Posted on 04/19/2007 5:17:21 PM PDT by Kaslin
WASHINGTON - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (news, bio, voting record) said Thursday the war in Iraq is "lost," triggering an angry backlash by Republicans who said the top Democrat had turned his back on the troops.
The bleak assessment was the sharpest yet from Reid, who has vowed to send President Bush legislation calling for combat to end next year. Reid said he told Bush on Wednesday that he thought the war could not be won through military force and only through political, economic and diplomatic means.
"I believe myself that the secretary of state, secretary of defense and — you have to make your own decisions as to what the president knows — (know) this war is lost and the surge is not accomplishing anything as indicated by the extreme violence in Iraq yesterday," said Reid, D-Nev.
Republicans pounced on the comment as evidence, they said, that Democrats do not support the troops.
"I can't begin to imagine how our troops in the field, who are risking their lives every day, are going to react when they get back to base and hear that the Democrat leader of the United States Senate has declared the war is lost," said Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell (news, bio, voting record), R-Ky.
The exchange came as the House headed toward a vote Thursday on whether to demand that troops leave Iraq next year. Last month, the House passed legislation that funded the war in Iraq but ordered combat missions to end by September 2008. The Senate passed similar, less-sweeping legislation that would set a nonbinding goal of bringing combat troops home by March 31, 2008.
Bush said he would veto either measure and warned that troops are being harmed by Congress' failure to deliver the funds quickly.
The Pentagon says it has enough money to pay for the Iraq war through June. The Army is taking "prudent measures" aimed at ensuring that delays in the bill financing the war do not harm troop readiness, according to instructions sent to Army commanders and budget officials April 14.
While $70 billion that Congress provided in September for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan has mostly run out, the Army has told department officials to slow the purchase of nonessential repair parts and other supplies, restrict the use of government charge cards, and limit travel.
The Army also will delay contracts for facilities repair and environmental restoration, according to instructions from Army Comptroller Nelson Ford. He said the accounting moves are similar to those enacted last year when the Republican-led Congress did not deliver a war funding bill to Bush until mid-June.
More stringent steps would be taken in May, such as a hiring freeze and firing temporary employees, but exceptions are made for any war-related activities or anything that "would result immediately in the degradation of readiness standards" for troops in Iraq or those slated for deployment.
White House spokeswoman Dana Perino called the Democrat's stance "disturbing" and all but dared Reid to cut off funding for the war.
"If this is his true feeling, then it makes one wonder if he has the courage of his convictions and therefore will decide to defund the war," she said.
Reid has left that possibility open. The majority leader supports separate legislation that would cut off funding for combat missions after March 2008. The proposal would allow money spent on such efforts as counterterrorism efforts and training Iraqi security forces.
Reid and other Democrats were initially reluctant to discuss such draconian measures to end the war, but no longer.
"I'm not sure much is impossible legislatively," Reid said Thursday. "The American people have indicated . . . that they are fed up with what's going on."
___
Associated Press writer Andrew Taylor contributed to this report.
I disagree, I don’t think they care—I don’t think they care about “a few lives” if it means the war ends. I don’t think they think it’s all that important, as long as we lose enough of our people to stop the war, because at heart, I believe Democrats believe we had 9-11 coming to us.
Why are you stunned by anything reid would say? He looks at the polls and adjusts his opinions like a good democrat.
As of now this war is lost. This president NEVER stood up to the commie dems. They took the CONgress because of him. He took a war & played the political correctness game & lost it. 3 yrs ago that Sunni Triangle should have already been cleaned out. His lack of communication with the people & his stance on allowing our borders to be porus just negated the war. He truly has become irrelevant. Maybe he can go back to the media night & make more fun of himself. Pathetic.
Savage wouldn't have the guts.
Because I guess I am always reluctant to believe the absolute worst of someone who considers himself an American. I guess these days Democrats DON'T consider themselves Americans, but pre-Globalists or something.
You're correct, I SHOULDN'T be surprised, but really, this is SO beyond the pale, SO extreme, I guess I didn't think even a democrat would have the intestinal fortitude to say such a thing.
How quickly the media have swept John Kerry's little jab about "ending up in Iraq" if you don't do well in college.
I was a lowly PFC, unlike your hero.
All he could do was look at his shoes.
Something to think about>
A PACIFIST IS AS SURELY A TRAITOR TO HIS COUNTRY AND TO HUMANITY AS IS THE MOST BRUTAL WRONGDOER.
(THEODORE ROOSEVELT 1917)
I HATE ALL POLITICIANS!!!!!
OMG - I did miss this yesterday....thanks for posting the link again! This is a MUST SEE video! I’m sending it to my entire address book!
Hey, I did the same thing.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9Yc3wYJOtI
Repeated here just in case someone doesn’t want to scroll back for it.
Best rootin-tootin libslappin troopsupportin clip!
LOL ExTexasGraybeard here...
That's secondary to their goal of withdrawal.
I think their primary goal is regaining the Presidency -- everything else is secondary. Their goal of withdrawal only applies as long as a Republican sits in the WH, as it serves the primary goal. Wouldn't surprise me in the least of all their treasonous talk stopped immediately if they succeeded in winning the Presidency in '08, and even if they got aggressive in the WOT after that. All they care about is the re-acquisition of power. ...that's it.
It’s starting to get absolutely ridiculous—the next time a lib gets all huffy when I make the same suggestion I will laugh in his face, and ask him to name ONE difference between the goals of Al Qaeda and democrats.
harry reid gets the
jane fonda
award.
Harry Reid’s Legacy
CHICKEN LITTLE !
If he were serving in Iraq (yeah, right like he gives a r*t’s *$$) he would earn his purple hearts from the rear! (take it either way you want... running from the enemy or by friendly fire)
We THOUGHT he was a Mormon - but with the discredit he brings to them, I doubt they would claim him. Maybe he is an Islamic wannabe. What else could account for his pandering to their cause!
We THOUGHT he was honest - but the least scrutiny reveals crooked political bedfellows who were passing him property deals under the table.
He says - ‘Don’t question my patriotism.’ Hey, there is NO QUESTION in MY mind - he wouldn’t know patriotism if hit him right between the eyes!
For a legacy - his best hope lies in history forgetting his existence as soon as possible.
p.s. This war is NOT lost till we QUIT!
Why do you think Al Qaida cheered for the Rats to win in November? It wasn’t because they like them better. It was because they know with them in charge they have it easy to defeat us and be able to attack us again. They are not dumb. Unfortunately the left is
And the calls for his resignation are deafening-NOT! Where’s the outrage?
I fear for the Republic.
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