Dems' Iraq Plan Looks Familiar to John Kerry

[ProSense]

March 14, 2007

Dems' Iraq Plan Looks Familiar to John Kerry

Similar Plan to Senator's Proposal in October 2005

ABC News
By JAKE TAPPER

Allies of Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., point out that the current withdrawal (or "phased redeployment") proposal introduced last week by Senate Democratic leaders and currently being debated on the floor of the U.S. Senate greatly resembles plans Kerry introduced in October 2005 as well as in June 2006.

Snip...

The current proposal, introduced by Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., would begin withdrawing US troops from Iraq within four months of enactment, with a goal of all combat troops out of Iraq by approximately this time next year.

"We are today behaving as a security blanket" for the Iraqi government, Kerry said, standing alongside Reid and Democratic Sens. Joe Biden of Delaware, Jack Reed of Rhode Island, and Carl Levin of Michigan.

"If you want to support the troops, the way to support the troops is to get the policy right."

Asked after the press conference if Reid's plan wasn't the same as his from last June, Kerry smiles and said, "They're very similar."

So what took his colleagues so long to come to the conclusion he reached about a "phased redeployment" back in October 2005?

"These things take time," Kerry said. "Things have to percolate. That's the nature of legislation."

more...

AP photo from today's press conference:

[LSparkle]

1. "President Kerry, accompanied by his brain trust, addressed the press ... "

This looks like a bunch of wise men -- who ought to be running this country instead of the Imbecile-In-Residence.

[babylonsister]

2. If the country had only listened, or not been robbed. nt

[LSK]

3. K&R

[karynnj]

4. I like that some people get that this is what Kerry has proposed

and have the honesty to remind people of the huge amount of grief he took for speaking the truth. Next, they may see that the Alito filibuster that only he and Kennedy would lead was also winnable and right - and stopped by the same people for the same reason.

I like that Kerry simply smiled when pushed to gloat. He is a genuinely good man who is trying to do good.

[blm]

26. Whoever becomes the nominee will no doubt forget that Kerry was the source of this

and worked his ass off and suffered over a year of insults and ostracization in his own party to make this happen.

[lyonn]

5. Everything the Dems proposed before taking over Congress

WAS TRASHED.

This all could be exciting. We may see progress in burying this administration.

[karynnj]

7. True - but the point was

that Kerry's plans were trashed by fellow Democrats and the MSM as well as the Republicans. This country owes him a huge dept of gratitude that he (and Teresa) have kept on fighting.

[fedupinBushcountry]

6. Here is a clip of the news conference

http://democrats.senate.gov/multimedia

[karynnj]

23. Very very nice video

The Senators really did a good job explaining what the resolution will do. They all did a great job in projecting this as a unified message and in countering the RW spin in advance. I am glad that Senator Kerry was allowed so much of the time - he is the real leader on this and by far the best spoken.

[beachmom]

8. This is why he dropped out of the '08 race -- to end the war in Iraq

with a sensible plan. Had he been running, do you think those men would have stood with him today? I am glad they have seen the light, but I admit to a little bit of bile in my own mouth over this. I still remember the ONLY person having mercy on Kerry that NIGHT in June 2006 was Senator John Warner who had a colliquy with Kerry about the plan. Best damned debate about the Iraq War that entire year.

[Adelante]

16. Yep

I give him a lot of credit for knowing what's important - imagine if he were trying to accomplish this as a 2008 candidate? Never happen.

[blm]

17. It's called integrity - there is no bigger challenge facing this nation than getting

out of Iraq and preventing us from getting into Iran.

Men of true integrity and concern know this.

[politicasista]

9. K&R

:kick:

[wisteria]

10. it is good to see Senator Kerry getting a little recognition for his efforts

without snark or attacks.
The Senator always seems to be correct and ahead of the crowd too.

[David Zephyr]

11. So does Condi Rice's "plan". White House now talking with Iran & Syria.

Just as they talked one-on-one with North Korea.

This is 100% John Kerry's proposal. The one many laughed at.

[karynnj]

12. I went to a book tour event that Kerry and his wife had in NYC

Although the topic was suppose to be their book, Charlie Rose asked questions on foreign policy that ranged from:
- North Korea (where the Bush administration finally reached an agreement that they could have had years before by finally having some bilateral talks - just as Kerry recommended in the debates.
-Afghanistan (where after the election, the government admitted that Kerry was right in 2002 when he complained about Tora Bora. The Bush administration is also now asking for more troops there as Kerry and Feingold asked for in their fall 2006 bill.)
-Iraq ( where the ISG and now the Democrats all seem to be for things Kerry recommended in 2004 - 2006, often to using Kerry's words about there not being a military solution, that a political one is needed.)
-The War on Terror (even conservative columnists now agree that he was right in 2004)

The main topic though was environment:

In 2004, Kerry made a very good case that funding research into alternative fuels and energy saving technology would have real environmental, economic, and national security advantages. Given incentives to create the products of the future, industries, like the automotive, will long term create more good jobs than continuing as they are. Even GWB echoed this in his SOTU but has yet to do anything real on the issue.

A President Kerry, who as a Senator had the highest lifetime rating by the Leaque of Conservation Voters, would have immediately used executive orders to make environmental controls stricter. In 2004, Gore said of Kerry at the convention, that he had the best record in the Senate on the environment (a comment Gore would not have made lightly)

But, as right as John Kerry was on so very many thing, a Beachmom DKOS diary, reminded me that Teresa Heinz Kerry may have the ultimate Kerry was right. When faced by Bush supporters shouting four more years, she responded, "Four more years of Hell". I have to admit that though I agreed at the time, I didn't know how right she was.

(Check out Beachmom's diary to learn more about what this incredible woman is doing on environmental issues and other things now. All I can say is that having seen her speak with her husband, that she is the only one I have ever seen who completely held her own on the same stage as John Kerry. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/3/14/95334/9239

I hope that whichever Democrat wins in 2008 will at least listen to John Kerry's insight because he has a very good track record of being right when others weren't. I also hope that DUers constantly whining about backbone look at how for 2 years Kerry has stood for what he believed in through uncalled for ridicule from the media and some of his colleaques. Given his history from Vietnam, the Contras to BCCI, this should not have been a surprise. What we lost in 2004 is incredible.

[beachmom]

20. Thanks for the shout out on my diary, Karynnj

I also just posted it on DU-GD, too:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x415878

(why oh why can't dkos and du have the same html codes?)

[blm]

25. Thanks for bringing it here....I'm not a kos member

though I do lurk there at times.

[blm]

15. Other Dems and most corpmedia attacked Kerry for this withdrawal plan in June 2006.

They said it shouldn't be treated 'seriously' as I recall.

Now, all the allegedly 'serious' politicians like Hillary and Biden are latching on to the unserious Kerry plan because there is NO BETTER WAY OUT from anybody else.

Kerry-Feingold had THIRTEEN VOTES from Democrats last June when Iraq was in civil war and everyone in DC knew damn well it was in civil war.

[TayTay]

18. The Democrats, at the time, thought it would imperil the midterms

and that Democrats would lose a national security debate because this resolution would make them look weak.

Sigh! When we we ever learn? We are not weak when we stand up for what is right and for our principles as a nation. We are weak when we refuse to do so.

[blm]

19. And it turned out that voters WANTED Dems to get us out of Iraq.

And they expected Dems to attack corruption, too.

Two areas where lawmakers like Kerry, Leahy and Waxman EXCEL.

[karynnj]

22. That last sentence sounds Kerryesque

"We are not weak when we stand up for what is right and for our principles as a nation. We are weak when we refuse to do so." (which is high praise)

(and very very true when the Reid/Clinton alternative was to not discuss Iraq at all - great way to look really strong on the biggest problem - ignore it and hope it will go away. Interesting that doing nothing might have COST them the victory we got as people would see no difference.)

[blm]

24. Exactly - MAKING Iraq a big issue was something the Dems didn't want before Nov.

but I think some of them were actually HOPING to have a GOP senate and congress to run against in 2008.

I sure know that Carville and McAuliffe didn't want Dean to have a victory as DNC chair.

[TheConstantGardener]

30. You are absolutely right; Dems could've stopped war in 2002

But it would "Make them look weak"

[David Zephyr]

27. In fairness, Biden's plan is also a very solid plan.

I am giving John Kerry credit here, but in fairness, Biden's plan is the only plan that truly addresses the eventuality of the situation as it will become. Biden did not copy Kerry's plan.

[blm]

28. Biden's earlier plan did not, that is true. But back in fall of 2005 when Kerry

submitted his first withdrawal plan, Biden attacked it and even misinformed audiences when he claimed that there was no diplomatic component to it.

And in June 2006, Biden wanted to wait till his own trip to Iraq which came some weeks after and THEN he was convinced that a withdrawal plan was needed. I think he could have trusted Kerry and Murtha and the commanders they talked to and thrown his support for withdrawal ALOT earlier.

Biden can be amazing sometimes, but he needs to LISTEN as well as talk.

[karynnj]

29. I agree that Biden and Kerry's plans are different

They have some things in common - such as both wanting a major diplomatic summit. That is not copying - just something they agree on.

The biggest difference is that while Kerry agrees that the Iraqis may settle on partition, he feels it can not be something recommended and implemented by the Americans - too close to colonial times when Britain did just that - and nearly everywhere they drew a boundary we have a problem.

As to whose right - Kerry is more sensitive to their culture and their self determination; Biden sees us doing it with their assistance the most expedient way to succeed. Neither is a sure thing - philosophically I prefer Kerry's view.

[blm]

31. What they doi have in common is wise, though, and I appreciate them both voicing it

as often as possible.

Kerry has spent decades studying world cultures and religions and is always mindful of their impact on a region's governance. That is why he always factors it into his assessments.

[karynnj]

32. It might also be why the right and parts of the Democratic elite

were concerned with him being President - and why some of us so regret that he isn't President now.

Both the NYT and the WP had 2004 op-eds that praised the idealism behind Bush's foreign policy (spreading democracy) and spoke of how the liberals were traditionally the idealists. They contrasted Kerry as less idealistic. A reading of any Kerry foreign policy statement would find plenty of idealism, along with a strong respect for working with other countries.

It is interesting that Albright in her newest book speaking of new foreign policy favorably quoted John Kerry - not from 2004 or 1971, but from 1966. The segment she quoted was about how the planners of the Vietnam War were ignoring their culture.

Kerry ended his famous 1971 testimony with a paragraph that went beyond Vietnam - hoping that Vietnam became the point where America turned. He became involved in the thankless investigation of the Contras, because that was the type of thing that he came to Congress to fight. (It was interesting that he also fought the same thing when Clinton attempted to use Iranian arms mercants to arm the Bosnians.)

Kerry's positions are based on his own studies of cultures and foreign policy, but the reason why he had a viewpoint from a very early age that was different from his professors and the leading stratigists of the time is that he credits as one of his most important influences, his father, who was a diplomat and obviously a brilliant one.

[TayTay]

13. Original article

This is the article in the NYTimes tht Tappert is referring t:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/21/washington/21kerry.html?ex=1308542400&en=7365d0778da8cc1d&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Classy guy to resist rubbing their noses in it.

[karynnj]

14. He quoted enough though to make his point

that the Democrats really put Senator Kerry through hell on this. A less biased person than me pointed out that the quotes from the NYT relect more on the Democrats than the NYT.

Those of us who saw the coverage on this, Alito and other issues can see that the NYT was beyond obnoxious to Senator Kerry, even when (on Alito) he was doing what they wanted a Democratic leader (not named Kerry) to do.

Senator Kerry has been incredible doing the right thing even as his party and the media have ridiculed and attacked him. In spite of everything they did, he still appeared to be the most dignified, reasonable, principled person out there.

[blm]

21. Heh - they spent 2005 and 2006 ATTACKING Kerry but ended up following him

on the very issues they attacked him on in the first place.

What a colossal waste of time and lives. Shame on the Democrats who could have helped MOVE this country along with Kerry, Feingold and Murtha - instead they were too worried about upsetting Lieberman who was in a tough re-elect race.


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Asked after the press conference if Reid's plan wasn't the same as his from last June, Kerry smiles and said, "They're very similar."

So what took his colleagues so long to come to the conclusion he reached about a "phased redeployment" back in October 2005?

"These things take time," Kerry said. "Things have to percolate. That's the nature of legislation."

For Kerry's June 2006 effort, which would have withdrawn US combat troops by June 2007, the lanky junior senator from Massachusetts was rewarded by a scathing report in the New York Times entitled, "On Iraq, Kerry Again Leaves Democrats Fuming." The Times reported the 2004 presidential nominee's "fellow Democrats" were fearful that "the latest evolution of Mr. Kerry's views on Iraq may now complicate their hopes of taking back a majority in Congress in 2006."

Senate Democratic leaders were described as shoving Kerry's proposal "into the evening, too late for the nightly television news, to starve it of some attention&.interviews suggest a frustration with Mr. Kerry, never popular among the caucus, and still unpopular among many Democrats for failing to defeat a president they considered vulnerable. Privately, some of his Democratic peers complain that he is too focused on the next presidential campaign."

Said Biden of Kerry's proposal back then: "setting a date is not a plan.'' Added Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., ''If the argument comes down to, Is it one year or 18 months, I think we're going to confuse people. I'm not sure what the value is; I think it hurts us rather than helps.''
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