John Edwards Calls on Congress to block funds for war escalation

[benny05]

From the JRE08 blog a few minutes ago:

"George Bush's expected decision to adopt the McCain Doctrine and escalate the war in Iraq is a grave mistake.

"The new Congress must intercede to stop Bush from stubbornly sticking to the same failed course in Iraq and refuse to authorize funding for an escalation of troops. They should make it clear to the President that he will not get any money to put more of our troops in harm's way until he provides a plan to turn responsibility of Iraq over to the Iraqi people and to ultimately leave Iraq. George Bush wants to dig a deeper hole, but we need to climb out.

"The situation in Iraq demands a political solution -- the Iraqi people must take responsibility for their country. Escalating the war in Iraq, which our own generals agree won't help, sends the wrong message to the Iraqi people, to the region, and the world. In order to get the Iraqis to take responsibility for their country, we must show them that we are serious about leaving, and the best way to do that is to actually start leaving and immediately withdraw 40-50,000 troops. Once the U.S. starts leaving, the Iraqi people and other regional powers will be forced to step up and engage in the search for a political solution that can bring an end to sectarian violence and allow reconstruction to take hold, creating -- as should have been done long ago -- Iraqi jobs for Iraqis."

http://blog.johnedwards.com/story/2007/1/9/193612/4662

Bold, my friends. We need to support the troops, but the Iraqis need to learn to lead and get on with their country. Here's what Elizabeth Edwards said in Des Moines and I posted at DK:

About Iraq: "We need to get out of Iraq."

We need to do it not only for our men and women in uniform want a future for themselves instead of just fighting, but also to teach the Iraqis to fend for themselves and to grow their democracy. She gave a wonderful analogy of teaching one of her daughters how to make a bed, and one of the things a mom does is to show her how to make one, but not (as the mom) make it herself. Takeaway: the current Administration has made the bed for the Iraqis so many times and has not tried to teach them anything, so they have no incentive to learn. If we said, "we are leaving" and when, they will be motivated.

Also, the war is expensive, and going towards a trillion and more in cost. Republicans are borrowing our children's lunch money to pay this awful debt, and is strangling our budget where we cannot spend it on other things we need.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/7/28/81338/5818

[durtee librul]

1. Hey Benny!

Rambler lady here.....good to see ya..

[benny05]

5. Hey, good to c-ya

Edwards is dead on this one...:hi: :kick:

[Catchawave]

12. Hi Rambler Lady !

JREG right? I miss you guys!

[Ninja Jordan]

2. Why does it seem like Edwards is the only candidate leading on these issues?

Hillary and Obama are MIA.

[benny05]

10. I think they are still contemplating their positions

Whereas Edwards knows where he stands. He said he was wrong in his vote, and how he felt badly for the brave women and men who were doing their jobs every day in Iraq. But he wants them to come home and have the diplomats do their job (who are PAID well to do their jobs)...and forcing Bush to huddle a political discussion amongst the Iraqi leaders. That's is the problem and the solution.

[beaconess]

14. Of course, it's a lot easier to do this when one is not in office

Not taking anything away from Edwards, but it's much easier to be unequivocal when you don't have t represent a constituency or take tough votes.

I commend him for his stand and hope that by being tough on this, he will make it easier for the other candidates to do the right thing. But I wonder if he would be able to be this clear if he were still in the Senate.

[ultraist]

15. Not in office but running for president

Yes, Edwards is not currently in office but he is running for President thus, will be taking "tough votes." Presidential candidates need to appeal to a much wider range of voters than does a Senator who is running in only one state.

[beaconess]

19. It's much easier to take such positions as a candidate than as a Senator

Presidential candidates are trying to appeal only Democratic voters and, generally, the more progressive ones. On the other hand, a Senator must try to appease the voters of his/her state, both Republican and Democrat. In Edwards' case, as a Senator from North Carolina, he had to answer to a very conservative constituency - a constuency far different from and to the right of the Democratic primary voter. That's a very difficult position for a candidate to be in and makes it much harder for sitting Senators and Representatives to take these kinds of positions.

I'm not mad at him, mind you. Just pointing out that it's considerably easier for a FORMER Senator to go out on a limb than it is for CURRENT Senators to do so.

[beaconess]

20. It's much easier to take such positions as a candidate than as a Senator

Presidential candidates are trying to appeal only Democratic voters and, generally, the more progressive ones. On the other hand, a Senator must try to appease the voters of his/her state, both Republican and Democrat. In Edwards' case, as a Senator from North Carolina, he had to answer to a very conservative constituency - a constuency far different from and to the right of the Democratic primary voter. That's a very difficult position for a candidate to be in and makes it much harder for sitting Senators and Representatives to take these kinds of positions.

I'm not mad at him, mind you. Just pointing out that it's considerably easier for a FORMER Senator to go out on a limb than it is for CURRENT Senators to do so since he doesn't have to actually vote and he doesn't have to answer to the folks back home.

[Skwmom]

28. He feels bad....?

I bet that is REAL comforting to the soldiers deployed in Iraq.

[Mass]

26. Because you are uninformed.

Obama has said a few days ago he is looking for a way to block the surge in congress.

Kerry is cosponsoring the Kennedy bill that will actually do just that.

Clark has been asking for people to send petitions.

It is great that Edwards is saying the right thing, but he is hardly the only candidate leading on the issue, except if your point is to say the only leading candidate, which is actually not the case either because Vilsack has said the same thing in an interview.

[Leilani]

31. Obama was on MSNBC on this issue

& Matthews said Obama was "eloquent."

Speaking on the fly, nothing written down, no press release.

[democrank]

3. Thank you, John Edwards.

Thanks for your courage.

[Skwmom]

29. Courage?

Could you please explain to me - what in the heck is courageous about coming out against a plan that a majority of people do not support? Politically beneficial - yes - courageous - hmmmmm? Wow, I can't wait to hear the PR spin on this one.

[Catchawave]

4. Good find Benny.....

:kick:

[benny05]

7. Thanks Catchawave

I wonder what Jim Webb thinks...

[wishlist]

6. I like his condemnation of McCain/Graham for blaming Generals for failure too

Good for Edwards for taking a strong stance and speaking out clearly against escalation and putting the blame for Iraq failure where it belongs, with the Bush White House.

[benny05]

9. Here's the post about your comment

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3048615&mesg_id=3048615

Edwards gets it. Support the troops, tell the President he is so wrong and to change course.

[Catchawave]

11. Thanks for the shout out !

:hi:

[ultraist]

8. Say it loud, Senator Edwards!

STOP FUNDING BUSH'S WAR!

:patriot:

[dk2]

13. I agree with his statement.

I always support our troops, unfortunately there have been many Items Bush's admin did not provide for our troops when they first went over there. Armor for vehicles, and protective armor for the troops.

I think Edwards is right in speaking out on these Iraq issues.

[talk hard]

16. I definitely support that statement.

& he should keep yelling it until Congress does just that

[Lex]

17. In 2 statements released today, Edwards calls the escalation the "McCain Doctrine."

That's saavy. True, but saavy.

[Skwmom]

33. Maybe, the political consultant/speech writer who coined that phrase

should be paid a bonus (but then again maybe it was someone who was posting on a blog who coined the phrase). Wow, this has convinced me that he has the "saavy" needed to run this county.

[Imagevision]

18. Even the Iraqi's God would help those who help themselves...

[Morgana LaFey]

21. Where is the evidence that the Iraqis are just being shirkers

about their new-found "democracy?"

I'm not opposed to getting the hell out -- yesterday, preferrably -- I just am totally uncomfortable with the Edwardses and Hillaries and whoever elses of the world making this sound like a complete failure of the Iraqi people when it was US who broke Iraq in the first place.

We knew well ahead of time -- the experts did, anyway -- that in a country made of up 3 distinct and warring tribal groups cobbled together decades ago, creating a "democracy" was at best going to cause the country to tailspin into a theocracy (since the theocrats are the most numerous in Iraq), or turn into a civil war, or break up completely into 3 separate states. And after 35 years of brutality from the Baaths -- we suddenly expect everyone to get along well enough to have a REAL democracy, and a SECURE country?

I deeply object to and resent those Dems who are so glib about how Iraqis aren't taking responsibility. IF THEY ARE NOT, then I'd like to hear the particulars. Until then -- everything and I mean everything that has happened over there is our fault.

[ChiciB1]

22. I've Been A Supporter Of His For A Long Time Now... He Seems

to have found the right tune to sing these days! I wish I may, I wish I might...

Go, Johnny, Go!

[ChiciB1]

23. Nice To See New Pictures Of Edwards.... I'm Stuck With My Old

one I guess! But I haven't really put any effort into finding a better one, so maybe I shouldn't complain.

But I just saw two new ones that I like a lot! I like yours Benny!

[bigdarryl]

24. It's either put up or shut up for the dems now. good for Edwards

[mnhtnbb]

25. I'm liking Edwards more everyday...he's showing leadership

[Skwmom]

27. Saying what is popular = leadership?

Give me a break. Leadership would have been not sponsoring the IWR (but what the heck he had his future political plans to think of).

I wonder what message nominating a sponsor of the IWR would send to the rest of the world. Oh that's right, he said he was sorry and make a mistake for voting for (not sponsoring - I guess he likes to leave that fact out) the IWR AFTER poll support for the war reached an all time low.

Does anyone seriously think electing a sponsor of the IWR (or even anyone who voted for it) is going to go over well with the rest of the world or do anything to repair our damaged reputation?

I was talking to a neighbor the other day. He thought Edwards was against the war from the beginning. Imagine his reaction when he found out Edwards was a sponsor of the IWR. The thing about a PR political spin machine is they can't spin forever.

[crickets]

30. Edwards said something which stands out

Whether anyone wants to call him opportunist or not, he's making an important point:

"...allow reconstruction to take hold, creating -- as should have been done long ago -- Iraqi jobs for Iraqis."

Hello, goes right along with Iraqi oil for Iraqis but it doesn't get said enough.

If nothing else, I've got to give him props for that.

[Skwmom]

32. It's kind of hard to reconstruct when all hell is breaking lose.

How exactly are we to "allow construction to take hold?" It's not exactly like we haven't attempted reconstruction before and oh yeah - the violence has escalated!

As far as Edwards making an important point - listening to him last night it stuck me that all he does is parrot others on Iraq. It reminds me of Bush in the 2000 debates when all he did was parrot what Gore said on foreign policy and the talking heads were lauding him for his foreign policy experience.

If I listened to enough sports channels (not to mention the help of a speech writer), I'm sure I could impress many with what a "knowledgeable" sports fan I am when in actuality, nothing is further from the truth.