General Petraeus is a military man constantly at war with the facts. In 2004, just before the election, he said there
was “tangible progress” in Iraq and that “Iraqi leaders are stepping forward.” And last week Petraeus, the architect
of the escalation of troops in Iraq, said, “We say we have achieved progress, and we are obviously going to do
everything we can to build on that progress.”
Every independent report on the ground situation in Iraq shows that the surge strategy has failed. Yet the General
claims a reduction in violence. That’s because, according to the New York Times, the Pentagon has adopted a bizarre
formula for keeping tabs on violence. For example, deaths by car bombs don’t count. The Washington Post reported
that assassinations only count if you’re shot in the back of the head — not the front. According to the Associated
Press, there have been more civilian deaths and more American soldier deaths in the past three months than in any
other summer we’ve been there. We’ll hear of neighborhoods where violence has decreased. But we won’t hear that
those neighborhoods have been ethnically cleansed.
Most importantly, General Petraeus will not admit what everyone knows: Iraq is mired in an unwinnable religious
civil war. We may hear of a plan to withdraw a few thousand American troops. But we won’t hear what Americans are
desperate to hear: a timetable for withdrawing all our troops. General Petraeus has actually said American troops
will need to stay in Iraq for as long as ten years.
http://cdn.moveon.org/pac/content/pac/pdfs/PetraeusNYTad.pdfThese are substantive facts and valid criticisms of Petraeus. Yet Clark and the other Democrats do not address these points at all; they only nod in tired
agreement with the republicans {a phrase I should never have to type wrt the war} about how making a pun on his name is the real issue and therefore the whole ad must be dismissed outright. :banghead:
Here's what the Democratic narrative should be: "Perhaps Moveon.org made a poor choice of words in making a pun on the General's name. But the core content of their ad is very important and is what should be addressed:
Why don't deaths by car bombs count? Why do only back-of-the-head shots count as an assassination? Why isn't ethnic cleansing being discussed as the cause in the "decrease" in violence?"
Etc. Etc. Etc.
It's very simple. Democrats: Moveon.org set this up for you
perfectly - the "betrayus" line gets the issue plastered all over the media, which gives you a perfect opportunity to pivot and talk about the actual content of the ad,
while simultaneously criticizing the portions of it that was over the top. It was supposed to be a twofer. You folded with a full house. They tee'd it up for you, but you fumbled in the end zone. PICK A METAPHOR. :eyes:
But no. You just pass a weak-kneed resolution condemning the ad wholesale. Oh well, chalk up another cave-in by the Dems.
Moveon.org, however will be laughing all the way to the bank. All the attention will spike contributions to their PAC - money which will be used to elect more of your sorry asses. Hopefully they'll help elect Democrats with spines this time.
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