Cut and Run republicans - Clinton -vs- Wallace on Fox

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Bill Clinton heatedly defended himself against partisan political lies posed as questions by the "fair and balanced" Chris Wallace of Fox news. In the interview, Wallace poses the right wing lie as question to Mr. Clinton regarding Somalia and the effect of the withdrawal of U. S. troops on Bin Laden's attitude toward the U. S. In effect, Wallace blamed Clinton for cutting and running from Somalia and emboldening Bin Laden by doing so.

The truth, which Bill Clinton rebutted quite well, is that Clinton was slammed by the republican Congress and Senate for not withdrawing immediately after the "Black Hawk Down" incident.

It is amazing to look at the republican comments and put the same attitudes in context with their policies in Iraq today.

The Republicans excoriated Clinton for the deaths of troops (22) and the amount of money spent on the mission (including humanitarian relief) which totaled under $1 billion, and the length of commitment (under 1 year). They also completely exonerated George Bush who originally committed troops to Somalia. Compare and contrast their arguments then with the number of troops lost in Iraq (2697), wounded (20,000+), and the money spent ($500,000,000,000+).

Read 'em and wonder when the right wing republican hypocrisy will ever be recognized by the American voters.

Senator Trent Lott (R) -

"American military forces are ill suited for this mission. Our forces are designed, equipped, trained and maintained to fight and to win in combat. If you give our forces a military objective they will meet that objective. But they are not trained to pacify unruly mobs. Americans have no desire to see their men and women degraded, killed, and defiled by lawless reprobates who drag the bodies of Americans through the streets to be kicked and spat upon."

Senator John McCain (R) -

“The American people are not supportive of the continued involvement of our fighting men and women in an unfocused mission that lacks an objective and exposes them to further harm. We should bring the troops home as soon as we have secured the release of any prisoners of war and received a full accounting of our missing in action.

The President is making a terrible mistake if he thinks that six more months of the continued presence of our forces in Somalia will result in anything but the deaths of more American military men and women. There is significant sentiment in the Senate to bring the troops home. I am certain that, once Senators and Congressmen hear from their constituents -- the American people -- they will demand the expedited end to the United States role in Somalia.”

Representative Scott Klug (R) -

Mr. Speaker, one of my families back in Wisconsin got the phone call Sunday night. Their son had been killed in an attack on a United States helicopter in Somalia .

Bring our soldiers home, Mr. President. I do not want another phone call to another one of my families in Wisconsin.

Senator Warren Hatch (R) -

Most of all, the administration must learn the lesson that the United States should put its troops in harm's way only if our vital and critical interests are at stake and should send enough forces so that they can achieve their mission rapidly and with the least risk to American lives.

Senator Strom Thurmond (R) -

Madam Speaker, the Somalia mission has steadily sucked us into a situation that now offers no good options. Americans are dying in an ill-defined mission that bears no clear relation to the national interest. I agree that this is intolerable, and must not continue. We all want to get out of this quagmire. Yet we do not know how, for no matter how ill-advised it was to get engaged in a Somali tribal war; now that Aideed and his thugs have killed Americans, it is in our national interest to punish them. In other words, what is at stake is not just Somalia . It was a wilderness of savagery and squalor before we arrived, and unfortunately, it may revert to the same state when we leave. Frankly, I do not think we have the power to prevent it. What happens there is no longer the main issue, as far as I am concerned.

Senator Donald Riegle (R) -

I think whenever the United States is engaged militarily overseas there are several tests that have to be applied as to the wisdom of doing that. I think a central test is the question of whether any of us would be prepared to send our own son or daughter into that conflict situation, because if we are not prepared to answer yes we are prepared to send our own son or daughter, then I do not think we ought to send anybody else's son or daughter into that situation. We are all familiar with the events of the last several days and the last few weeks with respect to the not only killing of American forces in Somalia but now at least one individual who we have seen on videotape who has been taken prisoner, and I gather there may be others as well.

I do not think we can inject ourselves into these civil war situations in remote places like Somalia and try to dictate the terms and conditions. We can do it. But we are going to do that at great risk to our own people. And I frankly am not prepared to see the young men and women of Michigan committed to this kind of a situation where I do not think they are adequately able to be protected and where the mission I think is very unclear as to what will justify that kind of very serious commitment of American effort to ask our people to be there in the line of fire.

Representative Rick Lazio (R) -

Madam Speaker, this is not a Johnnie-come-lately position on my part or on the part of so many of my colleagues. Six months ago, on April 1, the House Republican Policy Committee issued a forceful policy statement that made many of these same points and specifically urged that our forces be pulled out of Somalia in a safe and orderly manner. We have paid too high a price for failing to heed this advice.

Representative Dave Camp (R) -

Mr. Speaker, 20 Americans have been killed to date in Somalia . Before more Americans are killed in the streets of Mogadishu, it is time for them to come home. The United States can't build a nation for the people of Somalia . It is now up to the people of Somalia . Bring our troops home--now.

Representative Terry Everett (R) -

Yesterday, my Republican colleagues and I sent a letter to President Clinton requesting that he bring the United States military operation in Somalia to a close, and shift the responsibility of this mission back to the United Nations. Moreover, we stressed the fact that we have successfully completed the humanitarian mission of food distribution in Somalia ; the mission has now changed to nation-building, which is the role of the United Nations. I hope the President takes heed in this letter and listens to the American people; it's time to bring our troops home from Somalia .

Representative Benjamin A. Gilman (R) -

Mr. Speaker, the administration still hasn't learned an important lesson about Somalia . The only practical solution is for Congress to set a date for withdrawing American troops from Somalia .

Senator Phil Gramm (R) -

If the people of Texas--who are calling my phones every moment, who are sending me letters and telegrams by the hour--are representative of the will of the American people, the American people do not believe that we should allow Americans to be targets in Somalia for 6 more months. I cannot see anything that we would achieve in 6 more months in Somalia being worth the precious lives of more Americans. March 31, 6 more months of Americans being targeted for no clearly defined reason, does not make sense. I do not support it, and I do not believe that the Senate of the United States will sustain that policy.

Senator Bob Dole (R) -

Representative Dirk Kempthorne (R) -
Mr. President, today I spoke to a seasoned, tough soldier, who is in a military hospital in Germany. This tough soldier is 19 years old, and he is in this military hospital as a result of the firefight he was involved with in Somalia . And he said that he has been to Somalia twice now on assignment. The first time was for humanitarian purposes, but now it is to go and be involved in these fire fights. He said things have dramatically changed to the point now that it is the American troops that are the targets so that these clans are intent upon killing Americans.

Representative Doug Bereuter (R) -

Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, the American people have come to the conclusion that we should not be in the business of nation-building--in Somalia . Yet, over 10,000 American troops remain committed to the ill-conceived and misdirected U.N. effort of nation-building in Somalia . Unfortunately, if the Clinton administration has its way, those forces will remain deployed in harm's way until March 31, 1993.

Tony Snow (Republican hack and partisan mouthpiece for the right wing echo chamber) -

Wars will flare all over the world as nations stumble toward democracy, or at least self-rule. We can't serve as the world's nanny or cop and we shouldn't try. One cannot impose democracy with troops: Nations must develop democratic institutions themselves. As a result, U.S. presidents should put soldiers' lives at risk only when necessary to defend vital economic or strategic interests, and use subtler strategies--such as supporting the creation of free markets--to bolster democracy.

Representative Gerald Solomon (R) -

I am taking this special order to express my concern again, my profound concern, about the ongoing situation in that place called Somalia . The events of the past 72 hours have taken a fearsome toll: 12 American lives have been taken, 12 dead; 78 seriously wounded; and perhaps as many as 8 being held hostage in a place called Mogadishu.

Mr. Speaker, this carnage, this madness must stop. The so-called rebuilding of Somalia is not worth the price of one American life, much less the carnival of death that has been displayed on our television screens, such a despicable situation.

Jim Ramstead (R) -

Mr. Speaker, to expand our mission in Somalia and commit more troops is the height of foreign policy folly. I urge my colleagues to join me as a cosponsor of House Resolution 239, which calls for the President to withdraw all United States Armed Forces from Somalia immediately.

This is just a few of the hundreds of comments by republicans condemning President Clinton for the tragedy in Somalia and demanding immediate withdrawal.

[tsuki]

1. Is anyone one as tired of spoiled little rich kids with Daddy issues

as I am? Chris "My Daddy is Mike" Wallace is a prime example.

I read the interview. CW is a piece of work, as they say down here.

Chris, don't argue issues when you don't know what they are. Just do like the rest of FOX, hire a Greek chorus to down out the guest when he makes a point.

[Mortos]

2. The children of famous people

always seems a little screwed up or sometime alot. They can never live up to daddy's rep or fill his shoes. Makes them all crazy and mean and prone to doing bad things to get attention.

[Mortos]

3. Evening kick