Kerry needs to "flip-flop" on Iraq.

[sidwill]

I think Kerry has painted himself into the same corner that Bush has regarding Iraq. Although he has made mention of bringing the UN and NATO in to help out he has fundamentaly maintained the BUsh position on US troops in Iraq over the long haul.

Kerry needs to find a way to present to the US public a plan for US disengagement in Iraq, and he needs to do it in such a manner that doesn't leave him too vulnerable to the flip-flop label.

A great way of doing this would be to:

A. Appoint Clark VP.

B. Send Clark on a "fact finding" mission to Iraq, make a big deal out of this trip.

C. Upon his arrival Kerry, Clark and advisors should hole up a few days and develop a "new" strtegy for Iraq.

D. After allowing the suspense to build Kerry reveals that in his opinion Iraq is an untenable situation and then propose a plan for withdrawal that looks a heck of a lot like DK's plan.


The people respect leadership, If kerry were to do this in a forceful, confident manner I think he would sweep to a large election victory.

[lovedems]

1. I agree with you 100%.

You have drawn up a very smart plan.

I want a flip-flop too. I don't want to leave the country a mess by any means but there has to be a way to pull out and give the Iraqi's money to rebuild their country.

[justsam]

4. Nader

has the best ideas that i have heard..

[lovedems]

6. Nader is an egotisitical opportunist.

Where has he been for the last 3 years with all of his "great ideas"? Screw Nader.

[blm]

2. The UN and NATO aren't going to go in UNLESS the US troops stay

for security purposes.

The UN and NATO will oversee the process of Iraqi self governance and the reconstruction of Iraq. They can only do it with assurances that their troops and their peacemakers are backed by the might of the US forces.

BushInc has given them no reason to go in and help. Kerry will.

[justsam]

3. Kerry is beginning

to sour me more on him everday, Yesterday when he was asked who would make a good secretary of defence, he said two names McCain and Warner that to me it meant that he still has not got his guts together to stand up the the repubs..Saying Warner and McCain was just kissing Ass..
There are plenty of dems that a Dem running for pres should have mentioned..and not even said a repubs name..

[Hornito]

7. The fact that Kerry mentioned the possibility of John Warner

for Secretary of Defense, should set off major alarm bells among all thinking liberals. I can't think of another figure in the Senate, who personifies the Military-Industrial-Establishment more than Warner. He's a lying, disingenuous, hypocrite, who never saw a bomb, missile program, or defense budget (no matter how big) he didn't love.

I am stunned that Kerry would even make such a suggestion. I mean, what's next, Tom DeLay for Secretary Of State? Inhofe for Health & Human Services?

It appears to me Kerry has truly been captured by the DLC, and it freakin' angers me that we are left with him as our only choice to defeat Bush. More and more, I am resenting the fact that I will have mute by beliefs when I vote for Kerry. Is anyone else feeling the same?

[blm]

8. Was the turnip truck bumpy?

Did you also notice that he mentioned the liberal Carl Levin AND John McCain?

Kerry dropped those names because there was a GREATER point being made - that there ARE other people who qualify for the position across the political spectrum and that the idea being pushed by BushInc that Rumsfeld is the ONLY one is ABSURD.

[KharmaTrain]

5. Let 'Em Twist In The Wind...

You probably were critical that Kerry didn't match * commercial for commercial...an ad blitz that polls are showing had limited affect...and lots of money wasted.

This regime is now stuck head first in Iraq...it's real deep at the moment and there's nothing we can do about this until November...and that we have to keep in mind. The situation is fluid and we should let this regime sleep in the bed it's made. They want the election to be a "mandate" on this invasion, and so do I! We don't need to help them at this time.

Kerry's laid out a general plan, since there's no way he nor you nor I know how entangled we are in this mess. We won't until at least January, if we win the election, and then start clearing out the DOD and other agencies that are doing all the serious damage. How can you come up with a specific plan, when you don't know the exact situation. It's politically dangerous, and a smart politician, this far out from an election, should keep from getting too deep in someone else's mess.

Right now, we have a serious problem of labeling this war as "Bush's War". Polls still show people absolve this bastard of what's going on. We need to keep the pressure on this regime and push the media in looking into their ugly closets...then when the electorate wakes up around Convention time, get serious about how things will be handled.