Key Richardson endorsement in SC goes to Biden instead.

[jillan]

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/10/06/400441.aspx

Richardson loses SC co-chair Posted: Saturday, October 06, 2007 4:36 PM by Domenico Montanaro
Categories: 2008, Bill Richardson


From NBC/NJ’s Carrie Dann
Gov. Bill Richardson's proposal for an immediate withdrawal from Iraq has won him accolades from the anti-war left and in the blogosphere, but it lost him a key supporter in primary state South Carolina today. State Rep. Fletcher Smith of Greenville County, formerly a co-chair for Richardson's South Carolina campaign, announced this morning that he is endorsing Sen. Joe Biden instead.

Smith told NBC News/National Journal that he became concerned about his support of Richardson after hearing the governor advocate for a six-month timeline to for withdrawal from Iraq.

"Those of us who have had some idea about military evacuations understand that you cannot redeploy troops, or take troops out, or evacuate them within a six-month period of time," he said, adding that Richardson's plan could bring about the same morale-damaging image evoked when Americans were airlifted from Saigon in 1975. "We do not need a Vietnam-style evacuation.”

While Richardson has called for immediate withdrawal from the region with no residual troops, Biden has acknowledged that his three-way partitioning plan for the state will require a US military presence in the region for many years.

Smith called Biden's plan to divide Iraq into three regions as "the only rational approach" to ending the war, and cited the success of that proposal in the Senate as a major reason for his decision to endorse him for president. "He is the man at the right time,” Smith said, “with the right approach, to lead our nation out of this morass."

Smith, who is a member of the state's Legislative Black Caucus, represents Biden's eighth legislative endorsement in the state, and his third from an African-American in the South Carolina statehouse. Smith said neither Richardson nor Biden has raised money on the representative's behalf.
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/10/06/400441.aspx

[monmouth]

1. Step by step, one day at a time....Go JOE!!!

[Bucky]

2. I don't blame Richardson for trying this. He needs a hail mary pass.

If it costs him an endorsement here or there, so be it. He needs a big splash fast or he's done.

Joe, too, by the way. Anyone who can't break out in Iowa is either out of it or is running to raise issues rather that get elected. I loathe this frontloaded system. All the states need to follow Florida's lead and break the system. Wouldn't it be ironic if Iowa and New Hampshire literally nominated our candidates?

The problem is that the PTBs won't change the nominating system if the Democrats win next year. So your choices come down to
(1) a sane president or
(2) a sane nominating system.

[mmonk]

10. Let's make a deal. You don't mischaracterize Richardson

and I won't mischaracterize Biden. His plan has been the same since day one of his campaign. Read.

http://www.richardsonforpresident.com/newsroom/articles?id=0155

http://www.richardsonforpresident.com/issues/iraq

Remember, anything that appears imposed by us will fail. Also remember the rest of the world does not usually recognize imposed solutions, elections, or otherwise from an occupying force.

[gateley]

3. Representative Smith is indeed a wise man. I'm so pleased to hear this. Rec!

[Think82]

4. Awesome! I've been trying ot convince people on the blogosphere

that Richardson's plan is unrealistic.... this gives some real world evidence to back this up.

BIDEN 08!

[PatSeg]

5. Yeah, too many people just want to hear a candidate

say that he'll/she'll get the troops "OUT", but aren't too concerned with how. We already went through that kind of thinking getting into the war, we need to leave with a plan.

[jillan]

6. Me too. He stands there at the debates and all of the candidates disagree with him.

I wish Richardson was right. I really do.

[madfloridian]

8. Oh, yes, we really need to stay for years in Iraq...like forever.

Oh,yes, we blogosphere are pretty simple minded about occupying a country and not leaving for years.

And we are pretty dumb in thinking it is not ok to invade a country and divide them into 3 parts.

:eyes: :eyes:

[mmonk]

7. If you don't think we could redeploy to Kuwait

and other bases in six months, you're not really thinking. The solution needs regional support which we won't get as an occupation force. Richardson has the respect internationally to convene players to reach settlement and a solution that doesn't look like imperialism to the rest of the world. It will require diplomacy and pressure on the factions of Iraq which is going to be very difficult without help and concensus from the region.

[jillan]

9. I don't know - all I know is what the majority of people with military expertise say.

But there was good news from Iraq today - the different shi'ite groups got together in a peace treaty and were carrying signs for the US to get out. Of course * won't listen.

[mmonk]

13. I like Biden's plan as long as Iraqis can work with and it not

look like pressure from the US senate. I don't think you'll find much opposition from the Richardson camp. However, the overall premise and approach Richardson sees is I believe correct. Biden is involved in the internal details of what a government solution can look like. As far as withdrawal, a regional approach with positive involvement from it's neighbors and the pressure of withdrawing forces on the Iraqi parliament would help settle the matter. If we can move across the country and take Baghdad during a firefight in three months, a slow bleed of a withdrawal doesn't seem more efficient than a quick and orderly redeployment.

[Carrieyazel]

11. I like Sen. Biden, and he should be getting some endorsements,

but this is an endorsement for the wrong reason. The politicians continue to wrongly believe in the long, slow bleed strategy. We can get out quickly and safely. And what the hell does the Vietnam pullout have to do with this? We were in Vietnam for over a decade and had to pull out eventually. By 1975, it was 2 years after the war ended for the US. Go ahead and endorse Sen. Biden, but your reasoning sucks, Fletcher.

[rucky]

15. I think Richardson has a better plan for Iraq...

But Biden has shown he can get a plan through. All plans have uncertainty ahead of them, but at this point let's just pick one that changes course and commit. It looks like it's actually happening about a year before we expected to have any plan pass other than Bush's - and for that I'm impressed by Biden's leadership and effectiveness. If his political solution plays out the way he thinks it will, it may not be a slow bleed. But he's also planned for contingencies and figured logistics into the timeline.

[lyonn]

17. Get out as soon as possible and work the territory while evacuating

That was Biden's plan. Meaning get with the neighboring countries and convince them to help stabalize Iraq to minimize the obvious chaos that would follow. He would meet other leaders and let them know we are leaving and if Iraq becomes any more destabalized it will affect them all. Biden can talk the talk.

Bush should be doing this now but of course he has no intention of leaving any time soon and certainly doesn't worry about stabalizing the situation. So, in the meantime, our Senate has strongly suggested that Iraqis get off their duff and figure something out besides letting us fight their battle for them.

[PatSeg]

18. Meanwhile Bush has no credibility in the Mideast

so it will probably have to wait until the next president takes office. With the right person in the White House, the rest of the world might be willing to help us clean up the mess that Bush has created.

[lyonn]

22. Ah, come on now, you forgot Condi, the can-do Secretary of State

Just saw her on c-span and felt sick. How could things have gone so terribly wrong?

So true, bush has no credibility anywhere anymore.

[Eurobabe]

12. Not surprised, Biden is really impressing me lately!

Go JOE!

[geek tragedy]

14. Shameless pandering bites Bill in the butt. eom

[mmonk]

16. Pandering my ass.

[saltpoint]

19. pirhana, I mistakenly misread your post, and THEN put on my glasses.

Without the specs, it looked like it said "Keith Richards endorsement in SC goes to Biden" -- and I thought, Now what in the hell would Keith Richards be doing in South Carolina?

It just didn't seem like his venue. You know what I'm saying?

On the other hand, he's a member of one of rockn'roll greatest rhythm sections, and I'm sure the Biden campaign is pleased to have the endorsement.

THEN I put my glasses on and read your post correctly.

"Nevermind"

_____

good post. thanks. Biden's on the upswing.

[jillan]

20. You know that I am literally rolling on the floor here!

Wasn't Keith Richards the one that climbed a tree and broke some bones recently? Or was he the one that snorted his father's ashes?

Nope - SC definitely doesn't seem like a place where Keith Richards would hang out.

Thanks for the good laugh!

[PatSeg]

21. I think he did both!

I just got off the floor!!!