This should be the message of EVERY DEM regarding Israel/Lebanon

[LSK]

"I believe both sides should stop the violence immediately and should perform a prisoner exchange and begin talks."

AND NOTHING ELSE.

THATS ITS.

[cali]

1. I'd settle for the

first half of your statement. Just. Stop. The. Violence. NOW.

[shadowknows69]

14. That's a sound basis for a cease fire.

It is Israel and the US that won't consider it.

[Joanne98]

2. and release the doctor and his son Israel kidnapped from Gaza

[LSK]

4. i believe the prisoner exchange covers that

Dems do not have to go into detail for everyone to pick them apart. They are not the party of power and should not indicate choosing sides and their only position should be ending the violence and bring both sides to talks.

[cali]

5. No.

Any demands from either side for anything but an immediate cessation of the hostilities, simply muddies the already roiled waters. Prisoner trades and other matters can be dealt with after the shooting stops.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

3. For politicians, there is only one :"side"... their own.

Whatever is going to garner the most money and votes is the side their on.

[patrice]

6. Oh, but that would be "even-handed"! Can't do that! We gotta be RIGHT!

And might makes Right.

[bronxiteforever]

7. Agreed-and it made sense to do this before this got out of hand

when violence of this magnitude starts anything can happen!!!

[gademocrat7]

8. I agree

[BayCityProgressive]

9. they should call a cease-fire

to at least try to negotiate a disarming of Hezbollah over a period of time, along with international forces that actually have the ability to defend the border released into the area. The soldiers should be released and Israel should repeal it's Patriot Act style law that allows them to hold prisoners without charges ( it is disturbing how many countries have laws like this on the books, even in Aruba with that whole Natalee Halloway thing). Humanitarian aid should also be taken into Lebanon so that both the citizens of Lebanon and the 1 million citizens of N Israel can get back to some measure of normal lives. Israel should not have to sit with it's hands tied if Hezbollah refuses to stop launching rockets though. We have heard the Hezbollah politicians come out for a ceasefire but whether that would actually be followed by the militants I don't know.

[LSK]

10. disarming of Hezbollah was negotiated in res 1559

Unfortunately, the UN gave Lebanon NO SUPPORT to carry this out.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_1559

[BayCityProgressive]

12. I know

and Hezbollah does not follow any UN resolution. Who does though? The UN is a toothless joke that no one listens to unless it is in their own interest to. I have a hard time taking it seriously when countries like Syria, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia ect are passing human rights resolutions and other such garbage. The US and Europe may not be ideal but to have these countries undemocratic governments preaching to us is really ridiculous.

[LSK]

13. the UNs strength has always been the US enforcing things

When the US no longer wants to deal with things within the UN, the UN looses its strength.

The UN is as strong as the US wants it to be.

The concept of the UN is very important and must be allowed to continue.

[jaxx]

15. It'll be pretty strong today, since Condi said she was going to the UN

for a ceasefire. Too bad she went to the Mideast before with a bush chip on her shoulder telling them in essence to keep fighting. Now all of a sudden she comes home with her tail between her legs, 34 more kids killed, and wanting a ceasefire! World opinion has spoken.

[BayCityProgressive]

16. I agree that internationalism

is important, but I think the UN is just as toothless and doomed to failure as The League of Nations. I don't believe everything in the UN hinges on the US. Almost no country follows UN resolutions unless it wants to beat another country over the head with one. The they magically become important again. Maybe I have just become to cynical, but I think it is basically useless. The UN never successfully ends instability or genocide. I think the concept is important, and we should keep the UN to at least have dialogue with other nations and hopefully build a more unified international movement, but I don't see it happening any time soon.

[On the Road]

11. I Agree That is a Good Politcal Message

This is not about the Democrats. From a political point of view, it's about the actions of the Bush administration.

Going beyond that statement as a party would be ruinous and politcally impossible.