Kerry, Feingold push for pullout deadline

Waterbury Republican-American ^ | June 21, 2006 | Associated press

[Graybeard58]

WASHINGTON -- Two potential 2008 presidential candidates appealed Tuesday for the Senate to support their call to withdraw U.S. combat troops from Iraq "by a hard and fast deadline," a position putting them at odds with most of their fellow Democrats.

"Our country desperately needs a new vision for strengthening our national security, and it starts by redeploying U.S. forces out of Iraq," Sens. John Kerry of Massachusetts and Russ Feingold of Wisconsin wrote in an e-mail sent to 3 million people nationwide.

"It's time for every member of the Senate to send an important message that we must change course," the senators wrote, imploring recipients to "take a stand against the senseless 'stay the course' Bush policy" and tell their senators to vote with the two Democrats.

In what promises to be a highly partisan election-year showdown Wednesday, the GOP-controlled Senate plans to take up the proposal by Kerry and Feingold that would require the Bush administration to withdraw all combat troops from Iraq by July 1, 2007.

Redeployment would begin immediately, under the proposal.

At least six other Democrats have publicly or privately indicated support for that position in recent days. The Senate will vote on the proposal by week's end.

The Senate also will consider, and eventually vote on, a separate nonbinding resolution that has the backing of Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and, his aides say, a majority of Democrats.

It would call for -- but not require -- the administration to begin "a phased redeployment of U.S. forces" this year, and would not set a firm deadline by which time all forces must be out of the war zone.

Seeking support, Democratic sponsors of both proposals pitched their positions during the party's weekly policy luncheon on Tuesday. However, neither proposal is expected to win enough votes to be attached as an amendment to an annual military measure pending in the Senate.

Both proposals, nonetheless, are drawing ridicule from Republicans, who lumped Democrats into two groups -- what they called the "cut and run" crowd backing the Kerry-Feingold position and the "cut and jog" folks supporting the other proposal.

"We cannot retreat. We cannot surrender. We cannot go wobbly. The price is far too high," Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said Tuesday, suggesting Democrats want to do just that.

Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, disputed the GOP characterization of the resolution that would call for U.S. troops to start leaving Iraq this year.

"It's not a cut-and-run strategy. It does not set a fixed timetable or an arbitrary deadline for the redeployment of our troops," he said. "We believe it represents where a majority of our caucus is."

With midterm elections less than five months away, Republicans are working to highlight divisions in the Democratic Party on Iraq as they seek to hang onto control of the House and Senate when polls show the public favoring a power shift to Democrats.

A week ago, the GOP-controlled Senate and House engineered back-to-back votes on Iraq that forced lawmakers in both parties to go on record on the war that polls show most Americans no longer support amid a rising U.S. death toll and a soaring price tag. In the end, both chambers of Congress soundly rejected timetables for pulling U.S. forces out of Iraq.

Led by Levin, Senate Democrats have spent the past week writing a proposal on Iraq that could get wide support among their rank and file. At the same time, Kerry and Feingold announced they would press their own separate proposals calling for a quick U.S. withdrawal from Iraq.

A somewhat curious pairing, the two joined forces -- and offered one amendment -- after failing in private meetings to convince fellow Democrats that the so-called "consensus" proposal should include what they call "a date certain" for all U.S. forces to have left Iraq.

Feingold first proposed withdrawing from Iraq in a speech last summer, but his position has been overshadowed by Kerry, who has a stronger national profile because of his status as the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee.

Both are positioning for possible presidential runs in 2008, and their positions on Iraq play well with the liberal wing of the party -- the Democratic faithful who will vote for the next Democratic presidential nominee.

[Graybeard58]

Here's a reason that Hillary is dead in the water - The moonbat base will never nominate a "Hawk" like her.

She tacked to the starboard way too soon.

[Red Badger]

This the defining moment for "STUPID".............

[AdvisorB]

I'll bet their wives are begging for a pullout deadline.

[ChrisFelice1]

Figures

[JimSEA]

proposal by Kerry and Feingold that would require the Bush administration to withdraw all combat troops from Iraq by July 1, 2007.

After all, the Islamists need a certain date before they can start planning their victory celebrations. They also need guidance for timing their attacks within the USA.

[MikeA]

Just think of how close we came to electing this "defeat and retreat" (cut and run is too innucous an expression) coward Kerry! Even now our forces would be bugging out of Iraq, Zarqawi would likely still be alive and Al Qaeda would be declaring victory and preparing to overthrow the elected Iraqi government. They'd also be formulating a post-overthrow plan of moving Al Qaeda forces to other areas of the world to wreack havoc. We REALLY dodged a bullet keeping this traitor out of the White House

[RasterMaster]

Too bad their mothers didn't beg for a pullout!

[ozzymandus]

I used to just ignore finegold, but I'm going to have to put him on my sh*t list.

[rhombus]

I used to just ignore finegold, but I'm going to have to put him on my sh*t list.

With McCain - Feingold Campaign Finance Reform? He should have made your list years ago. :-)

[Grampa Dave]

[EQAndyBuzz]

"Here's a reason that Hillary is dead in the water - The moonbat base will never nominate a "Hawk" like her."

I do not agree. She has the abortion lobby locked up. That is larger than the anti-war crowd and most of the moderates are more pro-military and pro-abortion then the anti-war crowd and pro-abortion groups.

She played Kerry like a flute. When the primaries are over, she will then go with a timetable. Kerry and Co. are setting the table for her.

[pabianice]

[caisson71]

Cut and run Kerry is the same SOB with the same lies he brought back from Nam. How can this POS still be in the Senate?

[newcthem]

I just replied to Feingold's email and suggested that "Rusty" and Kerry would be better off screwing each other, rather than the American soldiers, they deserve a hell osf a lot better then these two.

[rod1]

Personally, I think Bill and Hillary should cease their "occupation" of NY state before any redeployment of our armed forces is considered.

[Grampa Dave]

If Kerry had been tried as a traitor because of what he said and did after his short tour in Nam, found guilty and hung with his seditios mentor, Butterball Kennedy, the nation would be a far better place.

[Graybeard58]

How can this POS still be in the Senate?

Massachusetts sends a murderer to the Senate, why not a traitor?

[Shermy]

"""Our country desperately needs a new vision for strengthening our national security, and it starts by redeploying U.S. forces out of Iraq," Sens. John Kerry of Massachusetts and Russ Feingold of Wisconsin wrote in an e-mail sent to 3 million people nationwide."""

That's some e-mail. Sounds like this whole hoo-ha about Iraq now is a donation scam. This e-mail probably ends with a request for "help" seeking impulse donations from the lefties and reflexive Bush haters.

[L98Fiero]

"This the defining moment for "STUPID"............."

It's like they are trying their hardest to lose elections. Seriously, they do not have a freakin' clue. Again, they will snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

[daviscupper]

Off topic: Has that POS John F'n'Kerry signed the SF 180 form, turned it in, received all his records from the Navy and put them all on the Internet? He said he would do this 2 years ago. What is he hiding? Has historian Douglas Brinkley obtained a copy, has the journalist Ms. Joan Vennochi of the Boston Globe obtained a copy? Has anyone seen this traitor's military records yet? Okay, I am done.