Indeed, the Democratic statement lacks specific details of a plan to capture bin Laden, the al-Qaida chief who has evaded U.S. forces in the more than four years since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. But Democrats suggest they will double the number of special forces and add more spies to increase the chances of finding al-Qaida’s elusive leader.
Democrats also do not set a deadline for when all of the 132,000 American troops now in Iraq should be withdrawn.
Well at least they have another plan!
The very first thing that came to my mind when I read this was to wonder if it was the same plan Mr. Clinton used? The second thing was gee, if they don’t want troops in Iraq, then where are they going to re-deploy them? Maybe here in the US?
Their accusation that Bush’s plans have failed are transparent. We have not been attacked for almost 5 years.
The second thing was gee, if they don’t want troops in Iraq, then where are they going to re-deploy them? Maybe here in the US?
Haven’t you ever heard of non wartime Army operations? Soldiers stay on base or serve abroad.
Yes I have Jesse but what I do not want is to fight terrorists here on our shores. If we cut and run in the middle east then that is exactly what we are going to be facing. The WSJ had a great article today about how the leaders of the middle east are just waiting Bush’s term out. Then what do you think will happen?
I think the Dem stategery has been to step back and let the Republican agenda implode on itself.
It seems to be working. I don’t think it’s a GREAT plan, but it makes political sense.
Let the public know that all three branches of government are controlled by republicans, let the public see that the past five, six years of republican policy haven’t brought them cheaper health care, haven’t made it easier to pay for college, haven’t made the world any safer (US combat deaths, increased terror attacks world wide, and increased ranks of terrorists to name a few)…
Basically it’s been a “hey man, it’s not my fault, you can’t blame me” kind of policy.
I won’t make any predictions (I’m thru with that post 2004 election), but I have a strong feeling (and it’s all over the news, left and rightwing) that this November there’s gonna be a change a-commin’.
Democrats now poll higher on every subject, including National Security. Thats huge! That was the feather in your cap!
Put it this way, it’s been nothing but downhill for repubs since fall of 2004.
RE: #3.
BonBon…don’t be so afraid.
You cannot defeat terrorism. It has always been and always will be. A war on terrorism is like a war on poverty, or a war on drugs.
you can never “defeat” poverty or drug use, but you can make policy that reduces it.
When will the US make policy that reduces the “need” for terrorists to attack us?
Certainly bombing their women and children doesn’t make them want to stop anytime soon.
SF Liberal…..I am afraid. Before 9/11 and certainly after 9/11 I have been very afraid. As for making policy that reduces the need for terrorist to attack us? I’m sorry but I happen to think we don’t owe anyone an apology for anything. These people attack us for who we are; not what our foreign policy is and it won’t stop. World Trade 92 was our third wake up call. We should have been listening.
We have made many over there rich with our appetite for oil. The fact that not everyone benefits from it is not our fault nor our responsibility.
SF- How is the government going to lessen the cost of college? Let me guess…increase the taxes to pay for it? College is expensive..but a parent has had 18 years to plan for it and there are many programs available…Or do you think our tax dollars should pay for everyone to go to college?
Whats the demacrats plans let him go if he promises to never again bomb or threaten america? Gee do you think BIN LADEN might ride a jackass at times?:roll:
RE: #7.
How is the government going to lessen the cost of college? Let me guess:increase the taxes to pay for it?
yep.
9- SF- please elaborate…this I have got to hear…and please let me know what is affordable and what schools are we referring to? Thanks
You don’t have to increase taxes to pay for stuff. It’s easier to increase borrowing. Also people don’t complain if they aren’t paying until some undefined future date.
Peejz: You won’t get any details or even useful information from SF Lib. He expresses lots of opinion and rhetoric, but never any substance.
“I think the Dem stategery has been to step back and let the Republican agenda implode on itself.”
Another classic statement for the Wrongness Hall of Fame! The Democrites have been sitting back? You mean there has been no intense, orchestrated, determined effort to undermine the Bush Admin in everything it does since Bush was elected (I mean, “stole” the election
)in 2000? No Dan Rather forged letters, no hysterical attempted Plamegate boondoggle scandal, bo treasonous blathering by Chapatraitor Ted and Turban Durbin, steadily and incessantly beating the Aby Ghraib/US troops are like Nazis drum? That’s just a very few examples of a mountain of activity. I assure you, SF Liberal, that the Democrites have not been “sitting back”. They have worked tirelessly with the MSM to attack and undermine every aspect of the Bush Admin.
SF Liberal, how can you make it through the day being so conistently wrong?
RE: #13.
OK, I’ll take the bait. Even though you are being rather rude about it…“wrongness hall of fame”?? What are you, thirteen years old?
election 2000 – had the roles been reversed your side would be saying THE EXACT SAME THING. No need to get into semantics about it, but just admit it. Your side would be gnashing your teeth and tearing at your clothes in the old biblical way had Gore squeaked by like Bush did.
Rathergate – News organizations are in the business of reporting THE NEWS. We could talk about journalistic methods as far as checking sources, etc., but for the love of god, the media is there to report the news, not to report what news the right wing or the president sees fit to have reported. If you don’t like it, tough shit! Watch something else. Write a letter. But STOP whining about the liberal media. It makes your side look crazy.:lol:
Plamegate – First of all the investigation is NOT YET OVER. Second of all, the COS for the VPOTUS was indicted in a grand jury. Try (and fail) as you might to convince others that this little fact is a non-issue, it is in fact a BIG issue. SOMEONE in the W.H. revealed the secret identity of a CIA agent. Thats shitty, and possible treason. But don’t pretend it’s small beans, because if there is a grand jury and a special prosecutor involved, it’s a big deal. sorry. sad, but true.
Kennedy & Durbin – dude, they are in the Senate! And they are of the opposition! What do you expect them to do or say?? LOL…you made me laugh on this one, Robert. Your making fun of the opposition for being in the opposition?
Abu Ghraib – I don’t think you understand the gravity of what happened, otherwise you wouldn’t be “joking” about it. This incident, along with the invasion, has brought global opinion of the US to DANGEROUS lows. Making light of it kind of shows how intellectually lazy you might be on some issues. Sorry, but…you just don’t seem to get it like just about everyone else does.
Clearly the Dems have had little to no control over the three branches of government for, at the very least, 6 years.
Every single bad thing, wrong step, or political error in the name of the American government has been done by Republicans.
THAT is what the Dems know and THAT is what they will use against Repubs in the next couple elections.
No matter what, you can’t pin any of the governments mistakes on Dems. You can try, but the fact is, Repubs run the show.
AND EVERYONE KNOWS IT.
and it’s great because that makes it real easy for the public to know who to blame!
RE: #8.
Whats the Democrats plans let him go if he promises to never again bomb or threaten America? Gee do you think BIN LADEN might ride a jackass at times?
Gee, Snowey, I never thought about it that way. I forgot that the Democrats are currently the civilian leadership of the military under Bush.
How about I put it this way for you?
Why has Bush been unable to capture Bin Ladin? Why is Bush such a failure of a a military leader? Why did he devote only 10,000 troops to look for the perpetrator of the 9/11 attacks? Why did he pass the buck to the Afghan militia to find Bin Ladin?
Why has Bush failed to find Bin Ladin??? It’s been four years, longer than the course of WW2, with the worlds most advanced military, and we STILL can’t find him?
I blame Bush.
You, for some crazy reason, blame the powerless Democrats.
that’s just silly!
“No matter what, you can’t pin any of the governments mistakes on Dems. You can try, but the fact is, Repubs run the show.â€
True. But apparently the American people don’t think the Democrats have any answers.
But apparently the American people don’t think the Democrats have any answers.
And they DO have answers. They always have. They just don’t match up to the Republican agenda.
I’ll be the first to admit, the current Dem leadership is lame and ineffective at getting their message out.
The Republican communication machine is HUGE. They (repubs) are EXCELENT campaigners and are great at putting a message out, right or wrong. But they are TERRIBLE at actual governing. Look at the past 6 years. They win elections by stirring up fear (saddam, 9/11, gays) but then once elected, what do they have to show? NOTHING.
Like I said in earlier post, the dems are doing just fine by not saying anything and letting the repubs make a mess of things all by themselves.
Not the best “strategery”, but come this November, it’ll do them just fine. maybe.
“I’ll be the first to admit, the current Dem leadership is lame and ineffective at getting their message out.â€
I don’t think they have a message to get out other than “President Bush is an idiotâ€.
“The Republican communication machine is HUGE.â€
So is the Democrat communication machine.
“They win elections by stirring up fear (saddam, 9/11, gays) but then once elected, what do they have to show? NOTHING.â€
Not true. We have tax cuts, huge deficits, HR 3162, and 2,327 dead Americans in Iraq.
Actually we do have a great deal to show for it..
tax cuts, robust economy, low inflation, steps have been taken to reform education, funding for social programs has not been higer in the past 30 years, and we have not been attacked since 9/11.
Uday is dead. Saddam is in Jail. Osama is on the run.
“and we have not been attacked since 9/11.â€
I guess that depends on your point of view. As far as I’m concerned Americans are being attacked and dieing every day with IEDs, mortars, snipers, etc.
“OK, I’ll take the bait. Even though you are being rather rude about it:”wrongness hall of fameâ€?? What are you, thirteen years old?
”
The point of my post #13 just proven by SF Liberal’s response. For all he types, he never addresses the issue, which is my assertion that the Democrites have not stepped back but instead have done absolutely everything the can to attack and undermine the Bush Admin.
He undoubtedly clicks the “Submit” button, confident that he has parried my post, when in fact he has only demonstrated once again the lack of coherence, the lack of focus, the inability of the Liberal mind to cope with logic and clarity.
And yes, SF Liberal, I am trying to be kind, to express in non-inflammatory language the reality of what is obvious here. I do not post profanity or obscene insults.
Zelda is exactly right. I wish the Democrites would again be credible opposition, but the reality is that they are all a bunch of Monday-morning quarterbacks at best. They beat the same drum, incessantly. Constant criticism, but no better plan (unless you consider “cut and run” a viable strategy).
All they have is that they hate Bush, hate Conservatives, and “have a plan” but won’t reveal what it is. I guess we have to put them in power first, then they’ll reveal the plan?
Sorry, NO SALE!
I think a Democrat from outside of Washington D.C. is their best choice. The ones inside the beltway seem to be as crazy as the Hollywood elite.
Does anyone see the problem with this?
Increasing special forces? Where do they think they are going to put them?
In Pakistan? Pakistani govt rules wont allow it (too much pressure from the anti-american sentiment).
In Iran? I’m sure that will go over well.
In Afghanistan? We already know he’s left that area.
In China? Haaa Haaa.
What Spies? Is there some cache of these bastards we dont know about? Are they sittin at home in Langley Virginia practicing their pakistani dialects? I’m sure they are just lined up ready to be deployed. Why didnt the right think of that?
Honestly, I like the thought of the Dems having a plan as much as the next fence sitter, but this isnt anything that hasnt already been thought of by the current administration. However, I will say, if it’s out of the mouth of Mark Warner I’d buy it.