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...
Are they on the DC Madam's phone list?
And 55 years later, that situation is still unsettled.
That's because you don't have a clue what's at stake.
Only someone who believes this is an optional war looks at a 60% poll number against the fight and acquiesces to it.
And only someone who doesn't get it believes this an an optional war.
There's not much more I can say. You just don't get it.
We have two choices here in my opinion.
The President of The United States can wake up tomorrow, decide to win the war and then send 100 thousand more troops into Iraq, make a big shake up. Fire a couple of people within his administration. Get nasty, raise his voice at some people. Take charge and win this war dangit.
Or.. pull out.
President Bush is doing the same exact thing with Iraq that Lyndon Johnson did with Viet Nam. All they have to do is TET us and it is over.
Why doesnt he have the will to win the war ?
We don't have 100,000 more troops.
Now what is your bright idea?
This is somewhat true, but some of those Republicans were Democrats that helped make that majority possible. Party switchcers.
I know that, but I choose not to go around with a chip on my shoulder as you apparently do. There’s a difference between skepticism and cynicism.
You think your RINOs are going to get in their and stop these ruthless Democrats? They’re not exactly doing a bang up job of standing up to the jihadists. I don’t know what makes you think they can fare any better against Stalinists.
Go out and get 100 thousand troops.
There are 330 million people in the USA. Find 100 thousand of them win this war
It's a political reality. Ask Rick Santorum.
It would be nearly impossible to overstate the adverse effects such and outcome would visit on America and our attempts to fight the WOT.
We’ve got to know that if a pullout comes it will be called a loss and the loss will be pinned directly on President Bush by the MSM/Lefties.
We, and by that I mean Western civilization, is at a crossroads. The next year will tell the tale. I pray, literally, for our troops and the America I grew up in.
Yes, the future of the Republican Party is at stake in the next election. The US may not survive as a capitalist, First Amendment-honoring country if today's Democrat Party wins a landslide next year. The Iraq war threatens to give the Democrats a victory on that scale. With the Democrats in power, foreign AND domestic policy goes off the rails.
Rather than hand holding, these RINO’s need a swift kick in the pants and told to put the good of their country before themselves!
People, if you read yesterday’s stories, you will see that the opposition is very well funded and organized and stories like this one were pre-planned and planted. Their targets are a handful of marginal Republicans that they hoped to peel away. 11 is nothing and these Republicans often voted against the GOP anyway.
The real question is why are we not funding the effort to attack the new allegedly conservative Democrats from the November elections by flooding their districts with news of their support for defeat? We Must Respond, and it takes money to do that. Time to open the checkbooks because if you don’t, you’ll be watching suicide bombers in your local mall within 2 years.
Do you know where your nearest recruiting office is?
Yer talkin' to a congressman who doesn't have the courage to give his name.
Kirk nearly lost his seat to Bond in the last election. Won by 1%.
He is trying to do a balance act for his district and I lost any respect for the man after his phoney vote about the war.
He’s playing to his Democrat district.
It's a volunteer army. You can't just press people into service. The Congress hasn't authorized a budget for 100,000 more. They won't authorized 100,000 more 'cuz they want us to lose....
Even if you could snap your fingers and have 100,000 troops in all the combat arms specialties, it's 4 years to build a junior officer and 16 months to train the troops....
Now what's your great idea?
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