Opposition based on Rice’s record (Evan Bayh)

[struggle4progress]

Posted on Tue, Feb. 08, 2005
By Sen. Evan Bayh

I read with interest Andrea Neal’s column (Feb. 1) suggesting that my vote against promoting Dr. Condoleezza Rice to secretary of state could not be based on principle, that I had changed my priorities on Iraq, that no serious policy errors have been made for which the decision-makers should be held to account and that my motives could only be a sign of larger political ambition. <snip>

From the very beginning, this administration violated a fundamental tenet of war. Instead of planning for the worst and hoping for the best, the administration has all too often planned for the best and reaped the worst. Ignoring the warnings of people like Sen. John McCain, we did not go in with the troops or the equipment necessary for the difficult task of nation building. We never had a realistic plan for what came after Saddam was deposed. The State Department and others, including Sen. Richard Lugar, urged the administration to plan for the reconstruction of Iraq, but they were ignored. Those in charge must be held accountable for those mistakes. Our success in Iraq depends on learning from them and correcting them. <snip>

When the stakes are this high and the consequences this profound, accountability is important. Holding people accountable for grave errors may be an odd concept in Washington, D.C., but business as usual isn’t good enough anymore. <snip>

http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/news/editorial/10845650.htm

[countmyvote4real]

1. Sadly, blow jobs are the only standard these freaks will

hold accountable. Be ye gay or straight you cannot suck the penis and make it public. In reality, how many people have died as a result of that impeachment offense?

And yet the (metaphoric) rim jobs of lobbyists are all too welcome. This time I ask the same question and wonder why there is no call to impeach these bastards.

[bloom]

2. Except for Andrea Neal

thinking that Rice was doing a good job... I generally agreed with her assessment of Bayh.

He doesn't do much to change my mind with this little piece, either.

[struggle4progress]

3. So you agree with Neal that Bayh should have worried more ...

... about alienating conservatives with his anti-Rice vote?

That Andrea Neal's main point in http://www.indystar.com/articles/5/219134-1565-021.html , isn't it?

[bloom]

4. No

It seemed to me she was saying that Bayh didn't have much of an argument and voted that way because he wanted to run for President and thought he needed to look like he was more to the left than to the right (to run as a Democrat).

I don't think Bayh needs to worry about alienating conservatives - I think he needs to stop being a conservative. It is because in the past that he has been so conservative that he is freaking out Andrea O'Neal - because all of sudden he seemed to change direction.