KERRY on Iraq: "WRONG War at the WRONG Place at the WRONG Time"

[liberalpragmatist]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=615&e=2&u=/nm/20040906/pl_nm/campaign_kerry_dc

CANONSBURG, Pa. (Reuters) - Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry (news - web sites) on Monday called the invasion of Iraq (news - web sites) "the wrong war in the wrong place at the wrong time" and said his goal was to withdraw U.S. troops in his first White House term.

<snip>

"I said this from the beginning of the debate to the walk up to the war. I said, Mr. President don't rush to war, take the time to build a legitimate coalition and have a plan to win the peace."

Kerry said Bush had failed on all three counts. He called the president's talk about a coalition fighting alongside about 125,000 U.S. troops "the phoniest thing I've ever heard."

"You've about 500 troops here, 500 troops there and it's American troops that are 90 percent of the combat casualties and it's American taxpayers that are paying 90 percent of the cost of the war," he said. "It's the wrong war, in the wrong place at the wrong time."

<snip>

He also said Washington should make it clear to the world that the United States had no "long-term designs to maintain bases and troops in Iraq.

"We want those troops home and my goal would be to try to get them home in my first term and I believe that can be done," he said.

[BootinUp]

1. I'm glad he is clearing up his Iraq position

No indefinite presence in Iraq. A lot of Americans can vote for that! :)

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Emillereid]

3. Thank God, he's stepping up to the plate!

It's a beginning! GET TOUGH JFK!

[NightOwwl]

4. Hallelujah!

Bring it on and don't let up until November 2!

[IndianaGreen]

5. Yet, he would have voted for IWR had he known what he knows now

I don't see how Kerry is going to reconcile his many statements about Iraq. This appears to be nothing more than a bone to the Democratic base. Kerry needs to say something dramatic like "I will go to Iraq!" which is what Eisenhower said about Korea.

I think it is too late to be having a Road to Damascus type of conversion. It is better to talk about an exit strategy because Bush doesn't have one.

[Monte Carlo]

8. Kerry wanted to continue the brinkmanship under Clinton.

And that meant being ready, willing, and able as a nation to go to war if need be.

And this is more than a bone to the Democratic base. I really don't think such a line will go unnoticed by either the GOP-friendly media types nor the networks.

[IndianaGreen]

10. Clinton was responsible for the deaths of a million Iraqi children

that died for lack of food and medication because of US sanctions. I will also mention Clinton's relentless bombing of Iraq under the pretext of no-fly zones, a criminal act of war because the UN never sanction them!

And don't get me started with Clinton's war in the Balkans, made on behalf of the financial interests of George Soros.

Should we mention Plan Colombia?

The Left has no illusions about the dark nature of some of Clinton's policies!

We need a real debate in this country about what our governments, Republican and Democratic Administrations alike, have been doing to others in our name.

[Monte Carlo]

18. Saddam had to be held in check.

And the sanctions were the only thing that did that. I know Clinton's sins, and I don't need to hear anything about Soros' war in the Balkans.

The self-proclaimed spokesperson for the Left should now that a real debate is not what those in power want. They're not interested in debate; they already know they're right.

[truthspeaker]

27. IWR does not equal war

IWR only authorized force after diplomacy was exhausted. Granted the whole crisis was manufactured by Bush, and I would respect Kerry a lot more if he hadn't voted for IWR, but voting for IWR is not the same as voting for Bush's war.

[a new day]

6. Keep listenening to the Sr. Sen. from Massachusets, John

"Circumstances have changed significantly since Congress approved that resolution (authorizing the Bush administration to wage war against Iraq) last October. In the months that have passed, events have only strengthened my belief that this is the wrong war at the wrong time." --Sen. Edward Kennedy January 29, 2003.

Ted got a lot of gas for saying that at the time, but he was right then and he's right now.

[IndianaGreen]

7. Listen also to what Dennis Kucinich said about troop withdrawal

Bring the troops home within 6 months of taking office!

[goclark]

20. Jk was perfect

Lead out with something that people can remember.
Remember that on Labor Day JK gave us the first big bit that this is the wrong war at the wrong time and for the wrong reasons.

The rest can come later.
Let this float for a few days.

[IndianaGreen]

21. People also remember his vote for IWR even if he knew then what he...

knows now. Kerry himself has closed the door to many of the options he had on Iraq. Kerry is now reduced to either saying nothing, or to tell the truth about Iraq. Can Kerry, or any other political leader, tell the truth about Iraq, that we lost the war and that the only option is to bring the troops home ASAP in order to end the loss of American lives for a mistake?

[goclark]

22. Why not tell it now?

Just today, we lost 7 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 sokdiers on Iraq.

JK would let today's statement sink in and then slowly review the body count and say something Stronger!

The American people have got to see more about this war,not Vietnam.

He should slap down all the Vietnam shit by saying...Yes, I supported this Presidents's war.He lied,thousands died and the shock and awe of seeing him mishandle it has made me reassest the Battle Plan.

I have a Plan to bring our children home.
I have a Plan to build a tight bond with the rest of the world to end Terrorism.

I have a Plan...
I have a Plan...

George W. Bush does NOT HAVE A PLAN to end this WAR.
I do!

[IndianaGreen]

23. Kerry can say publicly what we already know: we lost the war in Iraq!

Kerry can say that Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11 or with the War on Terror, and that it is time to admit defeat and bring the troops home.

We are long past the point of nuances on Iraq!

[goclark]

24. He can say..enough is enough

Bring our children home NOW!

[pacalo]

12. And keep listening to the people, too. :)

We've said it all along.

[Rabelais]

9. I thought he was going to change his campaign

this "try to get them home in my first term" bullshit gains no voters and only reinforces anti-war peoples' fears.

[JohnOneillsMemory]

11. Keep It Simple Stupid. Our fallow merkins have become a global lynch mob.

If you can't speak clearly to
a fearful mob alarmed into offensive defensiveness,
then you can't honestly say that you can lead them,
or convince them to change horses in the middle of the stream.

You can be cogent and focused without being a demagogue.
But stopping a lynch mob justifies even being a demagogue.

[sventvkg]

13. This sucks...4 years is too long..sorry but you all know this is true

2 sides of the same Elitist coin..Dems and REpugs..I can't believe it but That's what I actually think now....There is no other explaination for their actions...

[Mr.Green93]

14. Bring them home

[IndianaGreen]

16. Bring the troops home NOW!

Don't mention Vietnam again!

Talk about jobs, jobs, jobs!

[pacalo]

15. Go, Kerry! Tell that bozo where to get off!

[IndianaGreen]

17. We already lost this war!

When are our political leaders going to admit that to the American people and bring the troops home?

[stavka]

19. Probably shouldn't have voted for it then....

[girl gone mad]

25. Good. My advice to Kerry now is...

to just keep his mouth shut when the media brings up the "still would have voted for it."

He dosesn't need to dig a hole any deeper. Just say "I was voting for a show of strength and that was the right thing to do," and change the subject back to how poorly Bush handled the intelligence and the planning.

[goodhue]

26. W stands for Wrong!

wrong war, wrong place, wrong time
repeat