Democrats Fear Backlash at Polls for Antiwar Remarks (The Post)

[kentuck]

The Washington Post reports that some Democrats will be afraid they will be portrayed as weak on defense. Who is weak on defense? What great military leaders would put our troops in situations where they are sitting ducks? Who said this war would be over in six weeks - six months at the most? Who said the Iraqis would greet us with flowers and kisses? Who said the insurgents were in their "last throes"? Who has made one mistake after another as our troops continue to die? Now tell me, who is weak on defense?
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/06/AR2005120601707.html?referrer=email&referrer=email

<snip>

Strong antiwar comments in recent days by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean have opened anew a party rift over Iraq, with some lawmakers warning that the leaders' rhetorical blasts could harm efforts to win control of Congress next year.

Several Democrats joined President Bush yesterday in rebuking Dean's declaration to a San Antonio radio station Monday that "the idea that we're going to win the war in Iraq is an idea which is just plain wrong."

The critics said that comment could reinforce popular perceptions that the party is weak on military matters and divert attention from the president's growing political problems on the war and other issues. "Dean's take on Iraq makes even less sense than the scream in Iowa: Both are uninformed and unhelpful," said Rep. Jim Marshall (D-Ga.), recalling Dean's famous election-night roar after stumbling in Iowa during his 2004 presidential bid.

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Rahm Emanuel (Ill.) and Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (Md.), the second-ranking House Democratic leader, have told colleagues that Pelosi's recent endorsement of a speedy withdrawal, combined with her claim that more than half of House Democrats support her position, could backfire on the party, congressional sources said.

....more

[madfloridian]

1. Backlash is not always a bad thing.

I think both parties will equally get their backlash. I think the article is a great deal of spin, though.

[deutsey]

2. What's the saying? If you don't stand for something

you'll fall for anything?

We've already seen how they've fallen for Bush's BS. Maybe it's time they started standing for something now...

[Larkspur]

3. The Wimpnut Dems only know how to attack their own.

Otherwise they are terrified of Repukes.

I'm glad that they attacked Pelosi and not just Dean. At least they are consistant, but like always, their arugments that opposing the Iraq war makes Dems look weak is STUPID!!!

[liberalnurse]

4. These low level, whining Democrats

are NOT in touch with their constituients......

[endarkenment]

5. The DLC Stay And Die offensive continues.

Note the use of the 'dean scream' meme by marshall. So I'm just wondering if all of our DLC supporters here will be condemning these attacks by their DLC favs on other Democrats with the same vigor that they have attacked our objections to Saint Hillary et al.


An unrelated point about all this: the DLC stay and die strategy risks ending up with the Republicans getting credit for ending the preposterous mess in Iraq that they created while the Stay and Die faction of the Democratic party is standing on the sidelines yelling 'stay the course' 'must succeed'. Wouldn't that be ironic?

[MrBenchley]

6. Who blurted out

"The idea that we're going to win the war in Iraq is an idea which is just plain wrong."

Whose spokespeople are frantically doing damage control?

"Responding to Mehlman's broadside, Dean spokeswoman Karen Finney said that Republicans were "cherry-picking" Dean's words "just like they cherry-picked the pre-war intelligence."
"We can only win if the Iraqi people are able to play a greater role in peacekeeping, and we can only win if the president gives an honest assessment of what's really happening on the ground in Iraq," Finney said. "Staying the course and paying for good headlines are not a strategy. It's merely a bad excuse for not having a plan.""

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/12/06/dean.iraq/

[Clark2008]

8. Blurted out?

Um... 59 percent of Americans agree with Dean's statements - at least that's how many think this war is stupid.

[MrBenchley]

10. Blurted out....

[Clark2008]

12. Well, then, he "blurted out" the truth.

eom

[MrBenchley]

13. And he sounded like an idiot....

By the way, didn't Clark just publish an exceelent op/ed telling us how the war COULD be won?

Why, yes, he did....

"In the old, familiar fashion, mounting US casualties in Iraq have mobilized increasing public doubts about the war. Now, more than half the American people believe that the invasion of Iraq was a mistake. They're right. But it would also be a mistake now to pull out, start pulling out, or set a date to pull out. Instead we need a strategy to create a stable democratizing and peaceful state in Iraq – a strategy the Administration has failed to develop and articulate."

http://securingamerica.com/articles/wapo/2005-08-26

[Clark2008]

14. Yes, he did, but Bush isn't going to listen to him.

As long as BushCo. is in charge, then the war cannot be won.

Bank on it.

[MrBenchley]

15. But that's very different from saying

"the war cannot be won" period. I believe Clark is offering a way out of this mess, based on that piece. Dean flat-out said "You can't win, no way no how."

So when "Howard Dean says his Democrats can't win the war either", he's as much as told the voter, why bother to vote for Democrats? As the old commercial said, "Why trade a headache for an upset stomach?"

[desi826]

18. Missing the point

He is responding to Bush's statements that we will stay until "the war is won" whatever the hell THAT means.
This cannot be allowed to stand.
The "War" CAN'T be won, but we can help that country get on it's feet and get the hell out and that's what he's advocating.
Des

[Dr Fate]

19. What happened to your lectures to me on not criticizing Democrats?

I thought you opposed using RW talking points against DEMS.

I'll book mark this thread for the next time you accuse me of being not being a real Democrat when I offer my own critiques.

You may have a valid point- but I'm noting that you dont have a problem with critizing DEMs so long as you are the one doing it.

[derby378]

7. Rahm Emanuel is DLC...

What about Marshall and Hoyer? Anyone know?

[joeybee12]

9. Hoyer was a big supporter of the Bankruptcy Bill--there was a

controversy after it because Move On was going to run "shame on you" ads against him. The controversy basically was they were bitch-clapping a Dem. I say, go for it.

[wtmusic]

11. Fantastic...a rift!

OK Democrats, let's decide...are you for another Vietnam, or against one?

[AzDar]

16. BULLSHIT. The only thing Democrats fear at the polls is Diebold!!!

[killbotfactory]

17. They wish

fucking war mongers

[Jacobin]

20. That just shows how stupid and out of touch they really are

[David Zephyr]

21. Emanuel & Hoyer criticizing Pelosi instead of Bush?!

Good grief.