BINGO..finally someone has come out and pointed to the OBVIOUS...that as all of these people complain about the big bad GOP keeping them from debating...that is ALL they were DOING!!!
McCain up...Gates just said the "surge" was supposed to start yesterday...but will be put off a few days..and be more of a "rolling surge".
Gates said he will make sure that he will update them as soon and as often as possible...McCain happy.
McCain: do you have enough troops for Afghanistan.
Gates: yessir...explaining how many and where. He is going to a NATO ministerial tomorrow to get the other countries to have them send more and help more.
McCain: He wants him to tell NATO to do more re: ROE...pfffft committments to judiciary.
McCain: asking Pace about the difference between what Casey requested 2 brigades...and Presidents' plan.
Pace: Casey's was for 2 brigades for Anbar Prove....after discussing with JOINT chiefs...they decided to have more to handle more areas...and when told, Casey agreed, but he didn't REQUEST the additional.
McCain: what do you explain as the discrepency...
Pace: Clearly, where we were going was not what was needed, and after talking with Casey, Abizaid and joint chiefs, we decided it was necessary to go with more.
McCain: I just can't understand if Casey thought that only 2 was enough....even though he agreeed to more, why we are NOT being asked to approve him for Sec. of Army, since you had to change his mind from what HE thought was enough.
BYRD: I was against the war from the beginning.
AUDIENCE APPLAUDS...LOL
Byrd: How long will be in Iraq before we begin to bring out people home...how much longer are you planning for, sir.
Gates: It is hard to make a prediction when our adversaries get a VOTE (yes)...
When the Iraqis step up and start asserting their leadership and fighting....IF they do that, then maybe we can start by the end of this year...but it all depends on what is happening on the ground.
PROTESTOR!!! Levin telling her to sit down.
BYRD; RIGHT WE MEAN BUSINESS!!! lolololol
Byrd; When can we begin to bring our troops home??
UGH Gates: If circumstances go right..hopefully by the end of this year.
I messed up on that last post.
McCain wanted to know why they were being asked TO approve Casey as Sec. of Army...if he was satisfied with the 2 brigades but the rest of the Joint chiefs said he was wrong.
I typed on that post that they were asked NOT to vote for him....that was obviously wrong on my part.
Sorry.