Another GOP Senator Urges Pullout. Republican Voinovich Joins Lugar ...

[L. Coyote]

Source: AP story on ABC News online.

Another GOP Senator Urges Pullout
Republican Voinovich Joins Lugar in Calling for a Shift in Strategy in Iraq
By ANNE FLAHERTY Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON Jun 26, 2007 (AP)


Sen. George Voinovich said Tuesday the U.S. should begin pulling troops out of Iraq, joining Richard Lugar as the second Republican lawmaker in as many days to suggest President Bush's war strategy is failing.

He said the Iraqi people must become more involved and "I don't think they'll get it until they know we're leaving."

The Ohio senator's remarks followed similar comments by Lugar, R-Ind., the previous night. The two GOP senators previously had expressed concerns about Bush's decision to send 30,000 extra troops to Iraq in a massive U.S.-led security push in Baghdad and Anbar province. But they had stopped short of saying U.S. troops should leave and declined to back Democratic legislation setting a deadline for troop withdrawals.

"We must not abandon our mission, but we must begin a transition where the Iraqi government and its neighbors play a larger role in stabilizing Iraq," Voinovich wrote in a letter to Bush.

Read more: http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=3318006

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Bush support is eroding fast. One wonders what other issues are influencing the surge of non-support.

[fooj]

1. It's about f*cking time.

Geesh.....

[Vincardog]

2. Wasn't this GORE's position? Wasn't it CUT AND RUN then?

[karynnj]

16. This sounds like what Kerry was saying more than a year ago

Gore was against the war from the beginning, but did not make all that many comments on what to do once we were there. It was Kerry, who lead on how to get out in 2004 - 2007.

[Buck Rabbit]

3. They are trying to get out front of the GOP bail out in September.

They want it on record that they urged a "change of direction" before the mass exodus of Republican congresscritters come September, that they weren't "late" and part of the pack.

[Bobbieo]

4. Wouldn't it be ironic of it is the Republicans who finally bring an end

to this devastating war?

[Buck Rabbit]

6. THe war wont end until we have a new resident in the White House.

But the GOP will join with the Democrats to reduce troop numbers and pull back to the bases to minimize American casualties during the election cycle.

The Democrats will likely be in a no win position politically. The Republicans will give them this anti-surge but not a complete withdrawal. The Democrats will take it as better than nothing, but it will be costly in 2008 politically. If the US casualties are way down the Repubics will take credit for it. Iraqi deaths and chaos will be because the Democrats took over the war from Bush and General Betray us and didn't give there surge a chance to work.

[Bobbieo]

7. And some may wonder why I am depressed!!!

[MannyGoldstein]

8. But There May Be A New Resident Soon

If the Republicans want to avoid a catastrophe in the '08 elections, they need to get rid of Bush. If the Rethugs start the ball rolling the Dems will have to jump on board (even today's 'Dem's' would realize that defending Bush against Republicans would look insane). When it happens, it'll be quick.

[Buck Rabbit]

22. I think there is a possibility of that.

I don't think impeachment has ever been off the table except in public. I believe Pilosi's staff always knows within a few votes the most current outcome of an impeachment proceeding at any given time.

If something happens to get enough Blue Dogs and DLC New Dems to fall in line in at least The House, it goes back on the table.

The question is if the Republicans decide to throw out Bush for their own greedy ass purposes at the last moment, and they insist on picking who the replacement VP would be before they jettison Bush after Cheney, would you go along with it?

[karynnj]

18. If it gets the US soldiers out of the middle of a civil war

isn't that more important than politics. Hoping the war continues, because it could politically help Democrats is as immoral as not wanting to talk about it last year for the same reason.

The war is a Republican liability. If the troops were taken out of the positions they are currently in, the DFemocratic leaders on this would continue to push for the political solution needed.

[Buck Rabbit]

21. I agree, it is more important than politics.

I don't hope the war continues at all. I am just pointing out that the GOP will flip just enough in September to tone down the war enough to escape their current political peril. They will shift the political "between the rock and a hard place" over to the Dems. Accept a smaller occupation (safer for Americans not necessarily Iraqis) or let Bush and Cheney continue on course. Total withdraw (my choice) won't be offered. The Democrats will accept because as you pointed out it would be immoral to let Bush-Cheney continue with unrestrained reckless abandon just to improve your political position.

[MadMaddie]

15. Just as in Vietnam the Repugs led the fight to end that war

it would have to be the Repugs to lead the way to end this one....lets hope it doesn't take 5 years to end it..

[Doctor_J]

5. Blue and purple staters should start hopping on the bandwagon

Snarlin' Arlen should be next, then Sununu.

FWIW, the GOP plans to be out of Iraq in time for Campaign 2008, so as to make it a non-issue.

[superconnected]

9. GOP support for Iraq war slips

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Republican support for the Iraq war is slipping by the day. After four years of combat and more than 3,560 U.S. deaths, two Republican senators previously reluctant to challenge President Bush on the war announced they could no longer support the deployment of 157,000 troops and asked the president to begin bringing them home.

"We must not abandon our mission, but we must begin a transition where the Iraqi government and its neighbors play a larger role in stabilizing Iraq," Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, wrote in a letter to Bush.

Voinovich, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released his letter Tuesday — one day after Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, the panel's top Republican, said in a floor speech that Bush's strategy was not working.

"The longer we delay the planning for a redeployment, the less likely it is to be successful," said Lugar, who plans to meet later this week with Stephen Hadley, Bush's national security adviser.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070626/ap_on_go_co/us_iraq

[hippiechick]

10. Even the local news in Central IN is breaking ranks ...

... in light of homeboy Lugar's speech, they were talking to vets and parents of fallen soldiers etc and the wrath is starting to show.

One elderly gentleman, who lost his grandson in Iraq last month, said: "The rest of the world told us not to go in there, we didn't listen ... and our young men are getting blown to bits ... what for? Nothing. We didn't listen ..."

Powerful stuff from the heart of Freeperland. :wow:

[Hissyspit]

11. As usual, the right wing well ahead of the curve on everything.

:sarcasm:

[maseman]

12. So what does the right-winger radio hosts say now?

Limbaugh, Hannity, that bird-brained Laura Ingraham, etc.

What do they say now? Their "own" party is breaking ranks. Before long the only people on board with the idiot in the White House will be the righty talk hosts.

[daleo]

13. Eventually they will blame Democrats for the war

They will all just lie and say it wasn't their fault.

[bunkerbuster1]

19. They'll ignore it.

There ain't a thing about the rats abandoning ship on limbaugh's homepage:

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/today.guest.html

They're really trying to hold the knuckle-draggers together on Teh Skary Brown Menace issue. It's always fun for right-wingers to claim to be "independent" of the President by claiming Bush is too pro-Mexico.

[Screwfly]

14. Are these politicians on crack or something?

A slowly, orderly withdrawal form Iraq is a pipe dream. The Iraqi army can't find its ass with both hands, and the government there will fall apart like a house of cards as soon as it gets wind America is pulling out.

Any kind orderly withdrawal from Iraq will quickly turn into a route for American forces much like the opening days the Korea War. The only sensible way to get out of Iraq is to have the troops bug out in the middle of night, and leave all their equipment and shit behind.

[bunkerbuster1]

17. Until there are at least 17 Senators willing to turn on Cmdr. Pissypants

it doesn't really matter much, does it?

The fucker will veto rational approaches to the occupation, and the Senate won't override.

That said, I'm glad at least a few Republicans are acknowledging the obvious.

[jazzjunkysue]

20. I heard Bob Schaeffer say today that it's over for the GOP support.

These statements are the first 2 public statements, but the word is, no one but Lieberman wants the war to continue at this point.