New Republican lie: Dems have no faith that Petreus and

[chieftain]

our soldiers are up to the task in Iraq. These people are reprehensible. It is not the military that is responsible for this debacle in Iraq, it is George Bush and his toadies like Huckleberry Graham who have set the country on an immoral and stupid course in the Middle East. I note that McCain is trying to pin the failure on General Casey by saying he won't vote to confirm him as head of the army. The RW thugs in the WH and Congress ignored the advice of our military, promoted sycophants like Meyers and Pace, and now try to blame military leaders for the disaster they have perpetrated on the world. There must be no mirrors in the houses of Republican politicians. Decent human beings could not possibly look themselves in the face after engaging in such deceit.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

1. yes and Russert used the framing of "not supporting the troops"

when he was talking to Kennedy this morning. How tired! How misleading! I didn't think Kennedy called him on the carpet for that stupid phrasing which I would have liked for him to have done.

[aquart]

2. No, 160,000 is NOT up to the task of subduing a city of millions.

That's just one of the reasons sane people do NOT invade nations which haven't attacked them. Our soldiers are not Terminator robots. They're Americans. Americans have been taught that killing civilians, and everyone in that country is a civilian, is not appropriate behavior. It's kind of hard to unlearn that no matter how much "training" you get. Although the recent reports of soldiers tormenting a crippled dog shows progress in that area.

We aren't going to like the haunted wreckage that returns from this war.

[billybob537]

3. Chimp in charge

tied their hands behind their backs. Failed to listen to the EXPERTS. Then he fired anyone who complained.
PS listening to Green Day "nobody likes you, everybody left you, they're all out without you having fun"

[Traveling_Home]

4. So YOU think that the 'Surge' will work? - YOU want it to work? n/t

[chieftain]

6. No, I don't think the escalation("surge") will work.

My point is that these great patriots that hold themselves out as defenders of the military are throwing some of our generals and their reputations under the bus in order to deflect the blame for the RW's immorality and stupidity in the planning and execution of this misadventure. Being the party of Rove, they are not content with smearing the generals, they project their duplicity on the Democratic party in order to gain political advantage. This type of rhetoric, though breath-taking in its cynicism, has become the staple of the Republican Party.
I don't know what it means for the current new Bush tactic to "work", but I am adamantly opposed to anything which keeps alive the false hope of victory in Iraq.

[stray cat]

5. No confidence in Bush's incompetence!

I've heard McCain use the new republican talking point - he and his cohorts intentionally mislead the public just like this administration. They claim anyone who disagrees with the surge is calling our soldiers incompetent.

[theoldman]

7. If Petreus is so great, why has he not been able to train an

Iraqi army? It is very hard for me to believe that they are not trainable. I am not blaming the guy but something just does not add up.

[chieftain]

9. I have no training that qualifies me to judge Petreus.

I do know that the manual he authored on combating insurgencies sets forth metrics that would require substantially more combat troops than what are there even after this escalation is complete.I am certain that there have been mistakes on the part of the military. But the lion's share of the blame for this misbegotten debacle rightly belongs at the feet of the civilian leadership in the WH, DoD and Congress. It is nothing short of craven for the architects of the strategy for this war to foist responsibility on to those who were charged with carrying out their
fatally flawed blueprint.

[Clark2008]

8. Hmmm... my husband is a veteran and he doesn't support

the escalation. Does that mean he doesn't support himself?

Stupid, toady Republican media people.