White House Hopeful Kerry Lays Out Iraq Plan

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20030916/pl_nm/politics_iraq_kerry_dc&cid=615&ncid=1480

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic presidential contender John Kerry on Monday laid out a plan for postwar Iraq that would transfer political responsibility to the United Nations and require the richest Americans to sacrifice their tax cuts to help pay for reconstruction.

The Massachusetts senator, who voted for a congressional resolution supporting the Iraq war, accused President Bush of having "bungled" the process after the U.S.-led invasion and ouster of Saddam Hussein.

In a position paper released on Monday, Kerry declared the Bush policy "a looming failure" that could threaten U.S. national security if not corrected.

One of nine Democrats seeking the party's presidential nomination in 2004, Kerry has said he might vote against Bush's request for $87 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan.

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[bahrbearian]

1. Oh yah we all ready thought of that and it's in the works....

How did Kerry get the top secret memo?????

[FlemingsGhost]

2. Working both ends of the issue, Senator?

Kerry supported an illegal, immoral invasion that was never anything more than a deluded vision of greed, lust for power and good old-fashioned revenge. His present critcism is steeped in hypocrisy and rings a hollow tone.

Given the choice, I'll be supporting a Democratic candidate who followed his/her conscience from the very start...

[lanlady]

3. I misread the title

I thought it meant "White House is hopeful that Kerry will lay out a plan for Iraq."

[Old and In the Way]

4. Me too.......but then I thought since the WH has no clue about

Iraq and the consequences we face because of this, maybe they are hopeful a real leader can help them figure out how to disengage.

[IndianaGreen]

9. Kerry is even plagiarizing Gephardt's "miserable failure"

and calling it "looming failure."

Looks like the increasingly pathetic and desperate Kerry is getting some help from that other well-known plagiarizer, Joe Biden.

[Rose Siding]

5. And what of existing deficit?

And what of the economic control in Iraq?

snip>
The Kerry blueprint for Iraq envisages a U.N. resolution authorizing a military force under U.S. command and transferring responsibility to the United Nations for the political and humanitarian efforts.

[elfin]

6. Robert Reich on NPR this aft.

also suggested "delaying" the top tier tax cut to pay for Iraq - something they should do patriotically since the top 1% reaps propotionately far more than others in USA.

Sounds like he has been talking to Kerry. He never mentioned Kerry in the part of the interview I hear, however.

[IndianaGreen]

7. Kerry is doomed on the Iraq issue, he can't win no matter what he does

I heard a GOP operative on Crossfire today said that Kerry knew full well that his vote on the Iraq war resolution was a vote authorizing Bush to use force.

This is the same argument that Lieberman has used against Kerry.

This is the same argument that the antiwar movement has used against Kerry.

Since Kerry is still trying to convince himself that his prowar vote was an antiwar vote, and since only his most devoted fans believe this to be true, Kerry has doomed himself on the Iraq war issue.

Kerry has very few options left, and they all taste like crow. Kerry could:

1. admit he was a fool by voting for a war he opposed.

2. admit he thought we were fools that would believe whatever spin he put on his Iraq vote.

3. endorse Wesley Clark for President.

[schultzee]

13. Bush gave congress lies just like he gave to the American public

and most of them bought it.

[dflprincess]

8. Yesterday,

on whatever Sunday talk show he was on, Kerry did say that the 87 billion should be tied to repealing the tax cuts. BUT he also sounded like he would vote for the 87B even if the tax cuts aren't tied to it.

This really disappointed me because, while Kerry isn't my first choice, he's been in the top three for me. There's no point in saying you'll tie the Iraq money to the tax cuts and immediately turn around and say you'll support the 87 billion regardless. There's no way Bushco will give up the tax cuts if the Democrats announce in advance that they're willing to bend over for him again.

[unfrigginreal]

10. Unfortunately, that's what you get with Kerry...

He'll usually make a good speech about an issue, but will always vote for the politically expedient position. Can you just imagine him as President kowtowing to a GOP congress?

[InkAddict]

11. My plan for Kerry et al...

Course, nobody asked me! $.02

Edit: Sorry bad link removed; earlier response to thread in Economic Forum.

In addition, I propose :

a new selective tax be implemented immediately on the earned and unearned income of current US government officials to include Selected, VP-Crash-cart, appointed Cabinet members and WH staff members, and all voting members of Congress, both Repukes/Dems, for the rest of their bloody lives, who supported, participated, and voted to hand over their constitutional duties on behalf and in the service of that padded-crotchety Commander-in-Thief moron! (Please note, that while the Office of Presidency is to be respected, I believe that the previous one eliminated the obligation of requisite respect to the person holding that position - the difference being personal lies that were merely entertaining to our purient voyeurism versus (inter)national lies that led us to war without consensus).

Proceeds of said tax shall be placed in a perpetual irrevocable trust, under UN fiduciary control, for the benefit of the Iraqi people, the interest of which shall be payable once a new government has been founded by constitution and a minimum of five years of elections have produced an autonomous Iraqi nation, at the request of the Head of State, as a supplement to their budget in support of housing, health, education, environment, of the Iraqui people. The interest shall be paid as one amount, as requested, yearly by the Iraqi Head of State, and the payment shall be accompanied by a letter of sincere apology from those taxpayers yet alive and being assessed, along with a reminder that Iraqi liberation/democracy wasn't free, and they should use this token of atonement wisely and be ever vigilent in monitoring their freedoms in the future so that, early on, leaders who usurp power and liberties and commit crimes against the people of Iraq, can be removed, democratically of course.

It might be a drop in the bucket, but it would be something, after
American military is withdrawn, and once global bidding contracts to rebuild are fairly let to rebuild what our bombs have destroyed and for allowing rumor, lies, and Special Interest White Papers to influence America's actions.

Oh well, one can dream that it's a perfect world - until OSAMA and HUSSEIN are apprehended and meet their fate.


:P - Sticking out my tongue

[calimary]

12. My favorite part

is where he said "he might vote against Bush's request for $87 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan."

He MIGHT vote against it?

MIGHT?

He can't see the polls on this one, that a majority of the people oppose it? Bush opens his mouth about it and his poll numbers go down? This is a loser, John! And you "might" vote against it.

I "might" vote for you, if I have no other choice.