Cheney Links Iraq Violence, U.S. Elections

(AP)  Vice President Dick Cheney said Monday the increase of violence in Iraq is linked with efforts to influence the outcome of next week's elections, in which Republicans are struggling to keep control of Congress.

"It's my belief that they're very sensitive of the fact that we've got an election scheduled and they can get on the websites like anybody else," Cheney said. He said al Qaeda and other elements were trying to "break the will of the American people" because "they think we don't have the stomach for the fight long term."

Asked if the attacks were timed to influence the U.S. elections, Cheney said, "That's my belief."

Eight days before the elections, Cheney was interviewed by Fox News Channel's "Your World with Neil Cavuto" and CNBC's "Kudlow & Company."

Now in its fourth year, the Iraq war is a political liability for President Bush and Republican allies, who control the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Democrats need to take 15 House seats and six Senate seats in the election to win control of both chambers.

The U.S. death toll in Iraq for October alone exceeds 100 — the fourth-deadliest month for U.S. troops since the war began in March 2003. Over the course of the war, more than 2,800 Americans and thousands of Iraqis have died.

Cheney, who 17 months ago said the insurgency was in its last throes, said that "there's going to be probably a continued level of violence for some considerable period of time in Iraq." He said that unlike other wars, it was unlikely there would be some dramatic turning point that signals progress.

"There is progress," Cheney said. "It's just — you're not going to see the kind of thing ... a victory like Midway in World War II where we sank all the enemy carriers, or a surrender ceremony at the end of the war. It's the kind of thing where you have to keep grinding it out day after day after day. It's tough."

[rondumsfeld]

Ha on what Cheney thinks. Does he know that my farts are timed for release every time he inhales? I keep hoping that he catches wind of what I'm doing...

[osidebear]

gslinger3, when specifics fail you, go for generalities. The specifics show that the current administration is a dismal failure at prosecuting this insane war in Iraq. Everything from de-Baathification to the 14,000 missing weapons shows Buish and his cronies cannot prosecute this war with the slightest bit of competence.

With regard to Joe Lieberman, even if he wins (which is likely), he's already said he'll caucus with the Democrats. Typical of you not to know that, however. You seem to know so little, yet speak so much....

[gslinger3]

osidebear

The Democratic (Liberal) voting record speaks for itself, if you need proof look at Nancy Pelosis record. And what happend to poor Joe Liberman, you guys kicks him out of your party for Goodness sakes and cost themselves a Senate seat!
Let the DNC continue to shoot itself in the foot I say. We can use more Joe Libermans in this world!

[gslinger3]

Defending freedom," "Fight them over there so we don't have to fight them over here," = Where do you want to fight them. Osama Bin Laden Himself has said that Iraq is the central point in this war, so yes I think its very smart of Bush to have taken the war to the Middle East where it Belongs, it was from there from which the terrorists came from in the first place.

Stay the course,Hell yes stay the course, I know you Dems would love nothing better than for us to lose this war, The Democratic voting record speaks for itself! John Kerry calls our own troops terrorists.

Freedom isn't free, That statment is Priceless and true!

911, How quickly you have forgotten.

[osidebear]

I love it when conservatives suggest that liberals or Democrats (NOT interchangeable, by the way) are somehow so silly or love life or their country so little that they would fling open the nation's figurative doors and say, "Go ahead, terrorists! Kill us, kill our children, destroy this country." They know this is ludicrous, but it suits their political purposes to lie on this issue. And lie is what conservatives these days have learned to do best.

The truth is that Deomcrats would fight the terrorists just as hard as the Republicans say they want to do. We think we'd do it in a smarter, way, however. One that doesn't fight illegal wars of choice that have nothing to do with terrorism. Nor would our methods involve alienating the rest of the world, or acting in such a way that actually inspires terrorism. Nor do we feel it is necessary to make the US more like the terrorists in order to beat them.

Get all that through your heads, guys.

[clestes-2009]

bravo huskerarmy! Well said.

[huskerarmy]

For Pete's sake gunslinger, you don't attack a country with no terrorists and that poses no threat to you first and foremost. You don't just pick a country and go in funs a blazin'.

There are a lot of other things to do. You fight them where they live, Afghanistan, and you finish the job before redirecting your efforts to a war on behalf of your firiends in Big Oil. You go after Osam Bin Laden and you don't quit until he's dead. You deal with third world countries as human beings and don't allow corporations to exploit them in the name of the U.S. You incorporate the support of your allies and cultivate world opinion in your favor. You secure the border and you inspect all incoming cargo.

There are things you don't do as well. You listen to their conversations, but you go to the FISA courts to do that. You don't out undercover CIA agents and destroy their intelligence gathering operations. You follow the Geneva Conventions. We are America. We need to get back to the things that make us proud of that fact.

[gslinger3]

huskerarmy

Tell us how you would deal with terror?

[marcelde]

OF COURSE, WE ARE OFF COURSE!

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[marcelde]

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