Frustrated Senators See No Exit Signs ( Still badgered Petraeus & Crocker at hearings...)

Washington Post ^ | Wednesday, April 9, 2008; Page A01 | By Karen DeYoung and Thomas E. Ricks Washington Post Staff Writers

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Asked repeatedly yesterday what "conditions" he is looking for to begin substantial U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq after this summer's scheduled drawdown, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus said he will know them when he sees them. For frustrated lawmakers, it was not enough.

"A year ago, the president said we couldn't withdraw because there was too much violence," said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.). "Now he says we can't afford to withdraw because violence is down." Asked Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.): "Where do we go from here?"

Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) said: "I think people want a sense of what the end is going to look like."

But the bottom line was that there was no bottom line. In testimony before the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees, Petraeus, the top U.S. military commander in Iraq, and U.S. Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker echoed what they said seven months ago in their last update to Congress -- often using similar words. Iraq's armed forces continue to improve, overall levels of violence are lower than they were last year, and political reconciliation is happening, albeit still more slowly than they would like.

"Iraq is hard, and reconciliation is hard," Crocker said in September. Yesterday, he added: "Almost everything about Iraq is hard."

[ConservativeMajority]

Ricks is a defeatist and a liar. Perfectly qualified to report on the war for the Washington Post.

[beebuster2000]

i guess my take on the hearings was that the dems, and voinovich (did i repeat myself?) were playing stupid but really arent.

must be obvious to even the dimmest bulb that you pull out when you can without having the place fall apart, thats a judgement call , there isnt any “metric”.

obama was totally fatuous in setting a choice that doesnt exist “todays result, just without the army” . crocker did a good job of dodging it without coming out and telling obama he was stupid, or gaming the politics.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

H/T to the Strata Sphere Blog for pointing to the Post article:

No Exit In Iraq But Forward To Success

***************************EXCERPT*************************

The Surrendercrats and SurrenderMedia are stumped by the testimony of Petraeus and Crocker. They are stumped because they cannot find the “Easy Button” for an exit out of Iraq.

In fact, the SurrenderMedia is reporting on the frustration and the lack of easy exits:

Frustrated Senators See No Exit Signs

By Karen DeYoung and Thomas E. Ricks
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, April 9, 2008; Page A01

Asked repeatedly yesterday what “conditions” he is looking for to begin substantial U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq after this summer’s scheduled drawdown, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus said he will know them when he sees them. For frustrated lawmakers, it was not enough.

***************************snip**********************

The blinders on the SurrenderMedia and Surrendercrats are firmly in place. There is an exit in view. It is the exit with the big “Success” sign over it. But they fear that exit because it would prove them to be dead wrong on Iraq.

***************************More at the Blog *************************

[whitedog57]

I hope that Hillary got “hard” and took it out on Huma when she got home.

[Mygirlsmom]

Teddy is apparently no expert at reading signs - otherwise he wouldn’t have driven off that bridge.......

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Obama may have supplied some campaign material to his opposition......see this thread:

Obama Backs 'Messy, Sloppy Status Quo' as the Goal in Iraq

[Gator113]

Isn’t a shame that C-Span2 isn’t allowing us to see the entire Hearing process. We only get bit’s and pieces. I find it frustrating.

[goldstategop]

The Defeatocrats of course are frustrated they can't declare The Surge a failure. Despite the fact we're drawing down and bring the troops home, that isn't good enough for them.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[LtKerst]

They want Petreus to define “failure”, so they can call for retreat..
They want to shift the Blame, yet still surrender.
No Democrat Should Hold any Public Office.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

It is the House of Reps that force the coverage of the House when it is in session....

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Al Queda is still looking for a home base:

Mauritanian police in al-Qaeda raid-(Attention Dems, AQ Is WORLDWIDE)

Apparently the Senators would like to give them Iraq....

[illiac]

All these “congress people” (and I use the word loosely) keep asking where do we go from here.....it seems that since all of them are such war time authorities, they might have a solution....but no, they just continue to criticize with what little brain matter they truly have.

[MEGoody]

The left will not settle for anything less than complete and total defeat.

[Verginius Rufus]

According to Steve Doocy this morning on “Fox & Friends,” one of the senators yesterday called Gen. Petraeus “Admiral.” He didn’t identify the senator, at least not during the part of the show that I saw.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks E.

Obama Backs ‘Messy, Sloppy Status Quo’ as the Goal in Iraq
New York Sun | April 9, 2008 | By ELI LAKE Staff Reporter of the Sun
Posted on 04/08/2008 11:53:19 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1998846/posts

A look inside Al Qaeda -
The militant is known as Abu Ubaida al Masri, .....his path reveals...
Los Angeles Times | April 2, 2008 | Sebastian Rotella, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
Posted on 04/03/2008 10:23:09 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1996175/posts

[John Semmens]

Dems Take Issue with Iraq Intelligence Report

Democratic leaders called the latest National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Iraq ‘s assessment of President Bush’s “surge” strategy “incredible.” General David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, and Ambassador Ryan Crocker, the top U.S. diplomat in Baghdad are said to be facing a tough grilling when they give testimony to key congressional committees this week.

“To be blunt, I find the report incredible—as in hard to believe,” Senator Carl Levin (D-Mich.) said. “The claim that there has been significant progress in Iraq directly contradicts what the Democratic leadership in congress and our two presidential candidates have been saying. It is intolerable that such views should be permitted at this critical moment in our history.”

Levin downplayed the contention that since Petraeus and Crocker were “on-the-scene” in Iraq they might have a better feel for what’s going on than the Democratic congress. “They may be in touch with conditions in Iraq, but we’re in touch with the American voters,” Levin pointed out. “Americans are tired of this war. They want it to end. So-called ‘good news’ impedes congress’ efforts to call it quits.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) seconded Levin’s comments and urged Patraeus and Crocker to “pay attention to the calendar. The Bush administration is nearing its end. If they have any concern for their careers they should consider whether what they say in their testimony will please their new masters.”

read more...

http://www.azconservative.org/Semmens1.htm

[goldstategop]

Carl Levin thinks the American people are "quitters." He should go out with his fellow Democrats and say that to their face.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[HoosierHawk]

So-called 'good news' impedes congress' efforts to call it quits.

That's funny.

[1035rep]

He should go out with his fellow Democrats and say that to their face.

That would take courage, which is something the Democrats do not have.