Cutting, fixing, healing- The Kucinich 10 point plan

[SavetheUSA]

Dennis Kucinich came up with this plan when he was running for president 2004....far ahead of his time. At the time Republicans and Democrats like John Kerry were calling his plan 'cut and run'.

previous post was locked-reposted with original link
http://www.opednews.com/maxwrite/diarypage.php?did=1047

I have heard but one viable solution to the Iraq War Debacle, from the same source that has steadfastly offered thought out solutions to virtually all our country’s problems. Why on earth don’t we get behind the man? He IS our voice, near as I can tell....

All, it seems, but one: One of the few who voted against the Iraq war, who vehemently opposed it since its inception, and who now, single handedly and with clear and steadfast mind, presents a workable solution. A solution perhaps best called “cutting, fixing and healing,” as opposed to either “cutting and running,” or “continuing the lies and butchering innocents,” as Killer Karl would have us do.

Thus I keep wondering why it is that we can’t support this one Bright Star in the presently dark heavens? Why can we not say, “Hey! You lying, killing bastard! Our President and Mass Murderer, Mr. Karl Rove! The Democrats you mock DON’T represent me! Over here, THIS is my man, this is the guy who DOES speak for me! He has all along and, based on his record, will continue to do so. His name is Dennis Kucinich.”...

The following is the plan that I support to bring all U.S. troops home from Iraq, the plan which Dennis Kucinich has so well articulated (and as far as this writer knows, the only bona fide plan around):

1. The United States must ask the United Nations to manage the oil assets of Iraq until the Iraqi people are self-governing.

2. The United Nations must handle all the contracts: No more Halliburton sweetheart deals, No contracts to Bush Administration insiders, No contracts to campaign contributors. All contracts must be awarded under transparent conditions.

3. The United States must renounce any plans to privatize Iraq. It is illegal under both the Geneva and the Hague Conventions for any nation to invade another nation, seize its assets, and sell those assets. The Iraqi people, and the Iraqi people alone must have the right to determine the future of their country’s resources.

4. The United States must ask the United Nations to handle the transition to Iraqi self-governance. The UN must be asked to help the Iraqi people develop a Constitution. The UN must assist in developing free and fair elections.

5. The United States must agree to pay for what we blew up.

6. The United States must pay reparations to the families of innocent Iraqi civilian noncombatants killed and injured in the conflict.

7. The United States must contribute financially to the UN peacekeeping mission.

8. The United Nations, through its member nations, will commit 130,000 peacekeepers to Iraq on a temporary basis until the Iraqi people can maintain their own security.

9. UN troops will rotate into Iraq, and all U.S. troops will come home.

10. The United States will abandon policies of "preemption" and unilateralism and commit to strengthening the UN.

Yes, at least for myself, this is the plan I’d prefer, to not abandon the Iraqi people, to not “cut and run,” and to no longer lie and kill, slaughter, maim and butcher, as you, President Rove, seem so intent on doing.

<10 points copied from Kucinich Iraq withdrawal plan website.>
http://www.opednews.com/maxwrite/diarypage.php?did=1047

[flvegan]

1. Tell me why he's not president again?

I threw myself into his campaign. He deserves the spot.

[SavetheUSA]

4. I agree

The same machines used to steal the election for Bush are also used in the primaries.

Perhaps we should start paying attention to the primaries...

[blm]

19. HThere are no machines used in Iowa - it's a CAUCUS - and if you were a

Democratic supporter of Dennis Kucinich you would know that.

[Master Mahon]

5. I agree with you

I always liked his ideas and policies.
He truly came from humble beginnings and he has an intellect, unlike any GOP we've heard from in decades.
Of all the candidates out there over the past 10 years, he'd be the one I believe would represent the average American.

[blm]

2. That's not true - in fact Kerry emphasized UN and NATO as important parts

of his plan to move more quickly to stabilize Iraq throughout 2004. And Kerry also told DK then that he would make the Oval Office a Dept. of Peace. So what is your goal here today?

I find it odd that you would post YOUR CLAIM that Kerry called DK "cut and run" for this on the VERY DAY that Kerry is being attacked by GOPs as cut and run himself. Sounds like that old tactic from GOPoperatives to attack Dems from the right AND the FAUX left at the same time.

[SavetheUSA]

3. I could care less what the GOP says

They are the backwash the BACKWASH of America. Most republicans are embarrassed to say they supported Bush now. I don't get why everyone cares what Bill O'reily says anymore. No one listens to him. Who care what Rush Limbaugh says, or Hannity, or ROVE? Only the backwash are listening. Who cares what the corporate media says anymore? They are proven liars.

We have critical mass. We have a clear majority on our side. It is time to rally our base....why are you worried about FAUX news?

What I care about is integrity. Kerry is a hypocrite when he pretends to be the leader to get us out of Iraq. We wouldn't be in Iraq anymore if he hadn't gone easy on Bush during the election season and let him get away with stealing the election.

Do you realize how many people have died since Kerry 'lost' the election. Do you realize how much more money the bush administration has looted? It makes me sick that Kerry 'lost' to the biggest lying failure of a president ever....and now he is coming in trying to get the nomination again. I cannot believe he would talk about silencing dissent when he would not let anyone speak of the war at the Democratic Convention. Kucinich delegates were forced to remove their anti-war bandanas from their arms. It is absurd that he wants to play the hero now.

[SavetheUSA]

6. ?

1971 Congressional Testimony: "We are angry because we feel we have been used in the worst fashion by the administration of this country," Kerry said. Kerry called for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces from Vietnam, calling the war "the biggest nothing in history."

Feb 26, 2004 - "No, I do not regret my vote ... No, I would not leave now. I think that you can't leave now."

1971 Congressional Testimony: How do you ask a man to be the last man to die in Vietnam? How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?"

February 27, 2004: "I will add 40,000 active-duty Army troops, a temporary increase likely to last the remainder of the decade."

Kucinich: How are we going to get another 40,000 troops John?

KERRY DID NOT ANSWER THE QUESTION

Kucinich March 20, 2003: For the past year I have led the effort in the House of Representatives to challenge the Administration's march to war in Iraq. I have used my voice and my vote to try to help avert the tragedy of this immense diplomatic failure and this departure from morality in world affairs. I have used every legal and legislative resource available to me to challenge this war. This culminated in 126 Democrats, nearly two thirds of the Democratic caucus, voting against the Iraq resolution last October.

Kerry March 20, 2003: Saddam Hussein has chosen to make military force the ultimate weapons inspections enforcement mechanism. The only exit strategy is victory, this is our common mission and the world's cause. We're in this together

[blm]

9. As president it would be up to Kerry to craft a plan to stabilize Iraq

FASTER than what Bush was doing - don't pretend that by taking his words out of context of the REAL LIFE situation of the time that it means anything but for that reality.

If it were Dennis facing the responsibility on Jan 20, 2005 of securing Iraq so troops could leave, and the UN was telling him they needed more troops to do it, he would have proposed the same.

Spin is spin - no matter if it's from the right or the left.

[SavetheUSA]

10. "The only exit strategy is victory, this is our common mission

and the worlds"

Those are Kerry's words. Why was he enabling Bush at the very moment we needed him to speak the truth?

The whole thing was a load of crap from the beginning, certainly obvious by the time Kerry said this. We had already found out the Niger 'documents' were forgeries.

[blm]

12. His was the burden of taking on the war that Bush would leave - and he

COULD have won it because the UN and NATO wanted to work with Kerry to make it happen. If you ever read all the steps that Kerry wanted to put in place, your cherry-picked quotes would ADD to the greater picture that would see us out of Iraq sooner rather than Bush's way.

Do you not know how close Kerry and his wife are with Kofi Annan? Kerry knew EXACTLY what he could say and know that the UN would back his plans.

You don't start a presidency with the war you inherit and expect to just pull out overnight - and Dennis would be the first to agree with that - especially if you are promised UN cooperation. You need to do what THEY Need done, too, or else their help will NEVER happen. And what THEY needed was a more secure Iraq in Jan 2005.

[blm]

8. Baloney - If you're saying Kerry let Bush win you're saying Kucinich

let him win, too. The DNC was in charge of securing the machines for voting - Kerry wasn't and Kucinich wasn't. Their failure was in believing the Dem PARTY was securing the votes for ALL Democrats on the ballot.

Kerry is NOT acting the hero - he never ACTS. He's been battling BushInc for a lot longer than you even knew BushInc existed.

All of you who see yourselves as so darn tough and brave would NEVER have spent 5 years uncovering BCCI with all of DC lined up against you - - if you had those kind of guts, we would have seen you run for office and JOIN Kerry then.

[SavetheUSA]

11. eh?

There was all kinds of election problems to pursue but Kerry conceeded before the votes were counted to the shock of millions in this nation. Exit polls are the canary in the mine shaft. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to question the election results that are so obviously off.

Kucinich did little to battle election fraud, I'll give you that, but at least he was there for the election challenge. Kerry couldn't be bothered and the GOP kept using that in their testimony 'even John Kerry knows Bush won- he isn't even here'

Was anyone in the BCCI scandal held accountable? Seems like they are all still going strong!

[blm]

13. Point was that YOU wouldn't have gotten past 1 month investigating BCCI -

cuz if YOU had that type of courage, we all would know you as a lawmaker or an investigative journalist, wouldn't we?

And do you think Conyers work is nothing because it gets blocked? Waxman's? Kucinich's? Should they all stop because nothing may come of it?

And alot DID come of BCCI - most people wouldn't know jackshit about the BFEE if it hadn't been for Kerry's work there. In fact, Clinton would not have won office in 92 if it hadn't been for IranContra and bCCI headlines taking Bush1 down with a steady pace. This country would be in fullblown fascist surrender by the year 2000.

[SavetheUSA]

14. Kerry told Dennis 'you can't cut and run' in the debates

listen to a clip here....

http://ftp.radio4all.net/pub/archive/05.29.04/cnndeb-troops-k60d.mp3

[blm]

15. TELL THE TRUTH - THE CONTEXT IS NOT THE SAME - Dennis and Kerry BOTH

wanted UN to take over, but, UN would NOT do it UNLESS there was greater stabilization of Iraq by the US, first.

Kerry would have been the one forced to DEAL with the REALITY of what he would inherit from Bush. DK was not in that position, so he was acting as a force to keep the position pulled as far towards his as possible - that's called POLITICS, and it's how things are supposed to happen.

[SavetheUSA]

16. You tell the truth!

Kerry supported the war, and helped enable Bush.

During the election season he had ample opportunity to expose Bush's lies that led to Iraq. Did he?

The only way the dumbest president ever could win was to put up a fake opposition and then throw the election by looking the other way when it is stolen. Kerry played the role smashingly.

[blm]

17. Yeh - we saw that when Kerry beat the crap out of BUsh in the debates -

and I notice that you have NO ANSWER for the FACT that both Kerry and Kucinich would have faced the SAME DILEMMA of needing to bring in the UN - the difference being that Kerry was giving the answer the UN wanted, and Dennis was not in the position to HAVE to tell the UN what he would do to ensure their cooperation.

Funny how you AVOID REALITY in your determination to attack Kerry, just like the GOP operatives who work the left blogs pretending to be lefties. Are you aware that the GOP has used that tactic for decades now?

[SavetheUSA]

7. I didn't mean to kill the thread

The original was on the greatest page before...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1468731&mesg_id=1468731

and now I've ruined it. Sorry.

[blm]

18. You can always start another thread not caring if it's against DU protocol

.