(Senator) Coleman opposes surge in U.S. troops in Iraq

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.startribune.com/587/story/888209.html

Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., said today after a two-day trip to Iraq that he would not support an increase in the number of soldiers in Baghdad.

He said he would "stand against" any effort to send a surge of more troops to Baghdad unless there's a clear vision that it will help end sectarian violence in the city.

"I think it would create more targets. I think we would put more life at risk," he said in a phone call with reporters from Bahrain. Coleman visited Baghdad, Fallujah, Taqaddum and Talil.

Coleman did support expanding the military, saying troops are currently stretched too thin and that a larger force is needed to fight the war on terrorism.

The senator repeated earlier statements about the need for sectarian violence to end in Iraq. Iraqis have to move quickly to solve the sectarian "slaughter" that's going on, he said. "They have to move forward with reconciliation." For the United States to have any success in Iraq, the bloodletting has to stop, Coleman said.

[babylonsister]

1. Wow! I hope this is a rethug trend. nt

[xultar]

2. This is cool cuz Joementum just came out for the troop increase!

[whistle]

5. Lieberman is such a shithead

[jefferson_dem]

3. Another scumbag repuke rat who's up in 2008 scurries for cover.

Fuck Norm. He's done! Time for Sen. AL! :woohoo:

[calimary]

19. Yep. Look who's looking over his shoulder at that racing 2008

that's gaining on him.

He is nothing if not insincere, calculating and Machiavellian. Fuck him. All he's doing is admitting he's next to face the voters.

[whistle]

4. Bring in George Galloway to make sure Coleman keeps his word

...when it is time to vote on this in the Senate

[TheCowsCameHome]

6. Bad Repug. No invites to GOP love-ins for him.

[peacetalksforall]

7. This guy has a pattern - I've never seen it fail. He makes a loud

noise saying something that makes you think he is thinking like a normal person. Then, his final vote or action or action is a quiet vote or action against what he was thinking. Be forewarned. His flip-flops are predictable and consistent. I think he practices the tactic of appearing independent, but never strays from walking in the boots of Jr. He may still be collecting on his 'incentive' from the Republicans.

[AlinPA]

8. This slime should be voted out in '08. Who is a good challenger? He is worried

now and needs to distance himself from the moron in Washington. A fake.

[IndianaGreen]

13. No one wants their fingerprints on our upcoming defeat in Iraq

Except for Bush and neocon and neolib slime like AEI's Kagan and Joe Lieberman, everyone else realize that Iraq is lost and that we need to bring the troops home sooner rather than later.

[Miss Chybil]

9. Yes, Iraqis have to stop killing each other if the US is going to be

successful...

/sarcasm

[jaysunb]

10. Coleman, should be the # 1 target to flip

to Dem or Indy.

Didn't he used to be a Dem ? He could simply say he's seen the error of his ways. LOL !

WE NEED PROTECTION AGAINST JOE LIEBERMAN !!

[TheFarseer]

11. I wonder if our Nelson will even oppose this

Nelson has been appeasing repugs so long, he doesn't know which way to turn now that not even repugs are going along with Bushco.

[freethought]

12. Coleman, against more troops? I smell a rat!

Knowing what I know about Coleman and the opportunistic little prick that he is, it's my opinion that he wants something that will change his mind. The only question here is WHAT he wants. When he flip-flops, hopefully,
we can find out what he received in return for his switch.

[against all enemies]

14. Coleman wouldn't be running in 08 would he? Thought so.

[jamesinca]

18. My thoughts exactly

Coleman is up for re-election in '08. A presidential election year, higher voter turn out etc.... He needs to go with what is popular now so he can point to it in two years. I believe Coleman has been a war mongering, pro war, anti troop type of Senator since day one. Remember he is the one that said he was 100% better than Wellstone after he came into office in '02.

These are the words of a man up for re-election. Santorum was the same way. Lieberman was the same way, giving press conferences about nobody wanting the war to be over more than him etc... now he wants to boost troop levels.

Re-election BS is all it is!!!

[SaveElmer]

15. Right...

Coleman is worried that Minnesota is returning to its Blue roots, and that he may get swept aside in two years!

[Contrite]

16. Coleman will do anything, say anything to win

He switched parties to do so.

Garrison Keillor (fellow Minnesotan) has labeled him "the hollow man". And he is. Met him and he is a genuine little turd of the first magnitude.

[PlanetBev]

17. Don't forget, Al Franken is dead serious about running for his seat

Norm the snake knows that in '08, he's going to have his lunch eaten and his socks stolen. He may as well clean out his desk now.