The Washington Post reports on the cut and runners-in training (h/t: HH):
More than three dozen Democratic congressional candidates banded together yesterday to promise that, if elected, they will push for legislation calling for an immediate drawdown of troops in Iraq that would leave only a security force in place to guard the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.
Rejecting their party leaders’ assertions that economic troubles have become the top issue on voters’ minds, leaders of the coalition of 38 House and four Senate candidates pledged to make immediate withdrawal from Iraq the centerpiece of their campaigns.
“The people inside the Beltway don’t seem to get how big an issue this is,” said Darcy Burner, a repeat candidate who narrowly lost to Rep. Dave Reichert (R-Wash.) in 2006.
The group’s 36-page plan does not set a specific deadline for when all combat troops must be out of Iraq. “Begin it now, do it as safely as you can and get everyone out,” Burner said.
The starkest difference between the group’s proposal, dubbed a “Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq,” and those embraced by many senior Democrats and the party’s presidential candidates is that it rejects the idea of leaving U.S. troops on the ground to train Iraqi security forces or engage in anti-terrorism operations. The group instead calls for a dramatic increase in regional diplomacy and the deployment of international peacekeeping forces, if necessary.
Brian Faughnan at the Weekly Standard blog points out that the plan these Democrats are following mimics Obama’s:
[…] we’re getting out as fast as we can, regardless of conditions on the ground, and we reserve the right to get back in if we learn that al Qaeda is, in fact, operating in the country.
Here’s a list of the Dem candidates who endorsed the plan. I have little doubt that they know where their bread is buttered.
This article should serve as a serious wake-up call to any conservative and/or Republican who plans on sitting out this election. Even if you can’t bring yourself to pull the lever for McCain, Congressional elections are just as important. We’ve got an uphill battle as it is with all the Republican retirements from the House (scroll) and Senate. Sitting it out will only make matters worse, not just here - but abroad as well. There’s simply too much at stake to sit at home on election day.
Flashback - 2/6/08: Stanley Kurtz - Staying Home is Not an Option
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Wow, a bunch of POTENTIAL clueless, spineless, completely ignorant democrats. I’m shocked….really.
Comment by NC Cop @ 3/28/2008 - 5:40 pm
STILL no reason to go vote. Voting against Durbin would be purely symbolic; with Daley running Illinois, Durbin will win, 317 million to six. In the House I get the social liberal who supports the ACLU and who’s too good to answer my snail mail or faxes, or I get a Democrat. And even if we keep the Congress, whoever wins President will start pulling troops out of Iraq in February. It’s almost a thousand feet to the polling place; too much effort for no reward.
Comment by clifto @ 3/28/2008 - 6:30 pm
Even if you can’t bring yourself to pull the lever for McCain, Congressional elections are just as important.
Finally, someone nailed that often-forgotten little detail.
As for the “drawdown,” “redeployment,” whatever ya wanna call it, it’s time to call shenanigans on each and every single poll that suggests popular, or even significant, public support for it. What reason do we have to think there is some? We hear a lot of noise from the anti-war types. That just means they’re LOUD.
They can’t get anyone elected. All I see of ‘em is this “Marc Foley” Congress. So do these 42 losers even have a chance?
Don’t get me wrong, I’ll be showing up bright and early to punch the chad against whichever one of the 42 runs in my district.
Supporting John McBackstabber though…I dunno…I dunno…
Comment by Morgan K Freeberg @ 3/28/2008 - 6:43 pm
I realize we need to keep the dunder heads in congress / house (republicans) so we don’t get even bigger idiots in office (see above article).
But I agree with so many around, it is really hard to swallow our ideals and our integrity and keep allowing republicans to roll over us, because they know the alternative is much worse, that we HAVE to vote for them.
I am not a republican, I am a Conservative.
Why is it we cannot seem to come together and put in Conservatives? When republicans run on Conservative ideals they win. Too bad they don’t stick to them and only run on them.
And we did have some fairly good candidates, Thompson and Romney - and the best we could do is McCain?
I heard alot of “They didn’t light a fire in my belly” or “they don’t act like they really want it”.
We McCain lights a fire in my belly - I take ant-acid for it.
I am so frustrated that we actually had those that held our ideals and what we get after all is said and done is …McCain?
Tell you the truth, I am disheartened by the whole thing. Yes, I wanted Thompson, and I am sad to see he didn’t go forward, but out all of them we get…McCain, that is the best we can do?
Personally, I think McCain will have the same attitude, sit down and shutup and just pull the lever for me…becasue you don’t want the alternative, so you HAVE to vote for me.
Again, we have to settle, over and over and over again.
I am really tired of settling.
So what is the alternative?
Comment by sanity @ 3/28/2008 - 8:30 pm
What if the troops don’t want to leave? What if they demand to finish the job? Of course they have to do as ordered, but with re-enlistment outrageously higher than at any other time in American history, how can the reason only be to stay with their friends? Uh uh. They know the cause is righteous.
For Sanity,
I share your discomfort. In my opinion, the only way to correct this sorry state of conservative affairs is to be more engaged with local politics whence comes the national hopefuls. From local school board and village trustees, to county and state reps, we have to do the yeoman’s work there to insure that what rises to national campaigns are truly conservative. Perhaps at least semi-regular attendance at local Party meetings would allow for we concerned to make a difference. Someone has to do it and I think that someone is each of us. Waiting for it to happen on its own ain’t makin’ it. Oh yeah, and calls and emails to those already there is a must. For your reps, it might take only a couple dozen emails for them to think there’s a groundswell. You never know how likely a candidate will respond to input from constituents or how much input it will take to get him off his ass.
Comment by Marshall Art @ 3/29/2008 - 2:44 am