"no plan" Dems? Congress passed KERRY plan for Iraq Summit last night

[blm]

They didn't pass a "Stay the course" plan from Bush - they passed KERRY'S legislation calling for a summit, just as he has urged for over THREE YEARS NOW.

Posted by kerrygoddess in GD-P:


Congress Approves Kerry Legislation Urging Summit of Iraq and Its Neighbors to End Civil War and Build Political Solution
September 30th, 2006 @ 2:27 pm

Early this morning, the U.S. Congress approved Senator John Kerry’s legislation calling for a summit of Iraq and its neighbors to arrive at a political solution to the growing civil war in Iraq. The legislation is part of John Kerry’s plan to force Iraqis to stand up for Iraq and bring American troops home, it was passed as part of the Defense Authorization bill. Given the news from Iraq today that Baghdad is under curfew over a suspected suicide bombing plot, it’s clear the situation in Iraq is continuing to spiral downward. We simply can not continue to ’stay the course.’

The news of Congress passing the Kerry legislation comes on the heels of the explosive news about Bob Woodward’s new book, ‘State of Denial’ which reveals that there has been “a vast difference between what the White House and the Pentagon knew about the situation in Iraq and what they were saying publicly.” Woodward notes in the Sunday WaPo, that “the release last week of portions of a National Intelligence Estimate concluding that the war in Iraq has become a primary recruitment vehicle for terrorists,” presents “a similar contrast” to the Bush’s forecast that ‘freedom is on the march’ in Iraq and the Middle East.

It’s time for a New Direction — Kerry’s legislation calls for an intense, Dayton Accords-like summit, that brings together Iraq and its neighbors and others with a stake in Iraq’s future to hammer out issues from oil revenues and power sharing to a regional security arrangement.

“Anyone who is in touch with reality knows we desperately need to change course in Iraq, and that requires a deadline to make Iraqis stand up for Iraq,” said Senator John Kerry, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

“It also desperately requires something else this administration disdains: diplomacy. Real diplomacy — a Dayton-like summit of Iraq and the countries bordering it, the Arab League, NATO, and the Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council. Our own generals have said Iraq can not be solved militarily. Only through negotiation and diplomacy can you stem the growing civil war, and only by setting a deadline to get out can we force Iraq and its neighbors to take diplomacy seriously. Congress has now spoken unequivocally about the need for a summit and real diplomacy, long overdue. Now we must continue to press the case to set a deadline and to do it now.”


Below is the text of the amendment passed by Congress early this morning:

MORE & LINKS - http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=4329

[skipos]

1. Good! nt

[sandnsea]

2. This is excellent!

Now will Congress and the Dem leadership move on this - or will it be up to John and Teresa to single-handedly host the summit, get the world's leaders together, and negotiate the solution too.

[blm]

3. Probably the latter. Fock, John should set up a parallel govt. right NOW

and just start putting his policies into action and get Kofi Annan to acknowledge his parallel govt. at the UN.

That would be so cool.

[beachmom]

6. The Shadow President of the Coasts of America?

Yeah, really. I assume you read that Bob Woodward piece, and how there is absolutely NO PLAN for Iraq. They have NO CLUE what they're doing.

[blm]

15. i wish he would just say. ENOUGH - I'm taking over - who's with me?

.

[roamer65]

17. Yeah, its time for a Blue State convention

If Raisinbrain won't talk peace, it's time for the blue states to forge ahead with our own peace treaty. A few have done it on global warming, why not Iraq?

[globalvillage]

4. Excellent news.

Recommended. Off to the 'greatest' with ya.

Not a damn word in the worthless media. Thanks for posting.

[blm]

5. I didn't see it in media, either. I reposted it because NO ONE would know

if kerreygoddess hadn't gotten the story and passed it along.

[Nickster]

7. I'm absolutely shocked that some Puke didn't copy the amendment or

some how try to steal credit for this plan. One of two things, they either don't think it stands a chance in hell of taking off OR the Pukes have realized that their party is so devoid of leadership on this matter that they are starting to look for someone with a real plan to take things in the right direction.

[blm]

8. I'm completely shocked. It was a cornerstone for Kerry's Iraq withdrawal

plan, and no way did I ever expect Congress to pass this as it was always a major aspect of Kerry's plan and so identified with him.

They must have been completely unwilling to risk being against this right before the election.

[Nickster]

9. Maybe it's their way to start the ball rolling and then shift the blame to

the Democratic Party for their failure. I just can't see them doing this for honest reasons. I dunno, at least it's a positive step if it actually happens.

[blm]

10. I think they'll use Yes vote to CLAIM they are reasonable lawmakers who

were presented with a reasoned plan for Iraq. They will campaign closer to Kerry on Iraq than they will Bush.

That's how morally bankrupt Repubs are - they didn't do this because it's the RIGHT think to do - they did it for their OWN careers.

[beachmom]

16. I still think it had to do with John Warner

He's in charge of this defense bill, and he told Sen. Kerry back in June that he REALLY liked the sound of the summit idea. I think he may have pushed for it on the Republican side.

[blm]

19. I hope so - - it would be disgusting to think it's a campaign ploy, but

I pretty much believe that most everything GOPs do has some disgusting motive behind it.

[blm]

11. Kick for news CORPMEDIA doesn't want YOU to know or discuss.

.

[Ksec]

12. well well well

Thanks for this blm. Ill use it next time I hear a winger spouting about us having no plan. Of course theyll just go in denial and continue spouting the no plan BS.

[blm]

14. no doubt - even though their own GOP lawmakers voted FOR the Kerry plan.

GOP sheep will still claim there never was a plan.

[Disturbed]

18. RWingers in Congress probably know that

the Dems will have a majority in the House, maybe even the Senate so they are now finally doing something for America, not just the elites,the Multi-Corps and the Fascist Busholini Regime.

[Homer Wells]

13. K&R