Did you watch the United Dem's press Briefing on Security/Iraq on C-Span?

[FrenchieCat]

It was on this morning (on PT time).

I saw quite a bit of it....and felt that the Dems looked strong and United and forceful.

There is a report that came out written by Third way in Iraq (The Neo Con: The Bush Defense Record by the Numbers--An Analysis of the Data Behind the Bush Approach to National Security http://www.third-way.com/products/58) ...which talks about the fact that Iraq is in a Low Grade Civil War, etc...and how wrong the Bush Admin got things over there. How Al Qeada has grown since pre Iraq Invasion to something like 50,000 strong and expanding.

If anyone else caught it, could you please provide your opinion on it!

[ShortnFiery]

1. I was under the impression - the Vast Majority are NATIVES. Not Al Qeada

The *Al Qeada numbers IN IRAQ* are said to be not much more than 1000?

It's Iraqis killing Iraqis now. :shrug:

[FrenchieCat]

2. I'm not talking about the numbers in Iraq.....

I'm talking about the numbers of AlQeada worldwide.

The point made, I believe, that the invasion of Iraq has been a great recruiting tool for Al Qeada.....regardless of who's fighting in Iraq...which according to the reports are Iraqis, as you state.

The report states that AlQeada has grown from 20,000 pre invasion to 50,000 worldwide as of current.

Here's the report in PDF format! see starting page 4 for many stats

http://www.third-way.com/data/product/file/58/The_Neo_Con_9.5.06_final_electronic_version.pdf

[ShortnFiery]

4. OK, thank you FrenchieCat - Understood and concur. eom

[rodeodance]

3. that was one oft their points

[ShortnFiery]

5. Yes, it drives home the TRUISM of "civil war" while ...

Dear Leader and his henchmen deny with the TRUTHINESS of "severe sectarian violence."

Our leaders KNOW that it's time to cash it all in, yet the War Machine (Northrup Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, etc) Corporations are just warming up.

I would love to know HOW MUCH OUR LEADERSHIP has invested in the Military/Industrial Corporate War Machine, both Democratic as well as Republican. Why? Far too many Democrats are dragging their feet when any SANE human being with one semester of Military Science 101 under his belt, KNOWS that = Yes! IT'S CIVIL WAR! TIME TO EVACUATE NOW!

In other words, there's no place to hide, to baton down the hatches once a legitimate Civil War has emerged and loyalties are in question. :scared:

[FrenchieCat]

6. I just hope that the media gives this coverage.......and that they

are not upstaged and then eclipsed!

I'm surprised that George Bush didn't have a speech scheduled to wipe them off the teevee....like he did last time.

Reid, Durbin, Clark, Hoytt(sp?) and others spoke at this press conference.....and were some of the same congressional Dems who wrote the letter to Bush.

[Dr Fate]

9. If Democrats were not too frightened to say something "controversial"...

...the networks WOULD play it.

What if they had said "Most of what Bush says about terrorism is lies (and use that word)" or "Bush failed to prevent 9/11 in the 1st place, and his dishonest, unintelligent policies continue to set us up for even worse attacks"

You cant tell me the networks & Republicans would not unwittingly repeat those phrases in a defensive manner if Democrats said them.

OR, what if ALL the Democrats with media access went on all the shows and held up a DVD of the conference and said "Your network refused to air this- could you play it now, or are you too biased?"

One way or the other, it "the media is biased" is going to be our offical excuse, then I need to see Democrats doing soething to combat it instead of merely falling back on it as an excuse.

[CarolNYC]

23. Well,

it was at least mentioned, with video clip, on CNN's Situation Room, Lou Dobbs and the NBC Nightly News....

[Dr Fate]

7. No. And neither did a single swing voter. No one watches C-SPAN

If DEMS wanted this to get heard, then they need to get it on the big networks.

If they wanted to be on the big networks, then they would need to use some "hot", confrontational language- like accusing Bush of "lying" or "failing to prevent 9/11 in the 1st place"- something that would force the echo chamber to defensively repeat the DEM charges into the echo chamber.

If the big networks are indeed censoring their "conferences", I never heard any of the Democrats make that charge in a blunt, loud manner. So I see 2 problems, not one.

Before you all make tired excuses and say the Democrats of being banned or censored from media, please show me where Democrat leadership makes that charge in a blunt, unambiguous manner. I'm tired of heatring DUers say it- I wanna hear the people who are supposedly being banned say it.

Something like "Your network , once again censored our press conference- just like you have done literally hundreds of times before- why are you biased against our party?" Not some vague reference- I mean an out-right accusation with examples.

[tech3149]

8. The only way they'll get it on major networks

is to pay for the air time. Any appearance on a "news" program or interview, you're playing on their court and they have the advantage.

[bluedog]

10. or say something that is against the * administration n/t

[Dr Fate]

11. No. If they had called Bush a "liar", that clip would be repeated.

If they had said "Most of what Bush and his handlers say about terrorism is lies- from the WMDS on down..."

Or if they had said "Bush's dishonesty and frankly, unintelligent appraoch sets up for more failures, just like his failure to prevent 9/11..."

Sorry, I dont buy it. Democrats could "fool" the networks & GOP into repeating their charges for them.

If it is true that Democrats are "playing on their court and they have the advantage", then fine- but which Democrats who DO have media access (Dean, Hillary, Obama, Kerry, Gore, etc,etc- there are plenty of them) are SAYING this and educating viewers to this fact?


I'll meet you half way- show me a top Democrat who is claiming that the only way he can get on TV is to pay someone. I have yet to hear any Democrats make a charge anywhere close to that.

[Totally Committed]

12. I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU! (n/t)

TC

[FrenchieCat]

13. I don't know.....

It is said that by the GOP that Clark is head of the "Bush is a liar" club....yet, he out of most, rarely has his name mentioned by the press.

In fact, in one of the (many) latest polls on potential 08 Dems, here is what is said about Wes Clark....

"Wesley Clark (D), retired general
He's very active and gets no attention -- zip, zilch. He's not getting nearly as much deferential treatment as Edwards, and his attempts at raising first-quarter money in '07 may seem like a splash of cold water. Did he really say no to the Auburn presidency? Is that still on the table? War Eagle! http://nationaljournal.com/racerankings/wh08/

I really DON'T WONDER WHY Wes gets NO attention....and Lieberman (even before he lost)gets plenty by our Corporate Press!

[Dr Fate]

15. Then how does Clark still manage to get on TV all the time?

No one seems to be banning him or censoring him, and least not that he has ever said. he is on those TV interview shows all the time.

If the media and the GOP are going around saying that there is a "Bush is a liar" club out there, then that is GREAT- but I've never heard them say that.

I dont see Clark having any trouble getting on TV, so I'm not sure what your point is.

[Donna Zen]

16. Oh my Dr. Fate!

General Clark did go on TV right after that presser, and he used the word "dereliction" and pointed out that 911 happened on bush's watch. He was great. Plenty of fox viewers just got the full treatment. Let's face it: Clark says things that no other Democrat even mutters.

A thing of beauty is a joy forever

I hope this link works. If not, I hope someone else will post it.

[FrenchieCat]

20. Whoa! The General totally kicked Cavuto's ass!

I mean......that was really straight talk.

Cavuto couldn't take it anymore.....had no comeback!

[Jai4WKC08]

17. Huh? Are you kidding?

Clark rarely gets on TV, except for Fox. He was on Meet the Press over a year ago, sharing the platform with 3 other retired generals, and This Week with Stephanopolis about 6 months ago. Other than that, zilch.

[tech3149]

25. Sorry Doc

I can't say who say's what where. I don't pay for cable, there are only so many hours in the day, and I'm a political outsider. Add to that that I stayed away from politics since 63. Having paid attention since March 2003, I've seen the outrageous imbalance in coverage. Deocrats may get some exposure, but it's very limited and easily manipulated by the questions asked and how they are phrased. I can't do your research for you, I'm just a tired old drunk. I simplified my position more than I should have, but to explain it further, any Democratic speaker's viewpoint will be distorted or edited based on the interest of the interest of the programmers. Most of the coverage I've seen on broadcast TV from the democratic leaders is much tamer than that which is seen in personal appearances.
Just because you don't see it doesn't meen it isn't happening.

[FrenchieCat]

14. I just hope that the Dems are united on this.....and don't try to

upstage one another...to promote themselves.....effectively cancelling out any messages put out in which case, we will again hear...."but Democrats have no plan". We are really too close to the November elections...and considering that Murtha and Reid and others (who have varied views on specifics on Iraq) did sign up on the United Security Dems platform, signed the letter to Bush....I hope that we get some traction on this! :(

[Jai4WKC08]

18. Too late...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2811947

I predict Biden won't be very far behind.

[FrenchieCat]

19. Naw....Biden signed the letter to Bush.....

Although Biden up isn't up for election this year, I believe Sen. Carper (the Junior Senator from Delaware), a Democrat, is....and so it may be that Sen. Biden understands that the Dems as a whole must have a voice.....in order to defeat Republicans in 2006! Biden coming out with something right now would only step on the Dems' message in attempting to offer up a united front.

[Connie_Corleone]

21. It comes on again around 9 ET on Cspan-1

[FrenchieCat]

22. Thanks!

very much!

[FrenchieCat]

24. They generated some healtlhy press.... for our side today....

Washington, DC — With President Bush touring the country on a new public relations campaign designed to sell his national security policies to the American people, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, Assistant Democratic Leader Dick Durbin, House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, and Senator Thomas Carper today joined General Wesley Clark and Sharon Burke, Director of the Third Way National Security Project to release "the Neo Con," a new report analyzing the dangerous effects Republican policies have had on the security of the nation. Prepared by Third Way, the study is a damning indictment of Bush Republican failure and incompetence that has left America less safe five years after September 11, 2001.

The new report throws the national security failures of the Bush Administration and its rubberstamp Republican Congress into harsh relief. Shockingly, despite repeated rhetoric from the White House citing the new realities of the post-9/11 world, Bush Republican incompetence has left America vulnerable in an increasingly unstable world. Bogged down in Iraq with its military stretched thin, America now finds itself less able to fight and win the war on terror. Around the world, Afghanistan, Iran, and North Korea have grown more dangerous. Meanwhile, terrorist attacks around the world have rapidly multiplied.

“We took a hard look at the numbers,” said Burke, “and the numbers don’t lie – the Bush strategy is not working.”

With the five-year anniversary of the September 11th attacks fast approaching, the report serves as a sobering reminder that the President and his Republican Congress have failed to learn the lessons of that terrible day. In a study cited in "the Neo Con," 86% of National Security experts interviewed by the Center for American Progress and Foreign Policy magazine rate the world as more dangerous for the US and Americans; 83% disagree that the United States is winning the war on terror. A copy of “the Neo Con” can be found online here .
http://securingamerica.com/node/1420