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THE WATERSHED (Dem Nominees Drowning in Hate)
RealClearPolitics.com ^ | 10/17/03 | Tom Bevan

Posted on 10/17/2003 12:19:48 PM PDT by NYC Republican

We may look back at yesterday as the defining moment of the 2004 election. Ted Kennedy framed the debate over the vote on Iraq by delivering a stinging indictment of the Bush administration on the floor of the Senate. It was a full embrace of the most liberal views within the Democrat party regarding Iraq: Bush took America to war on a lie, the war is a complete and total failure, and we need to turn everything over to the U.N. and get out now. Just to provide some context to how far left Ted Kennedy is leading his party on the issue, his speech is virtually indistinguishable from Dennis Kucinich's position on the war.

John Edwards has already taken the bait and probably crippled his candidacy in the process. I spoke to a senior advisor to the Edwards campaign a few days ago and their strategy is to try and make a respectable showing in Iowa (third or fourth and within double digits of the winner) and then use victories in the more conservative states of South Carolina and Oklahoma on February 3 to become the delegate leaders in the race. But after initially supporting the war, Edwards is now tying himself in knots to explain his position on Iraq:

CROWLEY: Senator, if I could -- you know, it's very clear that the primary voters in your party are very much against this war and it's also clear that you voted for it. If we look at this in the political sense, this looks like a way to kind of backpedal this. You know, it was a war you were for. Why not step up to the plate and say here's the money?

EDWARDS: A very simple reason -- because this policy is failing. The way this president is conducting this period of the work in Iraq is not being successful. You know, we don't have a plan, we don't know how long we're going to be there. We don't know even an estimate of the longterm costs. When is the transition from our security force to the Iraqi security force supposed to take place? There are so many unanswered questions. And before we just give this president a blank check going forward, we need answers to those questions. More importantly, the American people need answers to those questions. I have not backed away one iota from the importance of getting rid of Saddam Hussein. But I want this mission to be successful. And in order for it to be successful, we have to change the course that we're on right now.

In order for the mission to be successful you have to deny funding for it? This makes no sense. To say you're going to deny our troops in Iraq funding because you want to "send the President a message" is bad politics and even worse policy.

Edwards may think he can triangulate his way to the nomination based on polling data, but he's mistaken if he thinks he can separate his vote on reconstruction with his vote on the war resolution itself. Mort Kondracke and James Klurfeld get it right; this is a horrible mistake for John Edwards and John Kerry.

At least Howard Dean has been consistent, even though this vote has taken its toll on his candidacy as well. Dean has shown himself to be far less than the "principled, straight-talking leader" he's billed himself to be by engaging in a hypocritical kabuki dance for the last two weeks and refusing to take a stand on the issue because "he's not running for Congress, he's running for President."

Finally, after being lambasted in the press for lacking leadership, yesterday Dean announced he would oppose money for Iraq's reconstruction. Last night he went on to tell the audience at a Virginia fundraiser, ""People will be attracted to you if you tell them what you truly believe." Better late than never, I guess.

Gephardt is most likely the big winner here (Lieberman got it right too, but his campaign is on life support). He's already running well in Iowa even though he's supported the war from the beginning. This vote shouldn't change his standing. And Gephardt has offset his support of the war by cranking up the Bush-bashing rhetoric about 50 notches to try and keep pace with Dean. Now Gephardt can still continue his harsh criticisms of Bush knowing that he's got the national security issue in his back pocket for the general election. Dean, on the other hand, has set the controls of his campaign for the center of the sun.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
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To: Bud Bundy
Excellent analogy.
21 posted on 10/17/2003 12:51:32 PM PDT by NYC Republican
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To: CheneyChick
He is having alcoholic hallucinations again.
22 posted on 10/17/2003 12:51:49 PM PDT by sheik yerbouty
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To: Bud Bundy; Digger
So we should end the war on poverty because we don't know how long it will take or how much it will cost.

Excellent!

That is indeed excellent. President Bush should use Bud's line in a major speech.

23 posted on 10/17/2003 1:02:07 PM PDT by jigsaw (Grab life by the taglines: TaglinusFR 26 --> http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1000017/posts)
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To: NYC Republican
Edwards stated, "You know, we don't have a plan, we don't know how long we're going to be there. We don't know even an estimate of the longterm costs. When is the transition from our security force to the Iraqi security force supposed to take place? There are so many unanswered questions."

I think the perfect response to this is asking Edwards which historical situations, and their outcomes, does he prefer, the occupations of Germany and Japan which occurred without preset timelines, or the granting of independence to India/Pakistan and the creation of Israel, both of which occurred at predetermined dates?
24 posted on 10/17/2003 1:09:46 PM PDT by Poodlebrain
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To: jmcclain19; Brad Cloven
jmc: Kennedy and Dean are taking them off the deep end ..

...Brad: When the enemy is intent on destroying himself, don't get in his way. Enjoy the show, folks. The Dems are driving the bus off a cliff.

Hmmm...maybe, don't drive the bus for 'em, but make sure they have plenty of diesel and good tires to make it all the way to their destination!

GO DEAN GO!

WIN WITH DEAN!!!

CUT DOWN THE BUSH WITH THE SURGEON's SCALPEL....

NO MORE BLOOD AND TREASURE FOR HALLIBERTEN FAT CATS......

Hey.. I wanna help 'em all I can. I think Dean would be a real, keen nominee for the Dems!!

< /end sarcasm >

SFS

25 posted on 10/17/2003 1:12:06 PM PDT by Steel and Fire and Stone
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To: ChadGore
Why is not a single liberal willing to say the following: "I swear to continue the War On Terrorism" Why ????

GWB's defense of Western Civilization must be destroyed by both terrorists and leftists in order to implement their respective dystopias. Thus, terrorists and leftists find themselves both opposing Bush, and unwilling to condemn each other.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Leftists see GWB as the enemy, not Islamofascism.

26 posted on 10/17/2003 1:30:48 PM PDT by Uncle Miltie (Mullahs swinging from lamp posts.....)
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To: NYC Republican
This article is too kind to Howard Dean, who was really in a frenzy yesterday...in reply to a student's question he attacked the Bush Administration as Stalinist. An ironic taunt to come from the Stalinist wing of the Democratic Party.
27 posted on 10/17/2003 1:36:45 PM PDT by Verginius Rufus
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To: NYC Republican
BUMP for later read

Prairie
28 posted on 10/17/2003 2:04:56 PM PDT by prairiebreeze (Brought to you by The American Democratic Party, also known as Al Qaeda, Western Division.)
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To: Big Mack
teddy will have the massachusetts senate seat as long as he wants it.
29 posted on 10/17/2003 2:43:09 PM PDT by tal hajus (I)
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To: Verginius Rufus
...he attacked the Bush Administration as Stalinist.

Can you point me to a news story on this? I'd really like to read it!

CA....

30 posted on 10/17/2003 3:47:31 PM PDT by Chances Are (Whew! Seems I've once again found that silly grin!)
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To: tal hajus
teddy will have the massachusetts senate seat as long as he wants it.

He WILL die, won't he?? I mean, not even "ol' Kennedy" is immortal. Hmmm....but then Strom lasted almost forever. Eeeeeeeiich. I think my weekend just got ruined by the thought.....

SFS

31 posted on 10/17/2003 6:16:57 PM PDT by Steel and Fire and Stone
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To: Chances Are
I haven't seen anything in print quoting what Dean said--Brit Hume's program on Thursday evening ran the clip which included the exchange with a student during which Stalinism was invoked. Brit prefaced showing the clip with a comment about how people might think Dean's "temper" was resurfacing.
32 posted on 10/17/2003 7:12:50 PM PDT by Verginius Rufus
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To: Verginius Rufus
I saw that clip. Dean was very close to blowing his top because a student actively disagreed with him. I maintain that Dean will lose it in a debate before the primaries.

Dean is on record as vindictive and arrrogant, based on his record with the Vermon legislature. I want Americans to really get to know him.

33 posted on 10/17/2003 7:19:12 PM PDT by Miss Marple
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To: Poodlebrain; CheneyChick; dead; Poohbah; NYC Republican
I was at the N.C. State Fair today; Mr. Edwards has a booth there, staffed with some poor men who spent the day listening to irate North Carolinians dump all their frustrations on those unsuspecting men.
34 posted on 10/17/2003 7:20:01 PM PDT by Howlin
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