Don't let them start blaming Dems for Iraq!

[LuckyTheDog]

As much as the Bush fans would LOVE to start blaming the Iraq fiasco on the Democrats come January, they can't. The Constitution still puts foreign policy in the hands of the president.

It is up to Bush to face reality on Iraq and start doing something that works. Congress can do its best to force Bush's hand. But Congress has no power to enact a new strategy for Iraq.

People who say "OK, Dems, now it's your turn to do something" simply don't know how the federal government works. Had the voters been able to throw out the president on Nov. 7, they would have. But they did what the COULD do, which was to hand a landslide victory to Democrats in Congress and end the era of the rubber-stamp on Capitol Hill.

But, the Iraq war and how it was handled still has Bush's name on it. And, unless he decides to delegate his commander-in-chief duties to Nancy Pelosi, he is still responsible for the ongoing mistake that is summed up in the famous phrase "stay the course."

Bush would now be wise to listen to America and devise a new plan. If he doesn't, then come 2008, voters will elect a Democrat who will. But if he doesn't, it will not the the Democrats' fault.

[mdmc]

1. Giving the troops what they need (clear objectives, overwhelming support)

and we will be fine.

The Dems jocked this war at the expense of the troops. They better stop doing that, and start demanding clear, obtainable objectives. Anything less is uncivilized.

[WinkyDink]

3. What? More ammo won't stop this civil war. Maybe we'll figure that out

after we're there 6 more years.
What "clear objectives"?
There are no "objectives" to be had, for the U.S. We are invaders, looters, torturers, and murderers: The Iraqi hearts and minds have been long lost to us.

[mdmc]

6. We should have never went in to Iraq

The war would be a great success if we were out in 10 years. The truth is, we are trying to rebuild a government and society from the bottom up.

The main reason that I opposed the war was because it would be impossible to put Iraq back together again. If it is possible, it is possible over the next fifty years.

The sooner we can extract the Iraq war from the war on terrorism, the better we will be.

This war has made America less safe. All that is left is to learn the lesson - you need clear objective and overwhelming force in order to exert military might overseas.

If we can be out in 10 years, then the war is a success.

[LuckyTheDog]

4. Sure they should

And they should start holding oversight hearings up the wa-zoo.

But my point is that the right-wing echo chamber is already working hard to start framing the idea that "the Democrats are in charge now and hence, everything that happens from here on out is their fault."

That is utter nonsense, given that the Republicans still control two of the three federal branches. But the righties count on the fact that many Americans slept through civics class. We need to be ready -- and make sure they don't succeed in handing Dems all the blame for whatever happens in Iraq between now and 2008.

[mdmc]

7. yes

:kick:

[blue cat]

2. You're the big dog!

Great post.

[peanutbrittle]

5. "It is 100% their fault"

Good Op-ed here that helps to sum it up:



Cenk Uygur: The Republicans Lost Iraq

snip

Let's get this straight - once and for all. It was a Republican president, a Republican administration, a Republican Senate, a Republican House and entirely Republican government that started and lost the war in Iraq. No excuses. They screwed this thing up entirely. It is 100% their fault.

more.....http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20061203/cm_huffpost/035432

[leftofthedial]

8. it is bush's war, period.

and every congressional repuke except Chafee is an accomplice.

but let's not allow the democrats who supported the illegal war to pretent they didn't

[JackRiddler]

9. Only about one-half of them are to blame.

The (about) one-half of the Democratic delegation who voted for the Iraq war resolution served as indispensable facilitators to the invasion of Iraq. That includes Kerry, Clinton and many others, and they are absolutely to blame, whatever their opportunistic and lame excuses years after the predictable results of this invasion.

[LuckyTheDog]

10. Bush made the call

It is HIS fault.