Mon, 26 Feb 2007 18:42:00
Joe gets it right again
I’m certainly not gonna say anything better than Joe Lieberman did.
What is remarkable about this state of affairs in Washington is just how removed it is from what is actually happening in Iraq. There, the battle of Baghdad is now under way. A new commander, Gen. David Petraeus, has taken command, having been confirmed by the Senate, 81-0, just a few weeks ago. And a new strategy is being put into action, with thousands of additional American soldiers streaming into the Iraqi capital.
Congress thus faces a choice in the weeks and months ahead. Will we allow our actions to be driven by the changing conditions on the ground in Iraq--or by the unchanging political and ideological positions long ago staked out in Washington? What ultimately matters more to us: the real fight over there, or the political fight over here?
The new strategy at last begins to tackle these problems. Where previously there weren’t enough soldiers to hold key neighborhoods after they had been cleared of extremists and militias, now more U.S. and Iraqi forces are either in place or on the way. Where previously American forces were based on the outskirts of Baghdad, unable to help secure the city, now they are living and working side-by-side with their Iraqi counterparts on small bases being set up throughout the capital.
We of course will not know whether this new strategy in Iraq will succeed for some time. Even under the most optimistic of scenarios, there will be more attacks and casualties in the months ahead, especially as our fanatical enemies react and attempt to thwart any perception of progress.
But the fact is that we are in a different place in Iraq today from even just a month ago--with a new strategy, a new commander, and more troops on the ground. We are now in a stronger position to ensure basic security--and with that, we are in a stronger position to marginalize the extremists and strengthen the moderates; a stronger position to foster the economic activity that will drain the insurgency and militias of public support; and a stronger position to press the Iraqi government to make the tough decisions that everyone acknowledges are necessary for progress.
Unfortunately, for many congressional opponents of the war, none of this seems to matter. As the battle of Baghdad just gets underway, they have already made up their minds about America’s cause in Iraq, declaring their intention to put an end to the mission before we have had the time to see whether our new plan will work.
There is a lot more. Read it all. I (and the WSJ Opinion Journal!) report - you decide. One thing I know for certain...as of this day, i am proud and glad that I voted for Joe.
Posted by JimK at 06:42 PM on February 26, 2007
Permalink | Trackbacks (0) | Email to a friend |
Categories: News, Politics, The Federal Government, War, U.S. Military
Tags:
Technorati: military war iraq media congress Joe Lieberman
Comments:
#2 Posted by JimK 
on 02/26 at 09:58 PM -
I’m not sure about Joe as the man in the big chair - but I do like him as the spoiler Senator. For sure. I might even like him as Veep. With say, Giuliani in the big chair.
#3 Posted by Drumwaster on 02/26 at 10:25 PM -
I’m just saying that Joe would have pulled enough moderates to beat Dubya.
#4 Posted by witchndigger on 02/27 at 12:56 AM -
He was to close to the Gorical.
#6 Posted by JimK on 02/27 at 01:49 AM -
He was to close to the Gorical.
I could tell even back then, he was never comfortable with that relationship, and they weren’t comfortable with him.
#7 Posted by JimK on 02/27 at 01:52 AM -
Buzz: check out Wizbang’s post about that. It contrasts Gore with Bush, who back in 2001 was using green techniques on the Crawford ranch house.
Hysterical.
#8 Posted by mgnmfrc1 on 02/27 at 02:04 PM -
I am liking Joe more and more, but I don’t think he has the “presence” for a pres. Rudy/Joe does sound good though.
#9 Posted by Buzzion on 02/27 at 02:21 PM -
Just shows why Hollywood loves him so much. He’s a hypocrite just like they are. Trying to get other people to reduce their use of energy so they don’t have to.
RSS (Subscribe)
Tip jars (Donate today!)
#1 Posted by Drumwaster
on 02/26 at 09:53 PM -
If Joe had beaten Kerry for the DNC ‘04 nomination, we’d be talking about “President Lieberman” and Dubya would be doing fund-raisers for his Presidential Library and getting blamed for every American death in Iraq.