Senator Reid On Iraq: "This War Is Lost"

Democratic Majority Leader Says Troop Buildup Is Not Working

(CBS/AP)  The Senate debate on Iraq grew sharper Thursday when Majority Leader Harry Reid said the war had been lost and that President Bush's troop buildup is not stemming the rampant violence. That statement prompted Republicans to declare that Democrats do not support the troops in Iraq.

"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.

The White House called Reid's remarks "disturbing" and a slap at troops who are risking their lives.

Senior Republican Senator and White House hopeful John McCain also lashed out Thursday at Reid's comments.

At a news conference before a fund-raiser at a Las Vegas casino, McCain blasted the Nevada senator, saying his comments would hurt troop morale.

"It seems to me Sen. Reid has lost all sense of priority," he said.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino says if Reid has the courage of his convictions, he'll try to cut off all war funding.

Democrats who lack the votes for that appear set to send President Bush a war-funding measure with a non-binding timeline for pulling out the troops. Bush still intends to veto it.

The president is scheduled to go to Michigan Friday to again speak out for a war-funding bill with no strings attached.

Anti-war liberals in the House are reluctant to mount opposition to war spending legislation even if it does not set a firm date for troop withdrawal.

Their support would pave the way for Democratic leaders next week to send President Bush a bill that would fund the Iraq war and still call for troops to leave by March 31, 2008, albeit a nonbinding withdrawal date.

The measure would be weaker than House Democrats wanted but is advocated by the Senate, where Democrats hold a slimmer majority and many party members oppose setting a firm timetable on the war.

Rather than let the bill sink, "we want to get it to the president and let him veto it," said Rep. Diane Watson, a Democratic Party liberal who opposes funding the war at all.

Bush has promised to veto any bill that sets a timetable on the Iraq war, contending that decisions on troop deployments must be left to the commander in chief and military commanders on the ground. His position raises the bigger question of what Democrats will do after the veto.

The quiet support of a House-Senate compromise among the rank-and-file represents a new tack by Democrats who say they want to pull together in their fight against Bush on the war.

Rep. Hank Johnson, a first-term Democrat who represents a district in Georgia that is strongly opposed to the war, said lending his support to a bill that funds the war without setting a firm end date will be difficult. On the other hand, he added, Democrats might be in a tougher spot if they cannot pull the caucus long enough to act against Bush.

"We have to look at the political realities of being the party that's in control, and prove the American people we can govern," he said.

Last month, Watson was one of several liberal Democrats who threatened to block passage of the House bill because she did not think the measure went far enough to end the war. Watson and Democratic Reps. Lynn Woolsey, Barbara Lee and Maxine Waters said they refused to fund the war and wanted language that would end combat before the end of 2007.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi launched an aggressive whip operation to persuade members the bill was their best shot at trying to force Bush to abandon his Iraq policy. Eventually, the group said they would help round up support for the bill despite their intention to personally vote against it.

The bill passed narrowly, mostly along party lines, in a 218-212 vote. House appropriators are now trying to negotiate a final bill that could be sent to the president by next week.

With Senate leaders nervous the final bill would fail if it included a firm deadline, aides said Democrats were leaning toward accepting the Senate's nonbinding goal. The compromise bill also is expected to retain House provisions preventing military units from being worn out by excessive combat deployments; however, the president could waive these standards if he states so publicly.

On Thursday, Pelosi summoned Woolsey, Lee, Waters and several other of the party's more liberal members to her office to discuss the issue. According to aides and members, concerns were expressed but there were no loud objections to a conference bill that would adopt the Senate's nonbinding goal.

Watson said she would personally oppose the final bill, as she did last month, but would not stand in Pelosi's way if the speaker agrees to the Senate version.

"It's still a timeline," she said. "We're not backing down from that."

[karlimhof]

Sorry Bush & Neocon-dom, you lost again....

Your great dreams of "transforming " the middle East, installing new "democracies", all loving and adoring American and israel....is over


and at what a cost!

Let everyone remember that Bush planned this war even before 911 - he then used 911 and lied to us - and is still lying to us.

This is not an american war but a war waged by greedy, politically motivated, dangerous dullards.

Throw them all in jail - history has already dammed them to helll.

[aeasus]

Impeach the Bush party!!

[pwrslm]

losers never win

and winners never quit

the only loser is the quiter

turns out he is also a demoncrap

[vet999999]

I am sure happy to hear that your crystal ball is so perfect and you have all the answers. I just hope that you are right because if you are wrong, the price will be so high that I don't think you can imagine it. This war is unlike any other we have ever been involved in, and this is truly a winner take all.

[iceman_1960]

"The White House called Reid's remarks "disturbing" and a slap at troops who are risking their lives."

The truth hurts.

Bush is using the troops as emotional hostages to protect himself.

The troops are smart enough to know whose idea it was to send them into harm's way in a no-win situation.

Bush is keeping this war going for one reason only: to save face.

He is willing to sacrifice any number of troops to achieve that.

[ioweign]

Iraq was lost when Bush/Cheney/Powell and Co. lied us into it. I can't wait for the 2008 election!!!!

[iceman_1960]

Given the choice of losing thousands more troops, or just admitting publicly that he made the worst foreign policy mistake in U.S. history, which is Bush going to do ?

Of course he's going to sacrifice the troops.

He made that decision a year ago.

Bush is a shallow privileged man who once bragged to his college professor that his dad's friends got him out of Vietnam.

Of course he will sacrifice the troops to try to save face, and he won't think twice about it, now or later.

[irishbitch1]

didntinhale

The repubs have been porking up every bill they passed for the past 6 years.

The commander in the mideastern arena yesterday said the US is loosing ground every day in Iraq. Those people don't care about democracy so why should any more of our Soldiers make the supreme sacrifice for people who don't care? It is a civil war and our Soldiers do not belong in the middle of it! Cut Funding and get our Soldiers out of there NOW!

[pwrslm]

If you would just check out what the koran says about infidels then you would have an idea why Bush is adamant about staying and finishing the job.

The thing is, we are picking up AQ insurgents in Iraq. Why do you think they are there?

What plans do you think they will make when we leave?

Taliban in charge of Afghanistand nutured AQ. If we leave Iraq, we will eventually see a similar situation. The Muslim Brotherhood has acknowledged that all current regimes over islamic nations have to be defeated in order to establish the Caliphate. Iraq is EZ picking, Iran already is there. Syria is under bathist control, they dont want the shiite majority to control Iraq.

Thats why we have to stay there. Not so much to influence Iraq to comply with our wishes, as to allow them to establish control and governorship over its territory.

[iceman_1960]

The American people get it, even if a few Bush deadenders are still blowing themselves up, rhetorically.

In the latest CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll, taken April 10-12, 69 percent of Americans say things are going badly for the United States in Iraq. That's the most negative assessment yet recorded, up from 54 percent who thought things were going badly last June and 62 percent in October.

The public's view: it's not working. Only 29 percent of Americans believe that sending additional troops to Iraq will make it more likely the U.S. will achieve its goals there. Only 21 percent believe the U.S. and its allies are winning; the prevailing view (62 percent) is that neither side is winning.

[frankly6]

Bu$hco lost this war when they allowed the security situation to spiral into a CIVIL WAR. It's all over but the denying.

[iceman_1960]

"If you would just check out what the koran says about infidels then you would have an idea why Bush is adamant about staying and finishing the job."

This argument is completely at odds with Bush's own rhetoric about Islam.

He has said all along, over and over again, that this is not a war against Islam, that Islam is a noble religion.

Just go to www.whitehouse.gov and enter Islam in the search field.

A long list of Bush quotes comes back.

[pwrslm]

losers never win

and winners never quit

the only loser is the quiter

turns out he is also a demoncrap

[vet999999]

Iceman,
The last "poll" I saw showed that something like 74% of americans did not know who the vice president was. I am sure that there are only 29% of the american public that even understand military tactics, nation building, or even the dynamics of war. Placing much faith in these polls does not elevate your position. Most people don't even know who lives next door to them.

Look at the wording of the poll question. Do you think it is going bad for americans? Anytime my soldiers get hurt or killed it is bad.

You need to examine the quality of what the press is reporting to the same degree to appear to be examining and destroying our system.

[pwrslm]

Posted by Iceman_1960

And if I told you that you were intelligent, you would believe that too....

What a sucker.

Need a used car dude?

PC has nothing to do with it.

Everyone knows islam is the core problem.

exept for you that is...

[iceman_1960]

"the only loser is the quiter"

Not quite.

"Quitter" - The word is spelled with two t's.

Start spelling it correctly.

Spam is annoying enough without silly spelling errors.

[bluestardad]

DONT FUND ANOTHER DIME OF THIS WAR!

I want to know who is being held accountable for several of the out right theft and blunders in Iraq being perpetrated under the shade of the Fog of War. These thefts include but are not limited to; the Slant drilling being done by Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in Iraqi Oil reserves, the theft of OIL during production and sale by not having meters on the line to account for the oil that is processed thru the line, and the remaining billions of dollars that have no audit trail from the 363 tons of money, indigenous Iraqi money found in Iraq, and the 400 billion American tax dollars that was sent to Iraq?

If Bush lied about his reasons for going to war Congress should consider impeaching him. The President's deceit is not only an abuse of power; it is a federal crime. Specifically, it is a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, which prohibits conspiracies to defraud the United States.

http://www.democrats.com/node/12313

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20051114/delavega

If you think Americas sacrifice is worth it contact your ELECTED OFFICIAL and tell them http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

The House Speakers email address: [e-mail]

[e-mail] Here is the Republican Party email address too!

[e-mail] Here is the Democratic Party email address also!

[mbcsmith]

The LIB party, the party of DEFEAT.

[ghosttownsky]

We won the war to take Sadam out of power. We did that very effectual. We have failed and will continue to fail bringing the 3 different factions of the Iraq%u2019s people together where they tolerate and work together for the good of Iraq. Our staying there just adds an extra dimension to the equation. We have to stop being involved in street fighting where we are seen as an external threat. We need some out of the box thinking and not just same old thing where force is seen as the way to win the hearts of the common Iraqis.

It is not a question of winning or loosing it is a question of how do we help bring everyone together in a non-violent way were everyone can become winners. Not just our troops taking the Sadam%u2019s regime out.

[luvny-2009]

Truth hurts, the whole war was a scam right from the get go. Bush needs to be impeached NOW!

[iceman_1960]

"Iceman, The last "poll" I saw showed that something like 74% of americans did not know who the vice president was. I am sure that there are only 29% of the american public that even understand military tactics, nation building, or even the dynamics of war. Placing much faith in these polls does not elevate your position. Most people don't even know who lives next door to them." - Posted by vet999999 at 08:22 AM : Apr 20, 2007

Are you including George W. Bush among Americans who don't understand military tactics, nation building, or even the dynamics of war ?

You should be. His ignorance is legendary. He's the one who in 2002 spoke of the past 150 years of unbroken friendship and alliance between Japan and the United States.

You may want to pull an elitist attitude of putting down the American people and insulting their intelligence when things don't go your way, but I don't.

I'll take the judgment of the American people on this war, over Bush's any day.

They're the ones supplying the troops.

Bush is just out to save face.

[pwrslm]

"the only loser is the quiter"
Not quite.
"Quitter" - The word is spelled with two t's.
Start spelling it correctly.
Spam is annoying enough without silly spelling errors.
Posted by Iceman_1960

ahd ratha be a poor spellur than ignorunt lyk yew

[sela7]

I am so amazed and ashamed at the ignorance of the American people and how they are so easily pulled into the lies of people who want power. The Democrats are so busy trying to spread lies and fear among the American people that they forget who we American people are and it is our sons, daughters, nieces, nephews, neighbors over in Iraq and Afghanistan. I am proud of them! They at least care about whether or not America is safe and my children are safe from terrorist! United we stand, divided we fall yet what has happened to America? Has wealth and prosperity taught us that to achieve this we must cause division and fear? Men and women are dying and getting injured to FREE a country that has NO idea what freedom is...why are we Americans so selfish to think we should not help those in need? When it comes to countries that HATE us and want to DESTROY us...should we let them or fight for the future continued freedom of OUR country? WE are not only freeing a country that has been oppressed by a KILLER for years but we are protecting the future of our children. If the Democrats want to "save lives" (such they think the withdrawal of troops will do) then they can go to the local abortion clinics to save those precious babies that are murdered every day. We must be UNITED to end this war yet meanwhile let%u2019s get our country back on a true moral path such as intended by our Founding Fathers. I'm sure they too are amazed and ashamed at what we have become.

[bluestardad]

GUYS THE AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE CREATED THIS SURGE PLAN! It was not created by the Generals as the Republicans say it is as is another REPUBLICAN LIE! Ask these listed below!I have given you the proof! No you get the courage to take action!

http://www.aipac.org/forms/join_aipacClubs.htm

Here are a list of the Republican Senators up for Reelection in 08. Ask them how much AIPAC influences their vote on Iraq? Is their support for Israel more than their duty to the Americans living in their states?

Oh yea PNAC is also run by a AIPAC member William Kristol from Weekly Standard!


Alexander, Lamar- (R - TN)
Allard, Wayne- (R - CO)
Chambliss, Saxby- (R - GA)
Cochran, Thad- (R - MS)
Coleman, Norm- (R - MN)
Collins, Susan M.- (R - ME)
Cornyn, John- (R - TX)
Craig, Larry E.- (R - ID)
Dole, Elizabeth- (R - NC)
Enzi, Michael B.- (R - WY)
Graham, Lindsey- (R - SC)
Hagel, Chuck- (R - NE)
Inhofe, James M.- (R - OK)
McConnell, Mitch- (R - KY)
Roberts, Pat- (R - KS)
Sessions, Jeff- (R - AL)
Smith, Gordon H.- (R - OR)
Stevens, Ted- (R - AK)
Sununu, John E.- (R - NH)
Warner, John- (R - VA)

If you think Americas sacrifice is worth it contact your ELECTED OFFICIAL and tell them http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

The House Speakers email address: [e-mail]

[e-mail] Here is the Republican Party email address too!

[e-mail] Here is the Democratic Party email address also!

[thefarmer77]

I am just curious to know what the opinions on these posts are with this question: Whenever we pull out there are two possible outcomes: One the violence stops. This, from what I can tell about the history of these two sides, is not likely to happen. The other is that they will kill each other till one side wipes out the other. So by the American people saying they what our troops home, do we not care about the more Iraqis that possibly will be killed when we leave?

[tank611]

The Democrats in Congress think they speak for all Americans? Having a 51% majority does not mean that you speak for all Americans.

The mid-term elections were not a referendum on Iraq. They could just as easily have been called a referendum on raising the minimum wage.

[dallison7]

The very idea of bringing a democracy to Iraq is just silly!!

When our troops leave, next week.. next month.. ten years from now, Iraq will revert back to a dictatorship.

The strongest bully will take over, probably Al Sadr, and life will go on.

We need to leave those people alone and let them evolve!!

[lilvinnyb]

OUR ENEMIES HAVE BROKEN THE SENATE MAJORITIES WILL. THEY WERE CORRECT...WE (AT LEAST HARRY REID) CANT TAKE IT.

[pwrslm]

"Nearly 150 years have passed since the United States and Japan opened up diplomatic relations. Since then, we have gone from strangers to adversaries, to the very best of friends. I look forward to building on our strong relationship to meet the challenge of our times. "
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/05/20030523-4.html

What a liar you are iceman. You truely are ignorunt.

[realpatriot1]

It doesn't serve any useful purpose to talk about the party of defeat but if there is such a thing it's not the Democrats who lost this war.

It's not the troops or the military commanders who lost this war either. It's the civilian leadership.

This administration lost this war when they not only ignored the U.N. & the French and the Germans but also their military command, the authorization given by Congress, the advice of the CIA and Colin Powell and Brent Scowcroft and now their own Iraq Study Group.

What we need to do now is to redeploy from this lost cause in Iraq to Afghanistan before it becomes a lost cause too. Let's consolidate the one gain that we have in the War on Terror before we lose a second war that we should've won.

[dlpracer]

Cut and run,

Cut and run,

Cut and run,

Cut and run,

Cut and run,

Cut and run, Bring the troops home and deploy them to college campuses to protect us from wacko liberal students...who recently voted their campus a "gun free zone". That works doesn't it.

Cut and run,

Cut and run,

Cut and run,

[iceman_1960]

"What a sucker. Need a used car dude?" - Posted by pwrslm at 08:23 AM : Apr 20, 2007

No, and America doesn't want your used war either, dude.

So you think Bush was just LYING when he said "All Americans must recognize that the face of terror is not the true face of Islam. Islam is a faith that brings comfort to a billion people around the world. It's a faith that has made brothers and sisters of every race. It's a faith based upon love, not hate." (G. W. Bwsh, September 10, 2002)

What else has he been lying about ?

[dallison7]

You truely are ignorunt.
Posted by pwrslm


ROFLMMFAO!!!!!

"truely ignorunt"

So funny, gasping for air!!

Someone teach the monkey to use spellcheck!!

LMAO!!

[iceman_1960]

What a liar you are iceman. You truely are ignorunt.
Posted by pwrslm at 08:36 AM : Apr 20, 2007

Here are his exact words:

"For a century and a half now, America and Japan have formed one of the great and enduring alliances of modern times." - G.W. Bush, Tokyo, Japan, Feb. 18, 2002

[iceman_1960]

"For a century and a half now, America and Japan have formed one of the great and enduring alliances of modern times." - G.W. Bush, Tokyo, Japan, Feb. 18, 2002

pwrslm's quote came from May 2003, over a year later, after his aides had corrected him.

I'm not surprised that first quote can't be found at whitehouse.gov.

Nice try, pwrslm.

[dallison7]

Even if they dont get the phoney political victory of having an artificial withdrawel date they will surely get their pork bill thru as a comprimise.
Posted by didntinhale



You really don't read do you? The 'pork' is for republican districts to entice republicans to vote in favor of the bill.

Or is that just a little too deep for you to understand??

[iceman_1960]

We were led to war by Bush, a man who didn't know about Pearl Harbor back in in February 2002.

No wonder this war has turned out as it has.

Bush is like an incompetent quack who botches an operation, then blames the patient and the disease later.

[bobebenson]

3400 young Americans dead.. Four thousand? Five thousand? Twenty-five thousand young Americans dead?? TAKE YOUR PICK!

[cw3bryant]

to all of you who think that we in the military feel betrayed...wake up.
we're not brainwashed soldiers who blindly follow immoral leaders. bush
is our Cmdr in chief and we must execute those orders as we are trained.
but we are well educated and WELL in tune to what goes on behind the
scenes and on the political front. i personally feel betrayed by my Cmdr
in chief for lying to this country and misleading us into this war. yet i
serve my time proudly and with honor but not without logical thought and
selfless service.

in the military there is a chain of command that must be followed under
the uniform code of military justice(ucmj). this means that the decisions
a commander makes whether they are right or wrong he is responsible and is
held accountable. our Cmdr in chief, bush, ultimately made the decision
to take us to war, but not without some ill-advised subordinates(cheney,
rumsfield, wolfowitz, rice). in the end, in accordance with the ucmj, the
commander is held responsible. now you see why bush wants a war czar.
personally i'm tired of deploying and leaving my family for an unjust war!
imagine sir, tomorrow you go to a battle zone and won't see your family
for as much as 15 months...if you get to see them at all, and this is your
third trip.

UH-60 Black Hawk Pilot

[iceman_1960]

Bush is out to save face.

He can't admit a mistake as big as this Iraq war.

100,000 dead Americans or more is a price he's willing to pay to save face.

[superpatr898]

Memo to Harry Reid, aka Prune Face, aka MoveOn.Org Toady - and Traitor.

YOU'RE LOST, FOOL AND COWARD. PLEASE MOVE YOUR SORRY A$$ AND THAT OF THE 'HO PELOSI'S TO DAMASCUS OR TEHRAN. YOU'LL FEEL MUCH BETTER THERE - AND OUR TROOPS WHO ARE WILLING WON'T FEEL BETRAYED BY SCUM LIKE YOU.

[realpatriot1]

We're starving the troops? What did Bush & Rumsfeld do? They starved the troops for body armor,allies,
and sufficient boots on the ground. The troops have been starved since day 1! They've also been starved by a lack of diplomatic efforts to supplement their sacrifice.

It's too late to give the troops what they needed in the beginning.

Also, for those of you calling the democratic Party the party of cut and run, here's a little review of the history of America cutting and running.

Year Conflict President Party
1953 Korea Eisenhower Republican
1975 Vietnam Ford Republican
1983 Lebanon Reagan Republican
1991 Iraq(Baghdad) Bush Republican
1998 Somalia Clinton Democrat

For those of you scoring at home, that's Republicans-4 and Democrats-1.

[infidel_us]

Wonder what comments like this do to the morale of the troops doing the fighting...their families....the injured? He's just a bit too anxious to say outrageous stuff and get face time on camera.

It's called stabbing your country in the back in front of the whole world. I'd like to see him brought up on charges for giving aid and comfort to the enemy, cause that's what he and the dems are doing.

[lilvinnyb]

So lets get this straight.

1. Democrats vote to give Bush the "authorization for war". The did not want to be on the losing side of a war as they were in 1991.

2. Democrats bang their chest as things go well.

3. The insurgency begins and things start to get tough.

4. Democrats begin to back away from their support for the war.

5. Democrats openly begin to undermine the war effort as the elections get near, while privately knowing this is a war we "must" win.

6. Democrats point to polls showing dropping support for the war. Polls that THEY help fashion by undermining the effort for years.

7. Democrats now say the war is lost, while at the same time never bringing up legislation to get the troops home ASAP.

One commentator said it best..."The democrats want all the POLITICAL benefit of supporting the war, but no responsibility for Iraq after its over".

As much as I disagree with Dennis Kucinich on the war, I respect his position the most. At least his views are based on his convictions and not politics (as harry reid's is).

[iceman_1960]

"Wonder what comments like this do to the morale of the troops doing the fighting...their families....the injured?"

It hurts them.

The truth hurts sometimes.

Reid's first duty is not to be a cheerleader for a stupid and wasteful war.

[pwrslm]

"You should be. His ignorance is legendary. He's the one who in 2002 spoke of the past 150 years of unbroken friendship and alliance between Japan and the United States."
Posted by Iceman_1960

"For a century and a half now, America and Japan have formed one of the great and enduring alliances of modern times." - G.W. Bush, Tokyo, Japan, Feb. 18, 2002

Posted by Iceman_1960


What an idiot you are Iceman. You cant even quote bush properly without *** it up.

Lyk I sayd, I wud rily be much bettur off a bad spellur dan ignorunt lyk yew.

I spose bout now yew ract witha intellugunt staytmunt, but intellugunc tew da ignurunt iz about useless aza nyf ina gun fyt

[panhandlpete]

CUT OFF ALL FUNDS FOR THE WAR IF THAT IS WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO CONVINCE THE "DECIDER" THAT THIS IS A DEMOCRACY AND THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN.

The "PORK" in the bill is dollars that will be spent here in the US, and there should have been MORE! Just think what kind of country we could have NOW if all that has been spent in IRAQ had been put to use here on ENERGY, education, and infrastructure. Instead, this country has been sold to the highest bidder, and the future generations will never get out of debt.

Oh, oh, oh, but some will say...."If we LEAVE Iraq, the terrorists will FOLLOW us home!" Any body who buys that line needs a fact check. Why did 9/ll really happen? Do you recall how low the ratings were for this Administration prior to 9/11? (OIL.....ISRAEL....RELIGION)

Our southern border is open today and thousands cross it daily, so who can say but what there are already plenty of terrorists living amongst us. If the New America project goes through, we will have open borders with Mexico and Canada, with free trade. This is set to come about by 2010 if Congress does not get off its laurels and rectify it. This is a plan concocted by the BUSH cabal without any input from the Congress or the people. SO WHAT ARE OUR TROOPS REALLY FIGHTING FOR?

[pwrslm]

Actually, the reason those idiots are targeting American facilities more now than they were is because ignorant demoncrps have challenged them by saying we should pull out.

Certainly, escalation of attacks against US personnel indeed would promote more defeatist demoncrapic emotions.

Peloski and Reid are both traitors to America, and Freedom, and Justice. They have betrayed the trust of both those who elected them, and everyone else whom they serve as representatives of the USA.

[iceman_1960]

"Democrats vote to give Bush the "authorization for war". The did not want to be on the losing side of a war as they were in 1991."

The Congressional Black Caucus opposed it.

Barbara Boxer voted against it and now calls that the best vote of her life.

Barack Obama (probably our next president) wasn't in Congress then, but he opposed the war with great foresight (not hindsight) from the beginning.

[ramos937]

Senator Reid is correct. Since the day the Civil War began, the insurgents have never numbered more than 20,000. They have blended into the community and been hidden, fed and protected by the local population. For everyone of them taken out of action, one from outside of Iraq takes his place. They have an unending pool of volunteers.

A few years back, Bin Laden said in a video, that USA could not be defeated militarily but could economically and politically. On the economic front, foreign debt buyers such as China now hold over 1/3 of our securities and we have an annual deficit of over $400B. Politically, we are the most hated country in the Arab world and disliked in the rest of the world.

As to abandoning the troops - Look at the way we treat them: the red tape, the inadequate compensation, the tragic misadventure of Iraq, etc.