Clyburn: Positive Report by Petraeus Could Split House Democrats on War

[sabra]

Source: WP

House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) said Monday that a strongly positive report on progress on Iraq by Army Gen. David Petraeus likely would split Democrats in the House and impede his party's efforts to press for a timetable to end the war.

Clyburn, in an interview with the washingtonpost.com video program PostTalk, said Democrats might be wise to wait for the Petraeus report, scheduled to be delivered in September, before charting next steps in their year-long struggle with President Bush over the direction of U.S. strategy.

Clyburn noted that Petraeus carries significant weight among the 47 members of the Blue Dog caucus in the House, a group of moderate to conservative Democrats. Without their support, he said, Democratic leaders would find it virtually impossible to pass legislation setting a timetable for withdrawal.

"I think there would be enough support in that group to want to stay the course and if the Republicans were to stay united as they have been, then it would be a problem for us," Clyburn said. "We, by and large, would be wise to wait on the report."

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/30/AR2007073001380.html

[karlrschneider]

1. Well, I'm sure Petraeus will present a totally objective analysis of HIS OWN JOB.

:eyes: :grr:

[saigon68]

2. Let me Guess Joementum will be one of them

LOL

[AlGore-08.com]

7. Lieberman's a Senator, not a member of the House n/t

[Freddie Stubbs]

8. Lieberman is not a Blue Dog, in fact, he doesn't even serve in the House

[saigon68]

24. oops

[xchrom]

3. i sometimes forget about those folks.

and i hope they remember -- where are the weapons of mass destruction?

that the u.s. can win a war or stabilize a country isn't/wasn't the point -- starting wars just because you can is.

in the meantime we still have to deal with the fact that the iraqi political leadership doesn't have the will power to create a stable iraq without american military might.

[Enrique]

4. I don't see what purpose Clyburn has of saying this

This fits so perfectly into the GOP talking point "the dems are counting on us failing in Iraq" that it almost seems deliberate.

[Freddie Stubbs]

9. Lowering expectations

[Exiled in America]

16. More than that - they've already decided what they are going to do - nothing.

And they are "leaking" it to the public to soften up the ground... planting the idea that the "good" democrats wanted to stand up for justice and the lives of american men and women and end an illegal war perpetuated by a unaccountable tyranny... but the "bad" democrats and the meanie-pants republicans just wouldn't let them.

It's a pile of horse shit. And I am simply stunned by the number of people who still make excuses for these people and still act like there are deeply significant differences between the two institutional parties.

[knight_of_the_star]

25. If we don't have the Blue Dogs we don't have squat

If all 40 some odd Blue Dogs vote against a timetable and all the GOP does the same we can't make it happen, we only have a 23 seat majority and the Blue Dog Caucus is unfortunately bigger than that. It sucks that we're being held hostage by a bunch of DINOs, but that's the political reality.

[tom_paine]

5. Even if Petreaus is honest in his report, the Royal Bushies and Rove will edit it

to so further obfuscate the meaning of the report that will open up the way for the 24/7 yammering of the Bush media which will be closely echoed with little skepticism presented by the MSM.

A handful of exceptions will try to report the truth, but those voices will not reach enough ears to matter.

then...as with Tillman and all the rest, 2-5 years later the truth will come out, but it will be shoute down by the gale of bullying and shrieking by the 24/7 yammering of the Bush media which will be closely echoed with little skepticism presented by the MSM.

Wash, rinse, repeat. Read: Little Boots Chimpler is going to what the fuck he wants, when he wants, and anything short of arrest will NOT stop him.

[atreides1]

6. The report will be vetted before Congress even hears it

This adminstration already has the good generals report, they're just waiting for September to present it to the Congress.

Besides if everything they say about the general is true, he'll be just like Powell and be a "good soldier" and do what his Commander in Chief wants him to do, instead of the right thing!

[Barrett808]

10. But would it divide the US public?

Doubt it.

[NanceGreggs]

15. Bingo! n/t

[TomInTib]

11. Well, let's just fold up the effing tent and go home.

What the fuck?

What does the idiot expect from Petraeus?

The facts?

I suppose when you have a state with maybe only 650 people in it, you send the fucking Village Idiot to Washington.

[acmavm]

12. How in the hell could anyone believe a 'positive' report from

anyone, I don't care who it is???????

[Orsino]

13. Therefore, there will be a positive report.

If only to provide cover for the Liebercrats still afraid to end the debacle.

[ejbr]

14. Any Democrat who sides with an extended stay

after Bush's lackey's report is either an unmitigated idiot or a chicken hawk. The Iraqi govt. is shut down all of August, leaving little to NO room to stabilize the country. There can be no improvement without the political process. Now if the Dems who understand that we need to get out of Iraq screws up this narrative, then I might have to put a gun to my head because I will consider it hopeless.

1. Anyone who disagreed with the president by presenting the facts have been fired. How can Petraeus give anything but a positive report without risk of being fired? Why should anyone respect anything he has to say about anything given that nothing he says can be trusted? (Even IF he said things were going badly, I would have to check in with Michael Ware to make sure!)

2. How can a country with NO govt. "improve" (however one wishes to define this word) during a civil war?

[Help me help Earth]

19. Virtually ALL Democrats have sided with an extended stay.

I predicted this before the 06 elections, the Congressional Democrats would work to achieve some pointless minor victory (benchmarks), but never dare to make a real change for fear of risking the 08 elections. Sad to say I was 100% right.

[ejbr]

23. Sigh...true

what's even sadder is that if the repugs were not so corrupt, they'd have an excellent chance to retake Congress. At least they do what they promise when it comes to Iraq.

[HuffleClaw]

17. the hell it will

'stay the course'? he's parroting white house propaganda fer cryin' out loud; this guy is four kinds of idiot.

[Help me help Earth]

21. This makes us look really bad.

Cons are already spinning this to show that we would rather lose the war for political gain then win it.

[classysassy]

18. A sweep

clean the outhouse,remove all the shit,republican and democrats,replace them with new members and remind them who they represent.(we the people).

[dmosh42]

20. This is still a basic military report!!

It's based on the military progress of thousands of increased US troops doing a campaign to destry insurgents. There's no progress diplomatically, which is needed to end the war! The Iraqi army is still no where near ready to stabilize the country. Where's the progress? This is another misinformation program delivered by the Bush gang to keep the money wagon going. How quickly the media will seize on this. Unbelievable!

[fed-up]

22. anybody/dem or puke that votes for funds for this war is F*CKING EVIL nt