Pelosi is an idiot. She just agreed that Bush's surge is working, but only "in a military sense"

[mtnsnake]

on CNN with Wolf.

In fairness to her, she did clarify that the surge was meant to give the Iraqis a chance to take over their own situation, and in that sense she doesn't think it has been a success yet, but IMO, she made a brutal mistake to agree with Bush that his surge is working militarily. Even if she agrees with Bush that his surge is working in a military sense, I think she should've deflected the question and answered in a way that is more conducive to getting this fucking war OVER.

[zanne]

1. I've never been more disappointed by a politician...

I remember how happy we were after the 2006 elections. I think Nancy Pelosi did her best to sabotage any chance of success by the new Democratic congress. In my mind, she is in the Lieberman category of the Democratic Party.

[mtnsnake]

8. I couldn't agree more

For me, she is one of the biggest all-time Democratic disappointments ever. After those 2006 elections, and after being so overjoyed and anticipating how our new majority in Congress was going to hand the Republicans' asses to them on a silver platter, I've never felt so sold out in all my life.

[Tellurian]

34. Ditto...

Pelosi doesn't like sticking her neck out. She's more comfortable playing the compromise game. She doesn't have the confidence in herself to recover if she makes a mistake. That, to me, is her greatest fear and her ultimate undoing.

[polpilot]

48. Surge working. Blame the iraqis. The new mantra.

[Political Heretic]

49. I completely agree. She's not even good at it!

[Tatiana]

2. GAWD. What a mistake it was to have her as leader.

Murtha looks better everytime Pelosi opens her mouth.

[AGirl]

3. this is what Obama will say if he is president.

[robbedvoter]

18. His people here seem to argue "it's working" - so, maybe you're right

Reaching out to GOP!

[Change has come]

43. If you say so.

:shrug:

[still_one]

4. Maybe she should go to Iraq and tell that to the Iraqii people? /nt

[jedr]

5. Weather the surge is working or not matters little;

The fact remains, that G.W.and associates bungled both the war and middle east policy to the point that we are now a weaker nation. Let's hope it does work and we can bring the troops home soon.

[conservdem]

6. I am glad she gave what seems to be an honest answer.

I have been starting to think it has been working because we do not hear much about it in the media. I now hope it means we can start to draw down our troops.

[mtnsnake]

9. Honest? I would call it backing down and engaging in ass-kissing with Bush's ass being the recipient

This idea that the surge is working in any way, shape, or form is nothing but spin.

[robbedvoter]

13. Yeah, because the media is so "librul" and "anti-war".

I hear of daily bombings and death every day - but that's just me :shrug:

[conservdem]

22. Do you think most of the MSM leans to the right?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

30. it wont work like that.i think the surge has not done what its intention was

which is to start a political process. this is pelosi says its worked militarily, the military has made it safe for politicians to work it out. but they are not.

[Iktomiwicasa]

7. That stupid bitch

is a total disaster.

[MadBadger]

50. excuse me? Completely uncalled for.

[dcindian]

10. It is working as intended

It was intended to work hand in hand with American short attention span syndrome.

It did it's job just not the job Pelosi and Bush are telling us it did.

It always was designed for propaganda and not actual results. It is those who are weak in critical thinking which will attribute the reduction in "coverage" to the "surge is working". If you ask me it has worked about as well as the puppet masters intended.

[cloudythescribbler]

11. Actually, if the peace movement do OUR job -- pointing out the "military gains" are useless ...

unless accompanied by the key political steps, including development of an effective peace plan, then we SHOULD NOT put the blame on Pelosi.

Remember that putting down the Tet offensive '68 was one of the MAJOR military VICTORIES scored by the US since WWII. But it was also "only in a military sense". This point needs to be brought home to voters, for example when the surge (as is inevitable) comes up again in the debates. The Tet analogy is in my NSHO, quite useful in this regard.

[robbedvoter]

15. What fucking military gains?

[cloudythescribbler]

28. These gains are documents (eg in the large Western province of Iraq), but the cause is unclear

[mtnsnake]

20. Awesome post. I wish you would post that as an OP as soon as you can

I couldn't agree more. :thumbsup:

[robbedvoter]

12. Define "working" you ditz!

:arghh:

[democrattotheend]

14. I don't necessarily think she's wrong

It's working in that it has reduced the number of day to day casualties, but it's not working in the sense that there is no end in sight. Having more soldiers may have reduced the number of casualties, but what happens once they start pulling the extra troops out? I don't think it has done any good in the long run, even if it has helped to lessen the bleeding in the short term. If that's what she was trying to say, then I don't see anything wrong with that.

[robbedvoter]

17. What evidence do you have that it's working?

I never had to have these conversations on DU. That was before the Obama "movement" - when up was up and down was down.

[mtnsnake]

23. There is no evidence. It's all spin, & besides, when THEY say it's "working" they are

only referring to Baghdad, not all of Iraq. The surge is nothing but more bullshit and it's exactly what working in the way that Poster #10 mentioned. Read that post if you haven't yet because you'll enjoy it, rd. He or she nailed it.

[robbedvoter]

40. Exactly. If you put 10 cops on my street, they'll sell drugs around the corner

It doesn't mean you solved the drug problem in the city, or even in the neighborhood!

[ctaylors6]

16. Can't we get rid of her?

[mtnsnake]

37. I'm not sure. Has she taken impeachment of herself off the table yet? :)

[rodeodance]

19. Dems need to admit that militarily--it is working. To not admit that is to feed

fodder to the Repugs--


Many Dems have admitted this--its just hard to get the remaining part--the political part that is not working into a 30 second sound bite.

[robbedvoter]

42. Except that it's NOT! The country is in utter chaos - in every way - people are killed

what working?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

21. thats not stupid its accurate. you want her to be more partisan and you're disappointed that she is

not.

the surge has worked militarily but not in the way it was supposed to work. her comments sound accurate.

[mtnsnake]

24. Hey, if you & Pelosi want to agree with Bush the surge is working militarily, knock yourselves out

It'll be a cold day in hell when I agree with Bush that the surge is working militarily or in any other manner.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

25. sorry i cant disagree with the truth just because i dont like bush.

[mtnsnake]

26. To me it isn't close to being the truth, & Pelosi is a copout of mega proportions

Good for you, though, that you think the surge is working. We'll just have to agree to disagree on whether it is or not.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

29. the surge has slowed day to day voilence. this is what she means by it works militarily.

politically its done shit. so she is also correct in pointing that out

[Red Knight]

33. Wrong. That's a myth.

Blast walls have been erected all over the place.

There are more bombing missions--less combat.

Tribal leaders have been bought.

Bagdhad has been ethnically cleansed so the mix of population that resulted in so much violence earlier is not the same today.

The surge was and is bullshit.

And Dem leaders who praise it or continue to call this a "war" when it is nothing of the sort only show their true colors and do not deserve our praise or support.

[conservdem]

27. I wish more here, and in society in general, showed your honesty.

[robbedvoter]

41. What's with the honesty BS? Are people dying every day there? Ours and theirs?

Then what kind of success are we talking about?

[cottonseed]

31. Violence is down from it's high.

I'll give the situation that. However, the surge is not the primary reason for it. None of the benchmarks have been met which is the issue which can be hit upon.

I think the Dems should go ahead and embrace the temporary decline in violence. State that it's because all parties now know that the US means business, and rightfully take ownership of what little progress there is. Then, say, if you like this, then you'll like it a hell of a lot more when we get out of here.

[mtnsnake]

36. in Bagdhad.

Anytime they spin how the surge is working, I notice they always limit the discussion to Baghdad, where they've concentrated most of the troop increase, and not the rest of Iraq. Even in Baghdad, things are nearly as rosey as the administration is painting it if you pay attention to all the reports that claim otherwise.

After Bush first proclaimed the surge to be working, December went on to become the month with the highest fatality count of any month in years. Then they even spun that to mean something different. They'll spin it any way they can to justify staying there forever if that's what it takes to get their oil.

[Neecy]

32. I think the blue dogs have neutered her

She has to walk this a very fine line and it's had her completely off her game from the start. She was my Congresswoman for many years and I believe she's a true progressive, but having to constantly dial back to placate the blue dogs makes her look weak and spineless. I agree that she's been a complete disappointment.

[JimGinPA]

35. I'm Very Disappointed With Her As Well

In almost every instance she has allowed the repugs to frame the debate. Not very a very powerful House leader IMHO.

[Lex Talionis]

38. Well, from a Military

Standpoint. It is working. How much is Iraq in the news now? Only when our service people are killed in an attack do we hear anything. I follow several blogs put out by journalist who are there and they say its working. I'm pretty sure they are not Bush plants. The problem seems to be with the Iraqis themselves, who seem to want to return to the "good ol' days" of times past.

[Leopolds Ghost]

45. WRONG! To paraphrase John McLaughlin. December went on to be the month with the highest fatalities

In years. Spin that -- or admit that you get your opinions baked fresh from the opinion makers.

[trashcanistanista]

39. Even Reid isn't saying that!

Harry needs to reign her in, or someone does. Especially now, when Dems are looking so good She is looking worse and worse, a disgrace to our party.

[robbedvoter]

44. New proof we are right, the accomodators wrong: AlQuaeda gaining footing in Iraq

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/iraq_al_qaida_counterpunch
Don't ever believe the Bush-media! Not even when they endorse a dem!
"BAGHDAD - Al-Qaida in Iraq appears to have regained some footing with a series of high-profile and deadly bombings over the past two weeks and a sabotage blast Monday that may leave parts of northern Iraq without electricity until next week"

[Leopolds Ghost]

46. Defining deviancy down... like Clinton did with unemployment and inflation.

Make the numbers lie using statistics. Redefine the goalposts and achieve INSTANT military success in Iraq.

[UALRBSofL]

47. For someone to read that you would get the impression

The surge is working. She should have said "no comment" on that question. It gives the right wing a chance to say the speaker of the house agrees with Bush's occupation.