[PhiKapMom]

Please tell Newt didn't really say this and his remarks were taken out of context!

[PeteFromMontana]

I have always had a soft spot for Newt but he does have an ego the size of Texas and he will occassionally go over a cliff himself.

[Cicero]

Well, in Vietnam there was already a stable civil government in place under Ngo Dinh Diem. Unfortunately JFK ordered the assassination Diem, and things went downhill from there.

In Iraq, the case is exactly opposite. There are no obvious candidates to step in and take over the government, at least until things are stabilized. But we ARE turning security over to Iraqi police and security people as fast as we can, without risking giving the country back to the Saddamites or, equally bad, to a gang of Shiite fanatics supported by the Iranian Mullahs.

[deport]

said the army had failed to tackle the aftermath with a swift handover of responsibilities to the Iraqis.

---

How in the world do you do a swift hand over to the Iraqis that have been for many years under an oppressed ruler with no governing training amongst themselves? Yes they should be put in charge as quickly as possible but hell it's only been some 9 months at best that they've even been liberated... with infrastructure torn to hell...

[exit82]

What's the matter, Newt? Hillary fan your FBI folder in your face again?

Newt is a failure, a blowhard, and I have no respect for him. His moral failures helped to let a truly treachorous President slide by. Newt even slept with a Dem staffer of all people.

Smart? Yes. Trustworthy? Absolutely not. He is the Republican Dick Morris, in my opinion.

He can go off his own cliff. Good riddance to bad rubbish.

[lilylangtree]

Never did like Neutered Newt.

[clintonh8r]

Jimmy Durante said it best...Everybody wansta get intada act!

[observer5]

Newt is right on. They fumbled the thing starting with allowing the country to plunge into chaos. They needed to simply exchange the leadership in the Army and use them for security. Then gradually introduce "freedom" and democracy, just like they did in Germany.

[reed_inthe_wind]

Is the Newt going to run against Hillary?

[plain talk]

Takes one to know one, right, Newt? Things went great at first when you took back Congress in 1994 and then the great victory went "over a cliff" when you, Dole and other Republicans couldn't figure out how to deal with a government shutdown. So don't start preaching to others about not being able to follow through.

[Publius6961]

As with most hit pieces in the mainstream press, this article fails to include what Newt might have done instead.
I can't believe that the stupid implication, hand over power, fight the war all over again endless cycle is what Newt is suggesting.

Did anyone think to ask him what practical realistic alternative he might have chosen?

[2nd Amendment]

Lets not form a circular firing squad here. I fully support the war and the reasons for engaging in it. But to quash all opinions critical of some aspects of it is unproductive. I personally feel that we run the risk of politicizing this war and turning it into a pc/un quagmire. I think we should have been more vigorous in including the previous Iraqi military structure in the reconstruction. Military leaders could have been vetted and included more rapidly in the new army. Since were not interested in annexing the country, Lets turn it over to them as quickly as possible.

[OldFriend]

The media is keying in on Newt thinking out loud about something that hasn't happened yet.

He like her heinous, is revelling in his so called victory on the medicare bill and wants another fifteen minutes.

[Az Joe]

At first glance, I can't agree with Newt.

[swheats]

An influential member of the Pentagon's main advisory body has broken ranks and criticised America's record in post-Saddam Iraq saying that after taking Baghdad America "went off a cliff".

Is this another backhand slap against the State Department? Seems he doesn't speak against the administration's handling of the war unless he's angry with State for some reason.

[auboy]

Newsweek gets him to spout off (Newt does love to talk), and then Timmy invites him to follow Hillary on MTP, to discuss the Newsweek article.

Do I see a pattern here? When your ideological opposites start slapping you on the back and high-fiving you, you'd best be looking for the trapdoor.

[Archangelsk]

He told Newsweek that the army had not learned the lessons of Vietnam in how to run a counter-insurgency campaign.

Draft dodging, philandering blowhards should keep their mouth shut at all times when it comes to things service related.

[Doe Eyes]

Doesn't Newt Boy know we are at war? We should throw his treasonous butt in jail.

[Gritty]

We can thank a drumbeating, hostile Media and an attacking Democrat Party for some of the changes in policy.

When the Dems and anti-war crowd started hammering on this Administration (as soon as they started talking about invading Iraq and haven't let up. The Administration started pulling their punches to placate the noise. They are now having to play to the crowds the Liberals have gathered instead of concentrating on doing the correct thing - even if it takes 5 years. The Dems and their compliant Media have made it an election issue for 2004, the treasonous b@st@rds!

As a nation, we are way, way too impatient. The Dems are undermining our policy daily and making it much more difficult to proceed correctly. We are fighting a war on two fronts now (here and there).

Newt is right in that the Administration is paying attention to too many factions. Sure, we've made mistakes. But, the biggest mistake we are making is trying to please everybody.

[ladyinred]

Oh dear God, no. Just what we needed. The media despises Newt. I wonder if he will suddenly become a brilliant spokesman now?