Biden's Opening Statement at Hearing on Foreign Affairs Budget

[Muttocracy]

Whole thing is a good read; looks like video of hearing is here (couldn't find direct on c-span) http://www.senate.gov/~foreign/


http://biden.senate.gov/newsroom/details.cfm?id=292817&


BIDEN Opening Statement at Hearing on the President's Foreign Affairs Budget

Washington, DC – Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE) chaired a Committee hearing today on the Administration’s foreign affairs budget and foreign policy priorities. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice testified at the hearing.

Chairman Biden’s prepared remarks are included below:

<snip>


“Unfortunately, political progress – which was the principal aim of the surge – has not followed.

“I still see no strategy for achieving what virtually everyone agrees is the key to success in Iraq: a sustainable political settlement that convinces Iraqis they can pursue their interests peacefully, without bullets and bombs. Without a political settlement, we could easily see a resurgence of violence, no matter how many troops we keep in Iraq.

“And we just can’t keep this many troops in Iraq much longer. Every day we stay in these numbers is another day of terrible strain on our fighting forces and their families, on our military’s readiness and ability to meet other threats to America’s security, on our taxpayers and the government’s capacity to meet challenges here at home, and on our standing in the world.

“The President says our strategy is to “leave on success.” Does that mean that it is his intent to “stay on failure?” Because right now – in the absence of a political strategy for Iraq – that’s what we’re doing. We’re treading water. That’s better than drowning. But we can’t keep doing it.

<snip>

[gateley]

1. Thanks! I'm going to post this on the big boards --

I think cspan is one of the most difficult sites on which to find something (if that makes sense).

[Muttocracy]

2. that audio link isn't working

nor is another one I dug out of foreign relations page - it points to last week's hearing. Sent an email to the senate webmaster, will let you know if they get back to me.

I am grateful for C-Span, but searching C-Span.org is no fun.

[gateley]

3. Yeah - I only get online access (no cable).

I find I have to click all three channels to find what I'm looking for.

They have a spiffy new front page, but it doesn't help me much.

[Muttocracy]

4. same here n/t

[Muttocracy]

5. video link up now:

http://www.senate.gov/~foreign/archives/2008/archive021308.ram

if "start soon" screen still at the start, skip to start about 19 minutes in.

[gateley]

6. Thanks - you didn't include the link "out there" -- JUST in case someone

other than us wants to view it! :hi:

[Muttocracy]

7. got it - distracted by our boy...

[gateley]

9. Wow - just now watched it. I miss him SO MUCH! nt

[jillan]

8. I wish the news would spend a little more time on what is going on in the Senate; congress

rather than analyze to death everything that Hillary and Obama have said.

[Muttocracy]

10. but, they DID cover baseball today, right?

GRRRRRR

[PatSeg]

11. Well, the future of the world

hangs in the balance because sports figures are using growth hormones and steroids!!!

[Muttocracy]

12. got more attention than Biden's cocaine sentencing stuff... sigh n/t

[PatSeg]

14. I know

Hardball, Countdown, and Dan Abrams all spent considerable time on it. With all the urgent issues at hand, I am having a hard time with Congressional hearings about drug use in baseball. What a trivial society we've become.

[Jennifer C]

13. I was just looking at the C-SPAN schedule

It looks like they'll be showing this at 6:30am EST on CSPAN2.

[Muttocracy]

15. Kerry did a nice job grilling Condi on NATO nt