Interesting endorsement of Kerry's Iraq plan.

[_dynamicdems]

Sorry if this has already been posted. I've been online in dribs and drabs lately.

Warren backs troop pullout plan
By BRIAN SCHEID
Bucks County Courier Times

Nearly four months after he said it would be inappropriate for him to come out with a detailed plan for troop withdrawal from Iraq, Andy Warren endorsed a plan for troop withdrawal from Iraq.

“Obviously, the situation in Iraq was far different a month ago than it was four months ago and it's different today than it was a month ago,” Warren said Wednesday.

Warren endorsed a plan by former presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., that sets a May 15 deadline for troop withdrawal if Iraqi politicians cannot establish a unified government.

“Sen. Kerry has set a strict schedule for military withdrawal, and I agree with him,” Warren said in a statement. “The Iraqi people should have an effective unity government by May 15, or we should withdraw immediately. If they do accomplish this goal, we should have our troops out by the end of the year.”



http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/111-04062006-637526.html

[MH1]

1. Um.

Not particularly desirable. Warren is an ex-republican who is still considered rather right-ish, I believe...he is headed for a primary smackdown by the candidate Kerry endorsed, Patrick Murphy.

[_dynamicdems]

2. Isn't it strange that he came out for Kerry's Iraq plan?

This didn't make sense when I read it. Kerry's plan is getting some odd support and it is strange that it is not getting the overwhelming Democratic support that it should have.

[TayTay]

3. But is is becmong a point of reference for other Dems

Russert, I think, asked Sen. Bayh about it this weekend. He didn't ask Bayh to explain himself against Sen. Biden or against Sen. Clinton, he asked him about the Kerry Plan.

It is a distinct position within the Democratic Party that other candidates are being measured against. That is 'not nothing.'

[ProSense]

4. Another point is that

several Democrats, who took to the floor after Allard's idiotic statement, did show support (there is a thread here with some of those comments).

The Democrats have all expressed support for withdrawal. It's like immigration: one of the key things I remember Kerry saying in a video clip from his Los Angeles trip is "what the Democrats support is...," or something to that effect. He has said this about other issues, including energy independence and Iraq. Although these are references to the Democratic Party's stance on the issues, it's important to make the point. It seems people are always confusing the Democratic Party's agenda---stance on the issues (withdrawal)---with the more detailed plans (Kerry's, Murtha's, Biden) that each Democrat puts forward based on the Party's stance. They have offered plans for withdrawal that employ different strategies.

The Republicans claim to have an agenda, but many of them (the GOP leadership) aren't even close to being on same page on the issues.