Democrats Fear That Antiwar Remarks Could Backfire

Washington Post ^ | December 7, 2005 | Jim VandeHei and Shalaigh Murray

[ncountylee]

Strong antiwar comments in recent days by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean have opened anew a party rift over Iraq, with some lawmakers warning that the leaders' rhetorical blasts could harm efforts to win control of Congress next year.

Several Democrats joined President Bush yesterday in rebuking Dean's declaration to a San Antonio radio station Monday that "the idea that we're going to win the war in Iraq is an idea which is just plain wrong."

The critics said that comment could reinforce popular perceptions that the party is weak on military matters and divert attention from the president's growing political problems on the war and other issues. "Dean's take on Iraq makes even less sense than the scream in Iowa: Both are uninformed and unhelpful," said Rep. Jim Marshall (D-Ga.), recalling Dean's famous election-night roar after stumbling in Iowa during his 2004 presidential bid.

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Rahm Emanuel (Ill.) and Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (Md.), the second-ranking House Democratic leader, have told colleagues that Pelosi's recent endorsement of a speedy redeployment, combined with her claim that more than half of House Democrats support her position, could backfire on the party, congressional sources said.

[Gordongekko909]

Damn, you beat me to it!

[GoBucks2002]

Every Democrat elected official and activist from East Jesus on up should be asked about these remarks and made to answer for them, just like they do to us.

[slowhand520]

In an earlier thread 2 days ago I said John Kerry was the winner of the "Howard Dean: Gift that keeps on giving award for 2005". Can I give it back to Dean?

[Gordongekko909]

Reminds me of Kerry. Everyone said "run on domestic, not foreign policy."

You forget: the Dhimmicrat foreign policy consists ENTIRELY of "run." Well, that and "appease."

[ncountylee]

We need Reid to join the traitors.

[GoBucks2002]

If our Republicans continue to be silent on this, they should all be held to account. Too much is at stake.

Nah, after Kerry's spokesman bitch-slapped Rush Limbaugh today, there isn't a soul in our party that wants to be called names like that. Right now, Orrin Hatch is trying to fgure out which one of his staffers he should fire, and Mike DeWine is trying to decide which judge he should vote against in order to show that they're nice people.

[BobS]

"how will they ever save themselves from their allies, the terrorists, should they win?"

That's not the point.

How many US civilians will they have killed in the process?

[hsalaw]

This is twice. Great conservative legal minds, and all that!

[ncountylee]

Well it's MSM.

[GoBucks2002]

These antics need to be given air time so the RNC can put together some fun commercials for the next cycle of elections.

You know as well as I do that once they run an ad like this, the media will scream and cry, and they will pull it and fire the people who put the ad together just to show they aren't "mean-spirited."

[bulldozer]

Howie will lead the Democrats to victory

[SandRat]

Democrats Fear That Antiwar Remarks Could Backfire

Could Backfire? .... Could Backfire?

Count on it!

[MarkL]

Either they can't read or they have chosen to ignore the entire report.

They choose not to read this sort, just like they chose NOT to read the pre-war intelligence reports provided to them, which they now claim they didn't know!

Mark

[Gordongekko909]

Wouldn't do any good. These are Dems. They couldn't shoot themsleves in the foot without emptying an entire clip.

[armymarinemom]

They choose not to read this sort, just like they chose NOT to read the pre-war intelligence reports provided to them, which they now claim they didn't know!

Exactly.Most of our troops realize this too. A lot of them have said they have asked their families not to watch the news while they are down range.

[Ma3lst0rm]

Shush we don't want them to get a clue! Simple reasoning should tip rational Dems(a rare animal indeed) that the looney left is handing out the koolaid of political suicide. They are becoming more and more analogous to the Radical Islamists they defend the only difference being they do not blow themselves up with literal bombs only rhetorical ones.

[demkicker]

The screamers should be coming from the Bush administration! This anti war crap by the DemocRATS has gone on far too long. It's high time that Bush use his bully pulpit to condemn these bastards and use the "T" word.

Please, Mr. President, use their words to defeat them! Remind the country that remarks like these would have been considered treasonous back in previous wars. Have a speech writer blister off the outrageous and harmful effects of giving aid and comfort to our enemies in a time of war, and please memorize it until you can deliver it without your famous goofs.

Please, Mr. President, don some damn boxing gloves and do not take them off until the last gutless democrat is lying flat on his wretched face.