GOP Senator Rips Bush On Iraq, Terrorism (Lugar)

The Guardian (UK) ^ | 5-23-2004 | Mark Pratt

[Torie]

Ping

[krb]

I think that Lugar is a good man, and we should listen to what he says.

[mrsmith]

Gee, you'd think there would be at least one actual quote showing that the "GOP Senator Rips Bush on Iraq, Terrorism" LOL!

[Miss Marple]

Lugar has sour-grapes syndrome.

[Torie]

What's the boy sour about?

[Texasforever]

Highly unusual behavior in an election year. Has Bush pissed these people off somehow?

I think some in the GOP congress are hoping to see Bush lose in hopes that they will keep their seats by going against him. God help them if they don't succeed because Bush will remember them.

[CWOJackson]

I hope Indiana remembers and ditches Lugar.

[zencat]

There's something I just never liked about the guy. Even for a RINO, he sucks.

[paul51]

I wonder if he is going to attend the demonstration at Sec. Rumsfeld's house also. What a pathetic putz.

[The Wizard]

this clown should go satisfy himself some where and not worry about what GWB should do...

[mwfsu84]

A liberal's definition of a defense policy is defending everything we do to France. I'm sorry to see Lugar feels the same way.
Europe has the same enemy we do. They depend on our cooperation as much as we depend on theirs.
And I don't buy this idea that exerting our military might only breeds more terrorists against the US. Normal, rational people don't suddenly decide to become terrorists.

[samantha]

You are right, he had delusions of grandeur. He ran against Bush in 2000 and was the smelliest candidate I have ever seen. He looks like someones crazy bachelor uncle. He gives me the creeps mentally and physically with that demented clown look. I will call his office Monday to remind him what his job is, and that there are soldiers in harms way.

[Mr.Atos]

To win the war against terrorism, the United States must assign U.S. economic and diplomatic capabilities the same strategic priority that we assign to military capabilities

What does this mean? Lugar personifies the adage, better to be silent and thought the fool than to speak and remove all doubt.

[willgetsome]

Send the GOP and Lugar a letter about this. This has ticked me off more than anything else that has been said about the war. Here are my letters:



Dear Chairman Gillespie-

I’m not a big contributor to the party, but I send in what I can. I am 100% behind the President, his policy in Iraq, and his re-election in November. I currently have friends in Iraq and my National Guard unit will eventually send me to Afghanistan or Iraq within the next year. However, the recent comments by Sen. Lugar concerning Iraq (http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-4121610,00.html) have depressed me more than any other in the litany of attacks on President Bush. I see the Democrats hoping for a failure in Iraq and now we have a Republican Senator playing into their hands.

Why do I bother to support the party and vote Republican when its leaders snipe at each other? This is a critical time. Our men and women in Iraq will do everything they can to stay strong and give us victory. However, I’m convinced that there are forces in Washington and in the media who will do everything they can to ensure a defeat. Defeat, if it comes, will happen in America, not in Iraq as our national will crumbles. Senator Lugar seems to be seeking political cover for himself, rather than providing the necessary support that we so critically need. He seems to be positioning himself to survive a loss of national will by making statements that will “wash” his hands of the Iraqi situation. The whole thing saddens me.

So I ask: Why should I send money to the GOP when its leadership is beginning to fracture and run for cover?

SIGNED

---

Dear Senator Lugar-

I saw the following article:

GOP Senator Rips Bush on Iraq, Terrorism
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-4121610,00.html

Now I know that President Bush’s plan for Iraq is doomed. While our boys are winning on the battlefields in Iraq, the war is being lost on the home front. It’s bad enough that the Democrats have politicized the war effort and are doing everything to rip the President over the war so as to win in November. Now we can’t even get Senate Republicans to support the President. I now have ZERO confidence in our victory since your comments will be used to tear down the Administration on the home front and to cast doom-and-gloom on the efforts of our young men and women in Iraq.

I’ve never felt this sad as an American. I am demoralized. We have inflicted far more damage to ourselves with our defeatist talk than we have received from our enemies. I used to think that my leaders in Washington would LEAD us to victory, no matter what the cost. But now I think they would rather seek political cover, wash their hands, and lead themselves in another political campaign.

SIGNED