Moderates Want Iraq Rhetoric Toned Down

[ECH1969]

Moderates are imploring colleagues in Congress to tone down the rhetoric on Iraq as debate about President Bush's war policies has become increasingly bitter and partisan.

The war is expected to be front and center in the upcoming congressional election year, particularly in several races where candidates are Iraq war veterans. Neither party has much incentive to pull its punches, with Republicans eager to paint Democratic critics of Bush's Iraq policies as soft on defense and Democrats looking to exploit his woes as polls show declining support for the war.

Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who in recent weeks has broken with most of his Democratic brethren and largely supported the president's Iraq strategy, urged discussion that goes beyond "dueling partisan press conferences."

"I hope that it goes on with a recognition that there are Republicans and Democrats on both sides, and that it should be conducted in the spirit of mutual respect and national interest," Lieberman said.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=1396540

[bluestateguy]

1. On Iraq, I no longer consider Joe LIeberman a moderate

He's more like a neoconservative. You can get a more honest analysis of Iraq from Chuck Hagel.

Moderates are like the kids who get beat up on by the school bully every day. They think that if they try to ignore the bully or reason with the bully the beatings will stop.

[gordonlamb]

9. might want to rein that in...

"They think that if they try to ignore the bully or reason with the bully the beatings will stop."

This is very close to the stle of reasoning people gave for NOT going to war. IE: reasoning with Saddam, etc.

[Cooley Hurd]

11. Except for the fact that I knew NO one who advocated "reasoning..."

...with Saddam. It was, for myself and other antiwar people I knew, all about containing Saddam (via weapon inspections, etc). You might've fallen under the wrong impression that antiwar people are appeasers.

Nonetheless, welcome to DU. :hi:

[gordonlamb]

13. yes, that's true...

but I know a few folks would honestly seemed to think that Saddam could be reasoned with. Like he was going to all of a sudden realize he was being a bad dude or something.

Thanks for the welcome! Glad to be here.

[Demeter]

18. One Has Better Luck Reasoning WIth Saddam Than With Bush

Bush cannot handle anything other than absolute power, which he uses to destroy everything and anything in his path. (Makes you wonder what keeps Laura ticking, doesn't it? We have seen that the twins are already self-destructing).

[gordonlamb]

35. I never attempted reasoning with either so I don't know. ;)

[sendero]

21. Saddam..

.... wasn't beating anyone or any thing. Give it a rest already.

[rpannier]

2. I will agree with Willy from Alf

The dueling press conferences are annoying and counterproductive. But, let's be honest...the pukes would love it if we stopped pointing out the glaring failures of this admin in Iraq. They'd say that "The Dems realize that they were wrong." "The Dems have come around." and other nonsense. What Willy doesn't realize is that if we sit and say nothing we look weak and we give them the national microphone.

[Chicago Democrat]

3. We need to PUMP up the rhetoric! Its PRIMARY SEASON!

Now! Kill all moderates at the polls! Destroy the DLC! Support Sherrod Brown, not PAUL HACKETT! Notice how he sounds just like OReilly.


WATCH FOR HAWKS THAT WEAR DOVES FEATHERS THIS MARCH 15, 2006!


Its IN YOUR FACE! WAR IS DEATH! DEATH IS MURDER! USA BABY KILLER IN IRAQ!

its effective because its true...SCREW THE MODERATES! RIDICULE THE CONSERVATIVES! PROSECUTE THE HAWKS!!!!

Sic Semper Tyrannus! 2006, The Return of the Liberals!


Politics is a nasty messy business and sometimes you just have to break some eggs to make a nice omlet.

[thefloyd]

4. Obama was on Franken

Very funny line by Obama. Talked about reaching out to " Lieberman and the rest of the republican party" I thought the line was very funny.

Obama interview linked here. I actually recommend the Obama podcast. Very cool and well done.
http://obama.senate.gov/podcast/

[GoddessOfGuinness]

29. Hahaha!

Tell it like it is, Obama!

[jannyk]

5. If Lieberman is now the voice of the Democratic Party

then the Democratic Party is no longer an affiliation I feel comfortable with.

We have suffered the lies, arrogance, corruption and incompetance of this administration for 5 years with devastating consequences. We now have them 'on the ropes' on so many issues, and I want 'leaders' prepared to deliver the 'coup de gras'. If the 'leaders' of the Dem party do not hear our anger and outrage then they are culpable and complicit.

If they are so out of touch with the needs and wishes of the 'people', that all they can offer is 'Republican Light', then they can all go fuck themselves.

[rpannier]

16. LieBerman is about as much the voice of the Democratic Party

as Congressman Shays of CT is the voice of the puke party. They talk -- their party doesn't listen. The difference is...the pukes should listen closer to Shays. LieBerman should get out.

[speedoo]

31. Lieberthug wants the rhetoric toned down, because he's .....

getting uncomfortable with the justified criticism he's receiving from Democrats.

Sorry, Joey. You made your bed with the bushites, so now you will have to just take it.

[wookie294]

6. Murtha, Pelosi, Kennedy and Michael Moore are the "moderates"

The moderates are not quoted in this story. The headline should be: "Conservatives want Iraq rhetoric toned down".

[Chicago Democrat]

7. me love you wookie

brother

[wookie294]

15. I do what I can to spread the love, lol

:D

[gordonlamb]

10. ???

Um, Michael Moore isn't a moderate...anything. He's drunk on his own celebrity most of the time and the rest of teh time he's drunk on someone elses celebrity. I think he hurts the cause.

[wookie294]

12. Moderate position = Iraq withdrawal

Most Americans want withdrawal, meaning "withdrawal" is the moderate position. Michael Moore is in the majority on this issue. Lieberman is an extremist, just like the other folks (except Sen. Levin) quoted in the article.

[gordonlamb]

14. oh...

Ok. By that standard...sure.

[Caretha]

24. I couldn't disagree with you more

I don't quite understand why you are "sleazing" Michael Moore. His voice has been very important to the anti-war, anti-government corruption crowd, and he has used his talent to expose the hypocrisy in our government to millions. How has that hurt the cause? Waking up Americans to what is going on in no way hurts, unless you are against the truth.

[Cooley Hurd]

8. Oiling the squeaky wheel only masks the fact that the bearings are...

...about to wear out. We need to squeak as shrill as possible, so we can identify which bearing is bad, and replace it.

Sorry for the automotive analogy, but it fits in this case.

[rodeodance]

17. toning it down only means to put put it on the back burner!!

[sofa king]

36. Yeah, what are they thinking? That the problem is going to go away?

The President himself set up the terms of the debate over this one: you're either with us or you're against us.

I'm against us, and I'm voting for anyone I can find who is also against us.

[Kolesar]

19. the only Iraq policy the Dems need that one that will give us Congress '06

By that, I mean the Senate too. We cannot take a position to compromise our important candidates for the pick-up seats.

[IndianaGreen]

30. So how many names do you want to see on the Iraq War Memorial?

Perhaps if we started to dump all the bodies of the dead, Iraqi and American alike, on the Capitol steps, it will motivate Congress to do what is right for a change and end this war.

[Kolesar]

33. I don't think that idea will get the approval of the linguist Lakoff

You know, the author of Moral Politics and Imagine an Elephant (or whatever that second title was). He would probably find some "bad associations" (note humor).

My point is that tentative Democrats making positions to get us out of there, but not so quickly that anything bad happens, have no business trying to direct the party. For example, what difference does it make if Joe Biden crafts a nuanced position, even if by some stroke of wisdom it is rooted in reality? Biden has nothing to lose. He always wins.

The positions should be structured so that Democrats who might take seats from the gop can win in November. I think my favorite candidate has it good because he was stridently against the war from the start and spoke it (the Congressman in my sig line). He has the strength that he can keep beating up incumbent Dewine saying that the republicans lied to get us into the war. It would be a 21st century version of "waving the bloody shirt". Dewine could not bring in Bush to campaign for him to bring the fundies out, so he is boxed in.

I think this strategy can work for a long time. I don't see the war issue going away. Brown could likey take this issue up to the fall and to November.

[ihelpu2see]

20. I will not cast my Vote for Joementum in 06...nt

[sendero]

22. The side that's losing..

... always wants to call the fight. Eff that bullshit and any candy-ass who goes along with it.

[Buns_of_Fire]

25. Damn straight. Ali never stopped punching just because his opponent...

...might have been reeling or on the ropes. That's the time to punch harder.

We (and the American people) have the advantage. The opportunity may not come again. Squash 'em squishy.

[wishlist]

23. Majority of Americans are finally seeing the light about Bushco & Iraq

Naturally Bush and his supporters want to stem the tide of disapproval before even more voters are made aware of the shameful deceptions of Bush and Cheney & Co that got us into the Iraq quagmire.

[genie_weenie]

26. sorry but I don't think so

I will reserve my optimism for the voters seeing the light about BushCo & Iraq when the voters put in some Representatives who get us out...

[Maggie_May]

27. This is not rhetoric

I keep pounding this point we found no WMD Saddam is out of power election will be held Dec 15 its time to come home. We are losing American life's and tax dollars. We need our troops home to protect us here we also need to spend our tax dollars here.

[IndianaGreen]

28. Let these "moderates" enlist and be send to battle in Iraq

Lieberman is a "moderate" Fascist!

[warrens]

32. Blow me, Joementum

We are going to stick this evil, lying war down the warmongers' evil, lying throats. Go fuck yourself.

[Straight Shooter]

34. Why in the world did Gore ever pick this ball-and-chain on the Dem party?

I'd really like to know what kind of political deal went down to cause that fiasco. It is becoming more and more clear that Lieberman hasn't got a clue what being a Democrat is all about. It's about the truth, it's about justice, it's about a sense of community instead of IGMFU.

Holy Joe needs to cut himself off from the Dems and set himself adrift into the sea of compassionate conservatism of which he is so enamored. He is not a Democrat. That is simply his political party registration. He is a Republican, down to the marrow of his bones.

I've never liked him. It's becoming increasingly clear to me why my impression of him has always been so unfavorable.

[bemildred]

37. If Joe is a moderate, I'm the little lamb of Jesus. nt