Richardson on withdrawal: "fewer will die than if we stay."

[ProSense]

December 16, 2006

Richardson: McCain "Dead Wrong" About Troops

In New Hampshire this a.m., Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM) will confront Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) on Iraq.

The White House is leaning towards adopting McCain's proposal to add tens of thousands of combat troops to U.S. forces in Baghdad in a final effort to secure the city.

Here's what Richardson says:

“The leading advocate for escalating the war is Senator John McCain. I have served with John in Congress and I respect him. But John McCain is wrong, dead wrong to think that we can solve Iraq’s political crisis through military escalation.”

“There are no quick or easy answers to the crisis in Iraq. Our choices are between bad options and worse ones. Some prefer military escalation. Some choose staying the course. These options are illusions. The only realistic choice we have is to stand down militarily and let the Iraqis stand up and face the political crisis which only they can resolve.”

“I’ve been to Iraq and Afghanistan. I worked in this region...we should harbor no illusions. This withdrawal will not be pretty. People will die. But fewer will die than if we stay. There are no guarantees that our departure will end the civil war, but it is sure to continue so long as we stay. The Iraqis might, or might not, resolve their political crisis. It is up to them. They distrust and fear one another, and this makes it very tough. But they share one goal – they don’t want to destroy their own country. To save it, they need to stop killing each other and start compromising. And we need to get out of the way.”

[rodeodance]

1. YES YES. we do need to get out of way---it IS the way ForWARD!

[More Than A Feeling]

2. First Vilsack, now Richardson...

Even if our second-tier is filled with long-shots, they also serve by dragging down McCain with them. Now if only they'd direct their fire against Giuliani, the entire Republican field will look like something you'd find at Karl Rove's garage sale.

[blm]

3. I sure wish more Dems would've said this when Kerry-Feingold needed support

but they were still taking cues from Clinton, and ignoring the fact that Iraq was IN Civil War last spring.

[lillilbigone]

4. It's nice to read about a Democrat who has something sensible to say.

The idea that we might nominate someone who is not in favor of withdrawing from Iraq boggles my mind.

[Tom Joad]

5. Wasn't Kerry's support for more troops in Iraq("temporarily") the reason

he lost in 2004?

[sandnsea]

6. He was going to begin withdrawal

within 6 months. He said he would consider more troops for specific situations like securing the elections, or as part of a true international effort. He never said he'd permanently add US troops. People on the left intentionally misconstrued his call to increase and change the military as putting more troops in Iraq. It was never true, but the left has often been as big an obstacle to Democrats winning as the right.

[theoldman]

7. Unfortunately you are correct. In a crisis the Democrats too

often circle their wagons and shoot at each other.

[Tom Joad]

8. I hope every democrat fights this proposal to increase troops in Iraq, and instead

fights to defund this illegal, immoral war.

[lillilbigone]

9. I'm sorry you bought into the myth that Kerry wanted more troops in Iraq.

KERRY: I know what we have to do in Iraq. We need a president who has the credibility to bring our allies to our side and share the burden, reduce the cost to American taxpayers, reduce the risk to American soldiers. That's the right way to get the job done and bring our troops home.

(APPLAUSE)

Here is the reality: That won't happen until we have a president who restores America's respect and leadership so we don't have to go it alone in the world.

And we need to rebuild our alliances so we can get the terrorists before they get us.

I defended this country as a young man, and I will defend it as president.

(APPLAUSE)

Let there be no mistake: I will never hesitate to use force when it is required. Any attack will be met with a swift and a certain response.

KERRY: I will never give any nation or any institution a veto over our national security.

And I will build a stronger military. We will add 40,000 active duty troops, not in Iraq, but to strengthen American forces that are now overstretched, overextended and under pressure.
Text of John Kerry's Acceptance Speech at the Democratic National Convention

Kerry never called for more troops in Iraq.

[Hippo_Tron]

14. No, that was 2 years ago

And as the other poster pointed out, he didn't propose more troops in Iraq and more troops in general. Even if he had proposed more troops in Iraq, the situation was possibly still salvageable two years ago. At this point it is not.

[ProSense]

10. Boston Globe on Richardson's call for a timetable:

Richardson wants troops out of Iraq next year

December 16, 2006

MANCHESTER, N.H. --New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said Saturday that the administration should set a date to withdraw American troops from Iraq in 2007 and criticized Sen. John McCain's call for boosting troop levels there.

"It makes no sense," the potential Democratic presidential candidate said at St. Anselm College. "There is no military solution. There's got to be a political solution."

Richardson said McCain, seen as a front-runner among potential Republican presidential hopefuls, would only foment sectarian violence with his call for an additional 30,000 troops.

America must reinvigorate its diplomacy in the Middle East by starting with Iraq, Richardson said in an address at the New Hampshire Democratic Party's winter meeting.

"This is not cut and run," he said. "What I'm proposing is something that I believe will work. A fixed withdrawal date. You redeploy those troops."

A withdrawal should be coupled with a political solution and a reconciliation conference with ethnic groups in Iraq, he said. He said it would allow the Pentagon to redeploy forces to Afghanistan and bolster efforts to combat international terrorism.

U.S. Rep-elect Paul Hodes agreed with Richardson that a political solution is needed.

more...

[applegrove]

11. I like Richardson. He sounds like an adult amongst all the tin soldiers (McCain)

[leesa]

12. That's the bottom line right there..."fewer will die than if we stay"

[NV1962]

13. It's the crude, naked truth: there's no winner, and no "good" solutions but bad and worse ones.

Sometimes, the lesser evil among atrocious choices is the only responsible and decent choice to make.

But that takes courage, and that's a damn rare commodity in DC.

I'm glad Gov. Richardson's not shying away from telling it like it is, the whole stinking truth of it: pulling out in the short term is even worse than staying until a broadly negotiated regional stabilization accord with all the pertinent partners involved.

Sadly, that's at least two years away.

[Hippo_Tron]

15. But, but Richardson is DLC, this is impossible

Sorry I just had to.

It'll be interesting to see what the other candidates' take on this is.