Kerry Doing Now What Would Have Given Him a Landslide

[kpete]

Kerry Doing Now What Would Have Given Him a Landslide
Submitted by davidswanson on Tue, 2006-04-18 16:31. Congress
By Senator John Kerry

One general after another demanding Rumsfeld's resignation. More citizens every day joining in support of our May 15 deadline for Iraqi leaders to stop their squabbling and form a government.

In these and many other ways, because of citizens like you, the wheel is slowly, but surely, turning on the question of Iraq. Over the next ten days, we're going to give it another huge push. But, before I tell you more, please take a moment right now to sign in support of the Kerry Iraq plan:
more at:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/10293
petition at:
http://www.johnkerry.com/

[electropop]

1. I've signed it.

I support the goals, but no longer the candidate.

[seabeyond]

2. big difference now opposed to year and half ago. but thank you

for this

[blm]

3. That sounds good, but doesn't factor in that in 2004 there was never ONE

election by the Iraqi people. A detailed withdrawal plan could only occur AFTER the Iraqi elections. When Kerry submitted his first withdrawal plan last October he said there was one last window of opportunity for political success and that was for Bush to start withdrawing troops the day after the Dec 15 election, and prove to the Iraqi people that we are serious about not occupying their country.

Bush failed to act then, and Iraq fell into civil war. This new withdrawal plan factors in the reality of that window closed by civil war.

NO candidate would have PREDICTED in 2004 that the Iraqis would prove to be incapable of forming a functioning government after 3 elections.

[babylonsister]

4. Done. Kerry has my full support, and is one of the few people

who is trying to get something done!

[ProSense]

5. This is great!

Fact is, Kerry did do this more than a year ago:

Kerry Hits Nail on Head

By Marjorie Cohn t r u t h o u t | Perspective
Monday 04 October 2004

Snip...

John Kerry cut to the heart of the matter when he said during Thursday’s debate with George W. Bush that, "a critical component of success in Iraq is being able to convince the Iraqis and the Arab world that the United States doesn’t have long-term designs on it." Kerry cited the U.S. construction of 14 military bases in Iraq that are said to have "a rather permanent concept to them."

Building these bases belies Bush’s protestations that he has "no ambitions of empire."

Snip...

Yes, as Kerry said, Bush made "a colossal error of judgment" when he invaded Iraq. "I will make a flat statement," Kerry declared during the debate. "The United States of America has no long-term designs on staying in Iraq." With that promise, John Kerry turned the policy of Team Bush on its head. Kerry was also right on when, responding to Bush’s debate mantra that Kerry sends mixed messages, the Senator said: "You talk about mixed messages. We’re telling other people, ‘You can’t have nuclear weapons,’ but we’re pursuing a new nuclear weapon that we might even contemplate using."

more...

http://www.uncle-scam.com/Breaking/oct-04/to-10-4.pdf#search='no%20longterm%20designs%20on%20staying%20in%20Iraq%20John%20Kerry'

Here is an exact quote from the debate:

I will make a flat statement: The United States of America has no long-term designs on staying in Iraq.

And our goal in my administration would be to get all of the troops out of there with a minimal amount you need for training and logistics as we do in some other countries in the world after a war to be able to sustain the peace.

[ProSense]

6. Out of Iraq petition

http://www.johnkerry.com/action/deadline/?sc=hp

[LittleClarkie]

7. If the war would have been at the same place at that time, maybe

But the times they are a changin'. Kerry is saying this now, because this is what he feels now. He saw, and felt, something different two years ago. Then, there hadn't been elections. Now, there has. And still the Iraqis can't form a government. There was a window of opportunity. It is now closed.