Posted on 05/09/2007 5:55:32 PM PDT by kellynla
TIM RUSSERT, NBC NIGHTLY NEWS: Brian, all eyes on the Republican party. How long will they support the president's position on the Iraq War? Yesterday may have been a defining, pivotal moment.
At two-thirty in the afternoon, in the private quarters of the White House, the Solarium Room, eleven Republican congressmen had a private meeting with the president, the secretary of defense, the secretary of state, the chief political advisor Karl Rove, and the White House Press Secretary Tony Snow, and others.
This delegation was headed by Mark Kirk of Illinois and Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania. It was, in the words of one of the participants, the most unvarnished conversation they've ever had with the president.
Another member has said he has met with three presidents and never been so candid. They told the president, and one said, quote, "My district is prepared for defeat. We need candor, we need honesty, Mr. President."
The president responded, "I don't want to pass this off to another president. I don't want to pass this off, particularly, to a democratic president," underscoring he understood how serious the situation was.
Brian, the Republican congressmen went on to say, "The word about the war and its progress cannot come from the White House or even you, Mr. President. There's no longer any credibility. It has to come from General Petraeus.
The meeting lasted an hour and fifteen minutes, and was, in the words of one, " remarkable for the bluntness, and no holds barred honesty and the message delivered by all these Republican congressmen.
BRIAN WILLIAMS: And Tim...how did the president react and how did this then affect the instructions for VP Cheney heading off to Iraq?
RUSSERT: One congressman said, "How can our daughters and sons spill their blood while the Iraqi parliament goes on vacation? The president responded, "The Vice President is over there to tell them, 'Do not go on vacation.'"
Developing...
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/10/washington/10cong.html?hp
New York Times reporting the names of some of the attendees:
Kirk - IL
Dent - PA
Boehner - OH
Davis - VA
Gerlach - PA
Walsh - NY
Emerson - MO
LaHood - IL
Welcome. I dumped the republican party a long time ago. I vote conservatives, no longer for the RINO party.
Doesn't matter what he wants, he will hand it off to the next president. And it may be a Democrat.
Rassmussen is the most accurate pollster out there. The others are trying to change public opinion, not measure it.
Sad but true. And one more truth is that we really haven't been waging a real war against the insurgents in Iraq but essentially locked ourselves into a holding pattern; waiting for the Sunni and Shiites to put aside their differences and mutual hatred and truly work together for a fully unified Iraq.
God knows if or when that will actually happen. I've always felt the country would have to be partitioned at some point.
“Things getting better”. Do you realize what kind of trap that is setting. Things change rapidly in war. Our enemies know how to work us over politically. TET.
plus, “Things getting better” is not good enough with the American people anymore I guess.
To WIN the war. And I am talking about winning it. We need more troops. We need to kick some butt. We could have done that in 2003 and 2004. and we should have..
Well said. He sucks at letting us know exactly why he does things. I wonder if he has to many stuffed shirts telling him that it would not be presidential to explain himself. I hate it. Come on tv and tell us something, anything for crying out loud. I am sick of it.
Whoa! Boehner - OH
Santorum didn’t lose on the war. He lost because Casey neutralized him on guns and abortion, because of Casey’s beloved father and because on the top ticket, Rendell brought out Democrats in droves (especially in and around Philly) while Swann did the exact opposite for Republicans.
The overriding political reality is that there are many political realities.
Petraeous is a sell-out! Email President Bush not to cave in. Too many have died or been seriously wounded to be forsaken by a cut and run. Allow our troops to finish the job with all the equipment they need to accomplish their mission!
And you didn’t enlist because . . . . ?
pull out. If the President of The United States doesnt truly want to win the war.. and it is clear to me that he doesnt.
If the United States Congress does not want to win the war. and it is clear to me that they do not.
Dont waste anymore American lives..if we are not in it to win.
Think your prediction through. Is there any possible upside for Republicans agreeing to withdraw? It will make the traitors look right. And, why are you assuming that September won’t bring good news, anyway? Who leaked this meting and its contents to the press, anyway?
Did you believe Rove when he said, “I’m looking at 68 polls a week for candidates for the U.S. House and U.S. Senate and governor, and you may be looking at four to five public polls a week that talk attitudes nationally... I add up to a Republican Senate and Republican House. You may end up with a different math, but you are entitled to your math. And I’m entitled to the math.”
The Marines are looking for a few good men. Or you could always be Army strong.
“Petraeous is a sell-out!”
How so?
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