John Nichols: Iraq is the Issue

[Martin Eden]

Published on Friday, June 3, 2005 by The Nation

Iraq Is the Issue

by John Nichols

<snip>
"We cannot continue to ignore the debacle in Iraq if we are going to have any hope of ever again being a majority party," said Huffington, the conservative who came in from the cold and has recently lent her name and energy to the Huffington Post.

<snip>
"There is no oversight going on in this most corrupt and most immoral Congress that we have right now," she said, adding that, "I'm very troubled by the way our Democratic leaders go on television and sound like spineless Republicans." (Later in the day, at the one conference session that was devoted to foreign policy issues, former CIA analyst Ray McGovern recalled Dean's recent "now that we're there, we're there" comment regarding the "need" to remain in Iraq and then said, "That sounds like Rumsfeld to me.")

Noting that, in a recent television appearance, US Senator Hillary Clinton said she was not comfortable talking about developing an "exit strategy" to withdraw US troops from Iraq, Huffington said, "With respect to Senator Clinton, if you are not comfortable setting an exit strategy, please point us to someone who is."

<snip>
"The Democratic leaders need to make it clear that these men running our foreign policy are dangerous," she said. "There is no way Democrats can win an election unless they make it clear that these Republicans are not making this country safer."

Read More:
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat?bid=1&pid=3059

I have to agree with Arianna Huffington and John Nichols here. Unless the Democratic Party offers real leadership in foreign policy and Iraq in particular -- based on the truth and what needs to be done for our nation's security and honor -- Democrats have little chance of unseating the party in power.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

1. I agree with you, John Nichols and Arianna

the issue is Iraq. Unfortunately, the right has convinced many in the nation that democrats against Iraq are weak on defense or traitors. So those dems (Howard and Hillary)are trying to show the country they are 'strong' leaders. And they are to a great degree.
In the final analysis though, without a total shift in the outlook of this country's average citizens, we are going to be doomed by our dependence on oil.
We know that ALL policy and regulation is done to benefit corporate and wealthy individuals interests. That is the real battle to be fought...............

[peacetalksforall]

2. In my book, anyone who is not generating ideas for ending this

massacre and destruction - FAILS THE TEST!

And I'm not surprised that there are Dem leaders for a continuance of killing.

They better watch their rhetoric or start talking to thinkers with brains and the kind of experience needed to come up with exit strategy ideas - otherwise there is no other conclusion than the following -

they are supportive of the corporations who guide this killing.
they are supportive of the Republicans while pretending to be Dems.
they were never Dems to begin with.
they are incapable of projecting the consequences.

[Skittles]

6. I honestly feel like no one is looking out for our troops

it's a disgrace

[bemildred]

3. When people (like me) say we have only one party, this is what is meant.

The failure on so many issues of the two parties to disagree in
any important way, the failure of the mass media to provide a
voice for any but the accepted views. Where is the debate?

[Martin Eden]

4. "Where is the debate?" -- that's a good question.

Where is the debate -- not only between the parties at the national level, but within the Democratic Party leadership as well.

It's as if Iraq has become the new third rail to the Dems -- touch it in an attempt to steer this runaway train onto a different track, and you DIE.

The Bush paradigm on Iraq has been swallowed whole -- that we're there to help build a stable democratic Iraq and that we can't leave until that mission is accomplished.

The problem with this paradigm is that the mission has never been what they have claimed it's about -- WMD and ties to al Qaeda, and now a crusade for democracy. They use whatever rationale works best to camoflage the real neocon goals of permanent military bases, control of oil, corporate profits, and Pax Americana.

Are the Dems just spineless and clueless, or are they co-conspirators in this crime?

The crimes, the lies, and the damage reaped by the Bush administration should be exibits A thru Z for a true opposition party. We need to expose this criminal gang and offer practical solutions for the problems facing our nation in the short and long terms, and pit our better ideas against their disastrous policies in the public arena.

Does the Democratic leadership lack the ability to do this, or are most of them already co-opted?

[0007]

5. Actions are speaking louder than words -

A Debate would be a losing proposition

[Martin Eden]

7. What "actions" can the Dems take

given Repug control of the WH & congress?

[oppositionmember]

8. Even if Bushco's aim was to create a democratic Iraq

it would fail because it is far too ideological, myopic and corrupt to ever allow the Iraqis to determine their own destiny. Stabilizing the country can only happen if we accept they must be in charge, whether or not they are Islamic fundamentalists. Iraq is probably going to have to move through a post-Iranian revolution-type phase though it has some chance of shaking off the rule of the fundies in a few years. This probably will have to happen in a federation framework, and it's possible indeed likely the Kurds will secede in the process.

This prospect is what Bushco cannot accept and why it may prefer to embark on an ill-advised adventure in Iran in a classic forward-flight maneuver (fuite en avant) ending in an even greater disaster.

This gets far worse before it gets any better.

[Gyre]

9. If 'Iraq is THE issue'

Then Hillary is toast for any spot on the '08 ticket. She carries the same baggage the Kerry did in voting for The Resolution authorizing attack. That vote completely hamstrung Kerry when it came to his standing to attack the chimp on his fictional basis for "war".

Gyre