I think the Repukes looked incredibly stupid and hypocritical last night.

[MoonRiver]

I'm sure even the most out-of-it American is saying :wtf:, Repubs claim they don't want out of Iraq and then put forth an immediate pull out resolution, then, lolol, vote against it! It was OBVIOUSLY a cheap stunt, which the Democrats were totally correct not to fall for. There's no way, imho, this can help those House clowns. Heck, Schmidt was even dressed, not to mention acted, like a 4th of July circus clown! :crazy:

[rodeodance]

1. the very fact that Duncan voted against his own resol. should tell people

a lot (if they get it).

[MoonRiver]

3. I don't know how anyone who is paying the slightest attention

couldn't get it. It's was such an in your face blatant cheap political stunt. I think this is bound to backfire. These folks are really getting desperate.

[Burning Water]

The trouble is that

most people don't pay attention. I think the Repukes have scored a coup on us.

[MoonRiver]

5. With all respect, that seems totally absurd.

If they weren't paying attention, they won't care one way or another. Murtha was loud and clear that he wanted a GRADUAL pull-out. The Pukes screamed and shouted about that, then put forth an immediate pullout resolution. The media, btw, is calling this a Republican "stunt" non stop. For once they are being truthful. Just wait till the next polls come out. I'm sure I will be proved correct.

[wryter2000]

7. I see where BurningWater's coming from

I agree that the repukes didn't do themselves any good last night, but for so long they've gotten away with virtually every stunt they've pulled (except, maybe, Terri Schiavo). It's almost too scary to hope we've come back to reason.

[wryter2000]

14. Here's the problem

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5405104

The WaPo lying about what happened last night.

[johnaries]

25. Actually, the article itself is not that bad.

go to bugmenot.com to get a login, and read the whole thing.

snip
Differences over policy on the Iraq war ignited an explosion of angry words and personal insults on the House floor yesterday when the chamber's newest member suggested that a decorated war veteran was a coward for calling for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops.

snip
The idea was to force Democrats to go on the record on a proposal that the administration says would be equivalent to surrender. Recognizing a political trap, most Democrats -- including Murtha -- said from the start they would vote no.

snip
Though even many Democrats think Murtha's immediate withdrawal plan is impractical, it struck a chord in a party where frustration with the war and the Bush administration's open-ended commitment is mounting fast. Murtha galvanized the debate as few others could have. He is a 33-year House veteran and former Marine colonel who received medals for his wounds and valor in Vietnam, and he has traditionally been a leading Democratic hawk and advocate of military spending.

Murtha's resolution included language the Republicans wanted to avoid, such as "the American people have not been shown clear, measurable progress" toward stability in Iraq. It also said troops should be withdrawn "at the earliest practicable date," although Murtha said in statements and interviews Thursday that the drawdown should begin now.

[Burning Water]

10. Well, we'll

see. Perhaps I should have said "close attention". Anyway, there will be interesting sound-bites. I watched the debate on C-SPAN. Lots of stuff there.

And it was a stunt. So what? It's whether it works or not that counts, and my considered opinion is that it did. But I could be wrong. We'll see.

[Marr]

8. I don't. Anyone who pays attention to House votes could see that

it was a cheap stunt.

On top of that, the only person that scored a soundbite was Jean Schmidt, a flag-clad chickenhawk who called a Vietnam vet a coward on the House floor, then had to apologize moments later with an obvious lie.

[alcibiades_mystery]

29. Yeah, everyone's dumb but you

Nice narrative. The American people are stupid. That's your take on things. And that's why I would never want to be associated with you. Elitist claptrap and self-congratulatory pablum of the first order.

[Burning Water]

2. Boy, do I wish that

I could agree. Yes, they are hypocritical, but most voters will not understand the complexities of Democrats voting against a pull-out while calling for one at the same time. I think the Repukes were stupid to give the Democrats a chance to {i]go on the record as being against this immoral, illegal, unjust, aggressive war to line Cheney's pockets. I think the Democrats were stupid not to take them up on it. It will make it harder to talk about withdrawal in the future.

I wish they had had the courage of their convictions.

[MoonRiver]

4. They wanted a gradual withdrawal over 6 months, not an immediate one.

That makes perfect sense. Why is this concept complex?

[Burning Water]

6. Well, to you

or me, it is not. But I have no faith in th e American people to be paying attention. All they are going to remember is that the Dems voted against withdrawal. So it will lessen their arguments for withdrawal in the future.

Perhaps you disagree. Fine. We'll see over the next few months.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

9. Americans reply with gut feelings

Anyone who heard that female dog of a Congressperson cite another repuke who called Murtha a coward had to have their blood boiling.

[wryter2000]

12. That's it in a nutshell

We'll see over the next few months.

Actually, we'll see much more during the 2006 campaigns. I'm heartened by what I've heard from the CM (as quoted here) so far. If the media are calling it a "Republican stunt," they won nothing and probably hurt themselves.

I think if we'd been divided, they could pick us off one by one. I think since the Dems all stood together, it points out the stuntness of the whole thing.

[MoonRiver]

31. I think the polls demonstrate that Americans, if not getting smarter,

are at least waking up. Like I said it will be interesting to see how the polls reflect this latest Repuke transparent scam.

[Marr]

11. If they follow House proceedings at all, they'll understand it.

If they don't, they won't even know about it.

[MoonRiver]

13. That's what I think.

This was a true act of desperation, and it was very dumb. We don't call them morAns for nothing! :evilgrin:

[Burning Water]

15. LOL

They won't follow the House proceedings, but they will know about it. If the American people were, in general, as passionate and knowledgeable about politics as most posters on DU, they might know something about it. But they will only know what they read or see or hear in the MSM. So they'll know what the Repukes want them to know.

[Marr]

17. Here's CNN's lead:

"House Rejects Iraq Pullout: The House late Friday overwhelmingly rejected calls for an immediate troop withdrawal from Iraq, a vote engineered by the Republicans that was intended to fail."

http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/

If this is representative of the coverage this vote will get, then I really don't see the concern.

[Conker]

18. Atleast CNN is telling the truth, but what about the other MSM coverage?

[MoonRiver]

19. I heard Tweet call it a Republican "stunt".

Pat Buchanan also said it was a stunt. They are also bashing many Dems (we all know who they are) for their long, unfortunate history of being either hawkish or wishy washy on the war. Tweet said lots of good things about Murtha. Said he was one of the few honorable House members.

[robbedvoter]

16. It was a stunt. MSM will legitimize it easily. Dems don't really want to

end the war - just love to criticize fearless leader.

[Tennessee Gal]

20. IMO the Pugs handed out more Dem talking points.

What do you call a political party that proposes a resolution that they in no way agree with and have no intention of voting for? I call it a party posturing and playing politics.

[unblock]

21. just last night?

:rofl:

[MoonRiver]

22. True, lol!

Seemed a little more obvious than usual last night. And Schmid't clown act really stole the circus show! :D

[koopie57]

27. I can't help but wonder what she is thinking this morning?

I hate waking up after having done really really stupid the day before and realizing it was not a bad dream.

[stewert]

23. It Was a Fraud........

The Republicans brought up a Republican resolution to the floor of the house for a vote, then all 215 Republicans voted NO.

They all voted NO for their own resolution, if people can not figure out this was a political stunt then they are stupid.

[Raffi Ella]

24. Murtha is a highly respected memeber of Congress

The fact that he said we need to pull out(over the next 6 months)means a lot to those who are paying attention.His words had an impact.That is why the Republicans felt the need to pull a stunt like this.

What they failed to relaize is that with approval ratings so low and the public now knowing Bush lied to take us to war "Stay the Course" just doesn't cut it anymore.

The Republicans have no plans for withdrawal.They want to "stay the cousre" as proven last night with no plan for withdrawal.

When are they going to listen to America and start realizing these sort of attacks and stunts are working against them?

Murtha has made a profound impact on this issue.I think America is smart enough to see what went down in the House last night.And I think it is going to back fire in the Repubs faces.

[Kralizec]

26. As did I. But the American Public is so slow in noticing this! n/t

[harlinchi]

28. Of course it was a fraudulent stunt. Of course the media will spin as...

...it were not. It won't work. That tactic would have worked 6 months ago, not now.

ayeshahaqqiqa, in post 9 mentioned the gut feeling that we use to follow events. Naturally, those feelings are influenced by the degree to which we pay attention but they do exist and are used.

The gut of the American public has been stuffed full of the political tricks of the current GOP; it can swallow no more. Our current GOP-run congress boasts a GOP-run senate unable to complete the crucial Phase II of its intelligence investigation; that senate is complimented by a house that finds time to enable votes like the farce which occurred yesterday for purely partisan political purposes.

Unable to show the character and integrity required to refrain from playing politics with issues of such substance, the GOP has force-fed the public with a variety of political tactics from prestidigitation to brute force. Recently though, the public has figuratively crossed its silverware on its plate, blotted the corners of its mouth, pushed back from the table and said, "No more, thanks. We've had enough."

The GOP has piled our plate high with false facts like 'the economy is doing fine!', 'the recovery is steaming ahead, full', 'jobs are being created by the hundreds of thousands', 'tax cuts are needed since things are going so well', tax cuts are needed because of a negative economic event' and 'a little more mercury won't hurt the kids' among others. We swallowed some, had a little more crammed down our throats and now, we've had it (up to here -- I'm holding my hand, palm down, knuckles up and right under my chin!).

The GOP will have to find some other tactics; these no longer work. Unfortunately their other methods might be frightening to consider.

[Spazito]

30. The only face I have seen to any extent when the media is covering

this is Murtha's, it's his face, parts of his speech or parts of his press conference that are front and center. The repubs did the worst thing they could do by pulling this stunt, imo, they heightened even more Murtha's position instead of diminishing it as they hoped. Oh, and when the media does focus on a repub, it is Schmidt's calling Murtha a coward and then having to apologize, lol, I don't think that will sell well for the repubs either.