Posted on 08/10/2006 6:54:04 PM PDT by seastay
Prominent Democrats said on Thursday a foiled plot in Britain to blow up U.S.-bound planes showed the Bush administration's pursuit of war in Iraq had diverted resources from the bigger threat of terrorism and made the danger worse.
With national security likely to play a crucial role in November's elections, some Democrats attacked President George W. Bush's justifications for the Iraq war and said the plot showed the terrorism threat was growing under his watch.
"Five years after 9-11, it is clear that our misguided policies are making America more hated in the world and making the war on terrorism harder to win," Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts said.
Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada said Bush and Congress needed to change course in Iraq and ensure Americans are protected around the world.
"The Iraq war has diverted our focus and more than $300 billion in resources from the war on terrorism and has created a rallying cry for international terrorists," Reid said.
Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman responded that "instead of focusing on political attacks," Democrats should be reminded the country is at war and needs every tool to win.
"If Harry Reid had his way and killed the Patriot Act and ended the Terrorist Surveillance Program, authorities would be less able to uncover terror plots," he said.
The U.S. government heightened security on passenger planes and barred air travelers from carrying liquids on Thursday after Britain foiled the plot aimed at blowing up planes flying to the United States.
Bush, who launched a global war on terrorism after the Sept. 11 attacks, said the plot was "a stark reminder that this nation is at war with Islamic fascists who will use any means to destroy those of us who love freedom, to hurt our nation."
IRAQ FOCUS QUESTIONED
But Bush's foe in the 2004 election, Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, said America was "not as safe as we can and must be" and in part blamed the president's focus on Iraq.
"This event exposes the misleading myth that we are fighting them over there so we don't have to fight them here. In fact, the war in Iraq has become a dangerous distraction and a profound drain on our financial and military resources," Kerry said.
National security and the Iraq war are likely to play prominent roles in congressional elections in November, when control of Congress will be up for grabs.
Despite Bush's low poll ratings, the handling of national security and the war on terrorism has remained one area where Bush and Republicans are preferred by voters in some opinion polls and Republicans effectively used the issue in 2002 and 2004.
Republicans led by Vice President Dick Cheney attacked Democrats as soft on national security on Wednesday, the day after Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman lost a Democratic primary to anti-war challenger Ned Lamont over the senator's support of the war.
Lamont issued a statement on Thursday saying national security and the ability to fight terrorism had been weakened under Bush and "both anger at America around the world and the number of terrorists seeking to do us harm have increased."
What?
The Democrats have a plan.
Pretend threats don't exist, and any that pop up, just sprinkle them with fairy dust.
Democrats are idiots, bump.
They just gotta deflect Bush's successes of protecting the American public, by somehow harping on the Iraq war as a red herring....
In a similar vein - if our attention is diverted, how is it we were able to stop this before it happened?
These pieces of dirt need to shut up once and for all and do their freaking jobs. Represent this nation, not the enemies.
Captured terrorists should be offered a ride in Teddy's car across Dyke Bridge after the senator's had a few. That should scare them sufficiently to end this thing altogether.
You would really have to burry your intelligence to buy this load of crap.
The Liberal line is, the war in Iraq has nothing to do with the WOT. They're separate issues. Heard a dem on TV say just that today.
The Democrats have lost all touch with reality. This is more proof that doing recreational drugs isn't good for you.
This is the press release equivalent of shutting one's eyes, sticking one's fingers in one's ears and saying "MEMEMEMEMEMEME" loudly to drown out any ambient noise.
I have resisted, many times, the urge to call them traitors, but how can I do so when the evidence is staring me in the face?
The Democrats value their gaining political power over their country's well-being--how is that anything but treasonous?
Fortunately, this type of thing, however it is spun, will guarantee that just enough voters think them lunatics so they remain out of power.
Mark
"if our attention is diverted, how is it we were able to stop this before it happened?"
Exactly.
Their plan is to tax the rich and grant reparations to downtrodden minorities. (Sarcasm)
A terrorist plot thwarted and dems blame Bush and Republicans for not doing enough. What else is new?
Only the Rats with the help of Reuters could come up with such an idiotic conclusion like this.
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