The "warnings" to Democrats are starting: Don't Get in Chimpy's Way!!

[Sparkly]

Dems to inherit agenda dominated by war

By ANNE FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 38 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Now the majority party, Democrats will inherit an agenda dominated by the war in Iraq when the new Congress convenes Thursday, increasing their exposure to what has mostly been a politically damaging issue for Republicans.

(snip)

"They'll have to show they can govern and govern in a way that will help the executive branch resolve this," said James Thurber, director of American University's Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies.

But resolving Iraq won't be easy, and Democrats run the risk of going too far in criticizing the president. Recent polls show Americans remain frustrated with Bush's handling of the war, but don't think Democrats have offered much of an alternative.

"They will be in the majority, and they will be blamed if they try to block the president from implementing an exit strategy," Thurber said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070102/ap_on_go_co/democrats_iraq

[wakeme2008]

1. Only on Planet Bush is a Surge an "exit strategy"

but that want this author is trying to paint it.

[karynnj]

7. Well, Nixon's exit strategy to Vietnam involved invading Cambodia

I was a college student then and remember sitting in a packed lounge in my dorm watching Nixon's speech on TV. It was May, 1970 and there was a draft. I was at Indiana University, where over 90% of the students were against the war. The speech had been announced and a few optimists thought he would announce how and when the war would end.

This may seem naive in retrospect, but both parties had called for getting out of Vietnam in their 1968 platforms. (we didn't know that "with honor" meant they weren't really going to do it) I am not eloquent enough to convey the sense of outrage, betrayal and anger in that room when we heard that we had invaded and attacked a neutral country. (Many of us had heard in teach-ins accusations that we were crossing the border - but there's a difference hearing things informally.)

[rock]

2. Help the executive branch

That would be like a doctor helping cancer. (The executive branch IS the problem.)

[rodeodance]

3. i do think that Dems will be blamed as well as Repugs if we

do not get out of irag.

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

4. "...help the EXECUTIVE BRANCH resolve this..."

...The executive branch can begin the process of resolution by reporting to the Hague to stand trial for war crimes.

[ray of light]

5. Kerry/Feingold/ and Boxer offered a huge change..but the rest of the

Democrats were too chicken and decided to blame Kerry/Feingold for actually offering an alternative. (This alternative actually had been in the process before Reid allowed Levin and Clinton to form their own mishymashy alternative.)

[oasis]

6. Hopefully Dems will implement an exit strategy for Bush's War and Bush.

Via impeachment.

[marmar]

8. Is this the new meme? See, the Dems can't clean up the mess we made!

Gawd I hate Republicans and their admirers.

[gratuitous]

9. Don't go too far criticizing the President

Democrats should be careful in going too far in criticizing the President and his wildly popular war. Is that what this article is saying? For real? Because the last I heard, that by supporting policies and proposals favored by 75% of the electorate, you were pretty well assured that the voters would back you.

Apparently Mr. Thurber believes (as does Ms. Flaherty, the writer) that Bush is still very, very popular, that the war in Iraq is still a close call with the electorate, and that Bush is trying to figure a way out of the mess.

Short answers to stupid assertions: Bush's approval ratings are below 30%; the electorate favors withdrawal from Iraq in the short term by about 2-1; and Bush has stated over and over again that leaving is losing, staying is winning. Mr. Thurber and Ms. Flaherty, you are both fools. Or you think we're all fools. In either case, both of you severely need a swift kick in the ass.

[fasttense]

10. It is impossible!!!!!

"Democrats run the risk of going too far in criticizing the president."

There is no way Democratic officials can criticize the crazy king george enough.(not Democrats, what the hell is a Democrat anyway? The AP is showing it's owner's tags by using the slur.) The more the Democratic legislature make it clear they are not in office to "help" the lying, cheating scoundrels, the better they look. Only a handful of corporate media whores and worshipers of the king think otherwise.

[radfringe]

11. has it occured to anyone

might be a tinfoil hat theory...

ennywho --

bush has never been one to take a long view, ponder or think much about doing anything. since being planted in the white house - he's urged, called for, or encouraged QUICK action by congress

now suddenly, he's dragging his feet

why the change? Could it be the Dems are taking over the congress? In more than one article it's been noted that bush will give his decision at some point between the new congress convening and the SOTU address.

could it be he's put off his "decision" so the resulting opposition/outrage can be blamed on the dems?

[Robbien]

13. I expect Bush keeps putting it off hoping that everyone will get distracted

and forget that action from him was promised.

But your explanation works too.

[kentuck]

12. I'm sure the Republicans up for re-election...

will be happy to work with the Democrats on this "issues". Democrats shold look for a "bi-partisan" solution on this war.

[Jack Rabbit]

14. "They will be blamed if they try to block the president [sic] from implementing an exit strategy"

What? The junta leader doesn't have an exit strategy.

[maxsolomon]

15. go too far?

the only way i could see them "going too far" is if they defeated him so utterly that 'murkins start feeling sorry for him, the way many feel sorry for Saddam Hussein; the undignified manner in which he was caught, exhibited in his underwear, convicted in a show trial, and executed by sadrist militiamen. i feel sorrier for Hussein than I ever will for *.

and democrats won't go that far - they're too CENTRIST to speak the unvarnished truth.