Biden: Leave or stay and squander more lives

[Rose Siding]

This comes at the end of an analysis piece in today's LAT titled, "Iraq Charter Strife Hurts U.S. Strategy"

snip>
However, Biden also expressed doubts that Iraq's unity could hold without genuine consensus on a draft constitution. If it does not, he said, the only choice would be to support the Kurds and Shiites and try to prevent Sunni areas from becoming a terrorist haven.

"At this point, we have to choose between bad options: Leave with chaos in our wake or stay and squander more American lives," Biden said. "Without the Sunnis, this is a losing game."

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/iraq/la-fg-usiraq27aug27,0,5243213.story?coll=la-home-headlines

Has Biden said this before? Is he saying we should leave or that squandering lives is to be the result of our being unable to leave chaos behind?

[Bucky]

1. A little late to the frickin' party, Joe

But he's welcome to join us.

[greekspeak]

2. Could go either way

It sounds like he is recognizing there is a catch 22, a rock and a hard place. But he never says "pull out" or stay the course. Either answer could naturally follow upon this quote.

[marylanddem]

3. Biden drives me crazy

Yes - What the hell IS he saying? Whose boy is he? He has this big macho thing going, I think - probably related to the hair implants.

[Maggie_May]

4. Come on

Joe just say it like it is finish this stupid constitution call it a win if you must and get the hell out!! I just can't stand wimps and thats all I am hearing from my own party. Its time to get out!!!!

[bemildred]

5. Biden is a war hawk, a card carrying member of the War Party.

This is butt-covering, and in context an admission that he knows that the game is up and there is little time left on the game clock.

[KoKo]

6. Yep....and maybe he's sensing that some in the Dem Party are onto his

game and are sick of seeing him as the Party Spokeman on the Pundit shows. If he's interested in running for President he's got his finger in the wind.

I have no respect for him...for the way he's pandered to Bush.

[Totally Committed]

7. All politicians are opportunists, to a certain extent, and

some more than others. Biden is just preparing the way for a classic "me, too!" political moment, when he changes course to suit the public "temperature". If you notice, he's sitting on the fence right now, waiting to see where most Democrats land on the subject, but when the results from that last focus group comes back, and he's read that last poll, he'll decide which side of the fence to jump down on. Viability is all that matters right now. Give him some time... he'll choose that side that will win him the most votes.