stop," Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel, a possible candidate in the 2008 presidential election, said on the Senate floor.

The Bush administration has been under pressure from Arab and European states to press Israel into halting its offensive, but has received relatively limited pressure from US lawmakers -- especially those in his own party -- to do the same.

Hagel said the US link to Israel was a "special and historic one."

"But, it need not and cannot be at the expense of our Arab and Muslim relationships," he said....

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060731/pl_afp/mideastconflictlebanon_060731194413

[coalition_unwilling]

1. We'll know the tide has finally and decisively turned when

Hagel and other so-called "moderate Repukes" say on the Senate floor that "an eye for an eye leaves everyone blind."

[Norquist Nemesis]

2. If Democrats called for a cease fire no one would cover it

But put Hagel out there and BOOM! We have NEWS!

Sorry, folks. I get more cynical with each passing minute. As much as I'd love to see Dems stepping up demanding a cease-fire, politics being what they are would bring immediate attacks at the Democrats being traitors and supporting terrorists.

[acmavm]

4. Phooey, they should have done the RIGHT THING and

demanded an immediate cease fire regardless of what the warmongering bush**bots said.

[Norquist Nemesis]

8. You mean the "CORRECT" thing!

They've been going right along with "Right" thing for quite a while.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Norquist Nemesis]

10. That's the thing!

The 'debate' the House had ONE Democrat standing up and saying the Resolution supporting Isreal was not balanced (Rahal). The only others who stood up were Cons. Lantos had Democrats sitting behind him and other supporters dramatically nodding their heads visually expressing strong support with every word.

Democrats aren't going to stand up; and if any one of them did it would be just like Russ Feingold standing up and announcing a Resolution to Censure Bush. One sole, lonely, brave soul speaking out for doing what should be and needs to be done...all alone. :cry:

[Zorra]

32. Rep. Dennis Kucinich Introduces House Resolution Calling for Immediate

Ceasefire in Lebanon
snip
On Capitol Hill 24 members of the House of Representatives have backed Rep. Kucinich’s resolution calling on the president to appeal to all sides in the current crisis for an immediate cessation of violence.

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/07/26/147221

There are still a few Dems with spine, and despite his short stature, Dennis Kucinich has the biggest bad-ass stiffest spine of them all.

[Rose Siding]

28. Last Tuesday, Fox covered Kucinich and his res, signed by 23 Dems-

KUCINICH: Thank you, Neil.

I mean we have a widening war. There are innocent civilians getting killed. And the United States is essentially standing on the sidelines.

That’s why I have put in House Resolution 450, which is now backed by 23 members, that says, look, let’s have the U.S. play a leading role in calling for an end to the hostilities and bringing all the parties together, without pre-conditions, and coming up with a negotiated settlement.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,205453,00.html

[Xipe Totec]

3. What madness, The Madness of King George?

Ok, Chucky, submit articles of impeachment.

Your loyal opposition, the Democratic party, will support you all the way.

Otherwise, siddown and shadup!

[Generator]

6. Israel aside

It sure as SHIT ain't the Democrats that are ever going to stand up and say no and stand by it and walk out and risk oh I don't know a mornings's effort (I'm sure they have something more important to do)to stop Bush. That's right, ladies and gentlemen, humanity rests with the Republicans.

[Marie26]

7. So, the Dems are now officially

more pro-war than the Republicans? Jeez.

[htuttle]

9. Actually, they always used to be...

...back in the day (cf. Woodrow Wilson, Truman, Johnson, etc...)

The characterization of Democrats as 'anti-war' was a post-Nixon thing (and never really correct as far as the official party platform goes).

[bananarepublican]

36. Why is being pro-war a good thing?

Johnson was a corrupt war mongering S.O.B! It matters not whether he was a democrat or republican. He reversed Kennedy's NSM263 calling for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Vietnam. He wanted to feed the militay industrial complex (perhaps as a reward for getting him the presidential gig!).

Whilst I don't know much about Wilson and Truman, I suspect their motivations were not as dark and sinister as those of either Johnson or Dum(b)ya.

To my mind, anyone who professes to be pro-war is an misguided in the extreme. Wars sometimes have to be fought, but should never be sought.

[VegasWolf]

11. The current crop of Dem "leaders" is probably the weakest group of

politicians I have ever seen. Almost all incumbents should be kicked out of office. I'll be doing my part by voting 3rd Party.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

12. Fuck Chuck Hagel!

I said it.

[VegasWolf]

13. LOL! But at least he said what the Dems are too scared to say! nt

[krkaufman]

37. Oh, please.

Hagel saying something like this will be played in the media totally differently from how it would be covered if the most hawkish Dem were to say the same thing. Ignoring the media imbalance and opting to blame the Democratic Party for trying to work with failings in the media and in the citizenry's effort to educate themselves will hardly result in an improved situation.

Just ask all those "3rd party" voters from 2000.

[gumby]

14. Good On You.

Perhaps Hagel should denounce 'the madness' of electronic voting machines?

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

19. Bingo...

... should have thought of that long before letting ES&S become a part of the election fiasco in the US, Chuckie.

Dr. Frankenstein regretted what he made, too.

[sportndandy]

15. Well put.

He is trying to reach out to the center so he looks legitimate when he steals the big seat in 08.

[High Plains]

41. Yeah, what an asshole. He wants a ceasfire. Fuck him.

Not enough killing yet, right?

[skipos]

16. This is the guy who rips on Nelson for being too much like Kennedy

and bitched about Nelson's vote for the minimum wage increase.

Whatever.

[Crunchy Frog]

17. It's sad

when a Republican is making more sense than most Democrats.

[blm]

18. Hagel is calculating - he plans to grab the Independent vote from McCain

in 2008. And I'd guess he can do it with his voting machine connections as strong as they are.

[w4rma]

20. Brilliant political move. (nt)

[superconnected]

21. Dead right about the dems.

"Republican Senator calling for immediate Mideast ceasefire. Calls for end to "sickening slaughter." CNN's Dana Bash points out that even Democrats have not called for a ceasefire."

[muryan]

22. Theres a complete breakdown of

diplomacy between the two sides, any cease fire would not last considering there is no movement for peace talks at the moment.

[TacticalPeek]

23. K&R

:kick:

[girl gone mad]

24. Where is our Democratic leadership?

Absent here, just as they were on Iraq. I'm fed up.

[daydreamer]

25. Maybe the only Rep. with conscience.

[IndianaGreen]

26. Forget party labels! We are plunging into a wider war, & we must stop it!

Bush thinks that Jesus is coming back soon, so he and the other End Timers are quite happy to see the whole region turn into a bloodbath.

Olmert is doing what Sharon learned not to do: a ground war in Lebanon.

Blair is hopeless!

Lebanese are being slaughtered and are desperate, just as the Poles were in 1939!

Forget party labels! We are plunging into a wider war, and we must stop this madness before it engulfs all of us!

[catmandu57]

39. You're correct

We don't have time for politics, this shit must stop!. I don't want to pay the price for a minorities twisted and sick vision of god land.

[MissWaverly]

27. can't they draft a resolution stating their wishes

[goforit]

29. The guy who brought DIEBOLD to the table is now complaining?

Glad he is stepping up to the plate, but man, please admit
to the stolen 2000 and 2004 election before you can beg your
chosen MAD man to stop the torture.

[Mz Pip]

30. He's gonna run for Prez

Time to distance himself from BushCo, even though he's been an enabler of BushCo for the past 5 years. :crazy:

Whoop deee dooo.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[fujiyama]

31. Hagel talks a good talk

like always and here I'll give him some credit - to call for a cease fire is actually pretty bold politically.

But Hagel's problem is that in the end he almost always gives Bush what he wants...It's hard to see anything he says as something other than calculated political posturing.

[gumby]

33. It's hard to see anything he says

as something other than his reliance on the voting machines he owns.

[LiberalHeart]

35. I guess I'm the only one who likes him.

He's the only GOPer I can stand.

[samsingh]

34. this is what happens when a madman is allowed to destroy so much

[dg10348]

38. Hagel Office # DC 202-224-4224

Call and thank him.I already did.I am not going to overthink his motivations.He can get on the TV/radio.We need someone somewhere....anyone to get this stopped.I told the staffer I am a California Democrat calling to say thank you.Give feedback and see if he will do it again and again and again...and push it forward.

[RCinBrooklyn]

40. But he doesn't dare say it in committee or to W's face. 'nuf said.

[samsingh]

42. Hagel - face facts

you and your fellow Senators have the power to make it stop.