Sen Kerry on Meet The Press 9/16/07
McCain argued that pushing the Iraqis to compromise in order to end their civil war somehow amounts to a return to the failed policies of former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. I have to confess, I don't see the connection here. The Democrats were the ones who argued that Rumsfeld should have been fired for his incompetence in running this war. McCain may have complained about the former Secretary of Defense at various Armed Services hearings in the Senate, but he was hardly a leading voice in asking that Rumsfeld be fired.
Tim Russert, the host of Meet the Press and moderator of this debate, asked Kerry if he would be in favor of blocking funding for the war. The Senator stated that he would try to redirect the funding to vital areas. The Congress should fund the non-combat troops necessary to complete the training of Iraqi forces, pay for the troops necessary to hunt down Al Qaeda terrorists in Iraq and fund the legitimate costs necessary to vital American security and diplomatic needs. We should be concentrating on the real job in Iraq and not on continuing a military buildup that our own Generals, including Gen. Petraeus, say cannot stop the violence
If this show was a prelude to the coming debate in the Senate this week, then I think John McCain should consider changing his talking points. The idea that Democrats want a return to the "stay the course" policies of last year is wrong. It's the Republicans who refuse to recognize reality and take real action to bring about real change. It's President Bush and the Republicans in Congress who refuse to hold the Iraq government responsible for meeting the benchmarks that were supposed to show progress in setting up a truly representative government. Senator Kerry is proposing real measures that will force change in Iraq and begin to bring our troops home.
I'm not sure what John McCain wants, but pretending that "more of the same" equals change is a dishonest argument. Pretending that a demand that Iraqi politicians step up to the plate and negotiate a solution to their political problems is somehow a return to the policies of Donald Rumsfeld is worse than dishonest. That's downright delusional.
5 Comments
New comments for this entry are closed.
JK at his absolute best! So clear, so direct, so complete in his description of the democratic position to end this senseless war and bring our boys home according to a responsible time table. Could anyone now seriously doubt that the dems not only have a plan, but a much better plan than any repub has ever offered? JK countered every McCain falsehood quickly and beautifully with facts. McCain and his repub talking points looked pathetic. Quite sad that McCain has dug in to defend the indefensible. I do believe the tide is beginning to be with us after seeing this interview. Fine detailed analysis you presented here, Terri.
The video
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032608/
I talked about it at http://www.democracycellproject.net and http://www.silencedmajority.blogs.com.
Beachmom has a recommended diary about it with 162 comments & loads of “recommends” - w/transcript.
Bravo, Senator Kerry!!! (always a master debator)
The DailyKos bloggers are highly appreciative of Kerry’s strong debate on MTP vs. McCain and his failed Iraq policy. Other progressive blogs are taking note, too…
I hope (President) Kerry and his staff read all those kudos AND KEEP IT UP!!!
Kerry is still representing tens of millions of U.S. citizens and people around the world!!!... I can’t emphasize that enough.
I was abroad recently and even an Australian physician came out and told me that she thought John Kerry was a great man with great policies- maybe he just didn’t get fair treatment in the media?
Thank you Senator Kerry. You seemed to tell the American people so CLEARLY that we need leverage to get the Iraqis to make some decisions. It all makes perfect sense. John McCain still doesn’t get it. And yes, get our soldiers out of harms way and start bringing them home. I only wish you were running for President.
Sherise, Wonderful to read your comment about all the smart people who get it about Sen. Kerry. And, yes, in my opinion, Sen. Kerry has been treated horribly by the media. As an insightful blogger, “renodem”, wrote on Daily Kos, “Kerry has always been his own man, fighting persistently, often behind the scenes, for what he saw as the American promise for all who came to this country. MSM has never understood Kerry, nor even tried. They like to stay in very shallow waters, preferring the gossip method of reporting rather than fact-based investigating. And, just knowing how Kerry zeroed in on the corporate corruption that has been behind so much of the repub agenda for so long now, it’s pretty apparent that those who rise to the top in the media steer clear of casting any light on corporate treachery, while framing the republicans’s arch enemy (Kerry)as effete and wishy washy. . . . Kerry was always, and still is, the man they fear the most. His honesty completely escapes them.”
I agree with your Australian physician: Sen. Kerry IS a great man, and I still grieve that he is not our president, and I grieve for all the people who still don’t understand the magnitude of what we lost in 2004. However, watching Sen.Kerry on Meet the Press Sunday, gloriously at the top of his game, I do have to admit that his choice not to run for president in 2008 has, if anything, enhanced his effectiveness, his courage, his fighting spirit, and his commitment to change, to take our country back.