Lawmakers Who Were Almost Shot Down Declare ‘Significant Progress’ In Iraq

[NNN0LHI]

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/08/31/congress-plane-iraq/

Yesterday, a plane carrying three U.S. senators and a member of the House was forced to take evasive maneuvers to avoid rocket-propelled grenades as they took off from Baghdad. “It was a scary moment,” said Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL). “There were a few minutes there where I wondered: ‘Have we been hit? Are we OK?’” added Rep. Bud Cramer (D-AL).

Despite the close call, the lawmakers continued to insist that progress was being made in Iraq:

– “Incredibly significant progress has been made on the military front,” Martinez told the Orlando Sentinel.

– “I believe the surge, from observations…that they have made a lot of progress with the surge. It’s not definitive, but it’s on the right track,” Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) told the Tuscaloosa News.

– Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) told the Tulsa World that “his visit allowed him to witness firsthand the progress resulting from the ongoing troop surge in Iraq.”

The senators’ assessments are contradicted by the conclusion in the Government Accountability Office’s upcoming report on Iraq, a draft of which was leaked to the Washington Post yesterday. The “strikingly negative” draft report says that “Iraq has failed to meet all but three of 18 congressionally mandated benchmarks for political and military progress”:

[rodeodance]

1. It's not your everyday progress but “Incredibly significant progress !!!

[Greeby]

2. They get shot at and they still support this war?

Jeebus, these people are certifiable!

[Mr. Ected]

3. If That Plane Had Been Shot Down

Dana Perino would have read their statements, on behalf of their respective estates.

[NNN0LHI]

4. She would have said the shooting down of the plane proved the Iraqis were becoming desperate

And 30% of Americans would have nodded their heads in agreement.

Don

[rocktivity]

5. All together, now

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
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rocknation

[jody]

6. It wouldn't surprise me if the incident was staged, just saying. n/t

[tkmorris]

7. Who benefits from it?

[rocktivity]

8. "(F)rom observations, (t)he surge's... progress (is) not definitive,

but it’s on the right track," Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) told the Tuscaloosa News.

Dear Democrat who will be running against Sen. Shelby: He's just put a campaign commercial in your pocket!

:headbang:
rocknation