CNN breaking - Sen. Warner says troops home by Christmas

[quinnox]

GOP key Senator says Bush needs to start withdrawing by Christmas! CNN says this is a huge defection!!

[Cooley Hurd]

1. Woot! Good for Warner & I hope every Repug senator follows suit!

K&R!

[rndmprsn]

2. first big brick goes down...

who will be the next?

[PearliePoo2]

3. Holy Crap!

this is not what they had in mind especially with all the latest "spin" that the surge is working
and "progress" is being seen. blah..blah..blah
Warner said he is so old he is going to tell it like it is.
stay safe Sen. Warner.

[babylonsister]

4. That is hugh!1! if he sticks to his guns, a trait he's not known for. nt

[ieoeja]

20. I understand "hugh" and "moran" when poking fun of someone.

But I am starting to see it all the time when there is noone at whom to poke fun. I worry that people seeing that might start mistaking the posters for morons who can not spell huge then broadbrush DUers with it.

[IndyOp]

5. How 'bout starting before Labor Day? Just start NOW! (n/t)

[napi21]

6. I'm REALLY glad to hear this, but what's going on? Aren't all

the Senators still on vacation? I realize they still get briefings while they're off, but I sure didn't think they had Press coverage! Did Warner feel so strongly about this that he called a Presser at HOME?

[seafan]

7. Maybe this LBN thread is related.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2964482">US fears audacious offensive in Iraq

[halobeam]

17. That was exactly my first thought too...

[PearliePoo2]

11. I think I heard them say

Sen. Warner is just back from Iraq.
He is HUGELY influential in the Senate.

[The Backlash Cometh]

8. Warner. He's king for a day.

[Vinca]

9. Don't get too excited. I doubt Shrub will pay any attention to

Warner, either. Karl and company have probably already sent out the "cut and run" talking points.

[smoogatz]

10. They have, indeed.

They're even running pro-war ads in a number of Republican-held districts, urging Reps and Sens to stay the course. It's a total meltdown--I've never seen anything like it. I think this change in strategy is what was really behind Rove's departure; it doesn't sound like one of his moves (not smart enough). I'm guessing Cheney's behind it.

[Uncle Joe]

12. What year? n/t

[smoogatz]

13. Warner's responding to the NIE on Iraq, released today

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/23/washington/23cnd-policy.html?hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1187900228-JFIseROYO1vR3bUn/3ukjQ

It basically says that the military/tactical end of the surge is going reasonably well, but that the political/strategic end is a failure. Tactics without strategy amounts to more meaningless killing. Show's over, rover.

[AlCzervik]

14. but but the other senators that were there for a whole 10 hours say everything is spiffy.

so cunfuzzeling.

[napi21]

16. There will always be a few Sens. who stick with Shrub no matter what, but

Warner swings a lot of power in the Senate! He's also highly respected as a Senator AND as close to an expert on military ops as the Senate has! Believe me, this one's sending shock waves throughout the admin!

[CGowen]

15. The guy who brought us "Defense Authorization Act 07" destroying Posse Comitatus wants troops home?

In a stealth maneuver, President Bush has signed into law a provision which, according to Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), will actually encourage the President to declare federal martial law (1). It does so by revising the Insurrection Act, a set of laws that limits the President's ability to deploy troops within the United States. The Insurrection Act (10 U.S.C.331 -335) has historically, along with the Posse Comitatus Act (18 U.S.C.1385), helped to enforce strict prohibitions on military involvement in domestic law enforcement. With one cloaked swipe of his pen, Bush is seeking to undo those prohibitions.

Public Law 109-364, or the "John Warner Defense Authorization Act of 2007" (H.R.5122) (2), which was signed by the commander in chief on October 17th, 2006, in a private Oval Office ceremony, allows the President to declare a "public emergency" and station troops anywhere in America and take control of state-based National Guard units without the consent of the governor or local authorities, in order to "suppress public disorder."

...

http://www.towardfreedom.com/home/content/view/911/

[maximusveritas]

18. He's got a tough re-election coming up

hopefully the people of Virginia aren't as gullible as some here appear to be.

[defendandprotect]

25. Exactly . . .. 2008 on his mercenary little mind . . . and the Pentagon wants him around ---

[fed-up]

23. tinfoil hat time-maybe he wants troops home for martial law declaration when Depression II occurs nt

[Inuca]

19. Did anybody actually see/hear Warner?

I caught just a few minutes on CNN, so I do not have a clear image of what he said. The one thing that stuck in my mind is that he said that it is up to the president, not COngress to make decisions related to troop withdrawal. He also said that the president should decide on the number, any number, say 5000 (his example, not mine). All this is indeed important, but what exactly what it means, I have no idea as of yet. More than meets the eye, I am sure. By the way, Warner is just back from Iraq, he was there with Levin.

[Auntie Bush]

21. Levin will have something to say soon...like tomorrow? And George

is not going ti like one single word. I think we can start counting on more defections soon.

[AtomicKitten]

22. The Dems have been waiting for the GOP dominoes to fall.

I hope this is 4real.

[Warren Stupidity]

28. Great strategy that.

:sarcasm:

[AtomicKitten]

31. *

* snip *

Just wishing and hoping
and thinking and praying
and planning and dreaming
his kisses will start...
that won't get you into his heart...
so if your thinking how great true love is
all you gotta do is...

[defendandprotect]

24. Warner is top of the heap MIC supporter/war hawk -- and snake --

he might have the 2008 election in mind -- ???

[tom_paine]

26. Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Yap. Yap. Yap.

Like it matters to Chimpoleon.

:boring:

[Warren Stupidity]

27. No it is total bullshit.

Warner is calling for a token withdrawal of 5,000 troops. Total meaningless bullshit.

[beachmom]

29. Yep. Read Digby and weep:

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2007/08/shall-we-dance-by-digby-i-love-smell-of.html

[Cha]

30. Wonder what those $15 Million

ads are gonna buy the buSHITS? Warner better stay outta small airplanes!