Iraq Debate Prompts Senate Cloakroom Clash

Presidential Hopeful Defends Bush As White House Lobbies GOP Senators

(The Politico)  By The Politico's John Bresnahan

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Top campaign aides weren't the only victims of the John McCain offensive on Tuesday. 

Fresh off a trip to Iraq, a visibly tired McCain lit into the "liberal left" for advocating retreat in Iraq and then went behind closed doors to brawl with a fellow GOP senator over the war. 

In what one senator called "the most serious fight that I have seen in my time in the Senate," McCain clashed with Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, over the Arizona senator's assertion that the most dangerous threat facing U.S. troops in Iraq was Al Qaeda members. 

Voinovich, who recently urged President Bush to change his war policy now, shot back that Al Qaeda "wouldn't be in Iraq" if American forces weren't there, according to people who witnessed the exchange. 

All of this was taking place as McCain was ousting the leadership of his presidential campaign team, including longtime adviser John Weaver. But one change McCain is clearly not ready to make is adjusting his staunch support of sustaining high troop levels in Iraq. 

McCain made that point abundantly clear on the Senate floor Tuesday, when he defended Bush's decision to send an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to Iraq as a part of a "surge" in American forces. 

With Democrats pushing several proposals to set a firm withdrawal date for pulling U.S. forces out of Iraq, McCain warned that such a move would plunge Iraq into further violence and potentially spark a wider regional conflict that would drag in Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. It would also "embolden radical Islamists" to carry out terrorist attacks in Europe and the United States. 

McCain said he saw "progress" in Iraq as part of the new counterinsurgency strategy of Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander there, and added that any effort to set a withdrawal date would undermine that campaign. "Where we can be sure is, should the United States Senate seek an end to the [Petraeus] strategy as it is just beginning, we will fail for certain," McCain declared.

"This fight is about Iraq, but it is not about Iraq alone," McCain added. "It's greater than that and, more importantly, about whether America still has the political courage to fight for victory or whether we will settle for defeat and all the terrible things that accompany it." But when Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., questioned the wisdom of the Bush surge and noted that the majority of Americans had turned against the war, McCain was having none of it.

McCain, a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War, said the "liberal left" forced America to pull out of Southeast Asia due to rising casualties. McCain said that decision ultimately led to the fall of South Vietnam and the deaths of millions of Cambodians under the Pol Pot regime.

"I've seen this movie before from the liberal left in America, who share no responsibility for what happened in Cambodia when we said no while that mission was still in its early stages," McCain said of the secret U.S. invasion of Cambodia in 1970. Congress later blocked President Richard Nixon from further conducting military actions against Cambodia.

The McCain offensive was one of the few bright spots for a Bush White House on the defensive and, according to many Republicans, running short on time. 

Bush and senior White House officials moved on several fronts to counter eroding support for his Iraq war policy among Republicans on Capitol Hill. 

The president dispatched several top aides to meet with a group of Senate Republicans to reassure them that Bush is not caving in to demands to set a withdrawal date for pulling U.S. forces out of Iraq. Bush planned to meet on Wednesday with McCain and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., two of his staunchest supporters on Iraq, to reiterate that message.

Vice President Cheney, in a highly unusual move for him, appealed to the Republican senators to wait until September, when Petraeus is expected to brief lawmakers on the status of the "surge" in American forces sent to Iraq, before deciding whether to back withdrawal or redeployment, according to GOP sources. 

"His point was that it wouldn't be fair to our troops who are fighting in 130-degree temperatures every day if we didn't wait until September to see if the surge is working," said one source who heard Cheney's remarks.

The public and private campaign by Bush and senior administration officials comes as Democrats in the House and Senate are pushing for a new series of votes on Iraq, including several proposals to set a firm withdrawal date of April 2008 for pulling out most, if not all, U.S. forces. 

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., and Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., unveiled a measure on Tuesday that would mandate a "limited presence" for U.S. forces in Iraq by April 30, 2008, with Americans no longer involved in daily combat. At least two GOP senators — Chuck Hagel of Nebraska and Gordon Smith of Oregon — are expected to support the initiative, although it's unclear whether other Republicans will also back it.

Republican leaders are expected to filibuster the Reed-Levin proposal, as well as an amendment by Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., that would establish new troop readiness levels, arguing that they are designed to undercut the surge and should not be adopted before the Petraeus report.

Sens. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., and Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., are pushing their own bipartisan proposal to implement the Iraq Study Group recommendations. Those recommendations included a call for a firm U.S. withdrawal date from Iraq. 

Graham criticized the Salazar-Alexander proposal as the "most dangerous" of the Iraq-related amendments being considered by the Senate, but Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has privately expressed interest in the measure.      

McConnell aides have not said the senator will vote for the amendment. But Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, is co-sponsoring it, which some GOP insiders have suggested means McConnell may support it.

[starleo146]

huskerarmy All branches are the greatest, one helps the other and none is greater than the other I am a widow of a Retired Air Force member but I do respect our military so much, as you do as well I know. When these troops come home we should be there applauding them for a great job. There is a guy suing the military he is fighting his 5th trip back to Iraq. They had a 12 month tour in Vietnam didn't they why do these guys have to go back so many times. That must be a tremendous strain on these guys don't you think?

[randalds]

Posted by huskerarmy at 10:44 AM : Jul 12, 2007
Posted by ozilot at 08:41 AM : Jul 12, 2007

Gentlemen, gentlemen! Let me say that, from the bottom of my heart, those of us in the Air Force were always proud and thankful to have you gentlemen in the Army, Navy and Marines around to take care of our light work. Thank you!

[lars008-2009]

NOW CAN WE KILL THEM???
If they can kill us, we can kill them

Qaeda warns of attacks 'worse than 9/11'
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=070530102648.wuwa6k96&show_article=1

Hizbullah Deputy Sec-Gen Sheikh Naim Qassem: We Have Jurisprudent Permission to Carry Out 'Martyrdom' Operations, Fire Missiles on Israeli Civilians From Ayatollah Khomeini
http://memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=SD154907

Switching Sides: Inside The Enemy Camp

But then in 2000, well before his arrest, something happened which would make Abas question everything he believed in: a fatwa, a religious edict, was issued by Osama bin Laden.

"It should be understood that killing Americans and Jews anywhere found are the highest act of worship and the highest form of good deeds in the eyes of Allah," Simon quotes bin Laden.

Abas and his fellow commanders were ordered to read the fatwa to their men and make sure they carried it out. The others obeyed, but Abas refused. It was his moment of truth. He firmly believed that jihad was to be fought only on the battlefield in defense of Islam; he had always been taught that the killing of civilians had nothing to do with holy war and that it was forbidden.

The fatwa justified killing non-Muslim civilians everywhere.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/05/04/60minutes/main2761108.shtml?source=RSSattr=60Minutes_2761108
American Al Qaeda Member Threatens Attack
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/05/29/terror/main2865282.shtml

[termlimitnow]

The most dangerous foe our military faces anywhere in the world is our own Congress!

[ne_patriot7]

Sounds like McCain took another "stroll in the market place".... just like home...

Forget it Johnny boy.... any chance you had is long gone now... you have become a shrub sprout, and the Schrub is the most hated man in the world right now..

[huskerarmy]

But come on....A SAILOR?
Posted by RandalDS
The Air Force huh!! Wichita, Kansas I bet!!
Posted by IOWEIGN
Sorry fellas, the Army is the backbone of the U.S. military: "Let's Go, Fifteenth Field Artillery, Battle Tested, Battle Ready, Going Strong..." 7th Battlion, The "fighting 15th," Firebase 6, Ben Het, Viet Nam, 1970-1971

[liberalme]

Who cares what McCain says? He's not going anywhere. His bid for election is over with, no one listens to him and this man has become the Republican joke, or I should say--is a member in good standing on the Republican joke team.

[adventurepa]

How out of touch is John McCain with the rest of America?

John McCain "the most dangerous threat facing U.S. troops in Iraq was Al Qaeda members."
"send an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to Iraq as a part of a "surge" in American forces."

Actually Jonny boy, the biggest threat to America is the Bush administration.
It's polices, stealing of the treasury, and use of presidential privledge to hid illegal crimes.
We want out of Iraq. Not more troops involved, no bid contracts to Bush's and cheney's friends and power play politics.

That's why you have no chance of winning in 2008 no matter who you fire. Your out of touch with America.

[pepperp1]

I honestly thought Senator Voinovich didn%u2019t have a pulse he certainly has voted with the Shrub other than when he did not before he did, standing up to an attack form McCain in the closet, WOW, who would have believed it. McCain proves he can not be President his my way or the highway, delusional beliefs we are winning, the name calling of the left are chickens, attack critics or your policy and he is generally wrong could make him a good VP candidate for the Repug ticket all the right qualifications.. He maybe should retire he is obviously past his time and could go why he has some respect left.
Remember it is the left or better said everyone but the right who were correct on Iraq all along, it was the left who were correct about Bush incompetence all along, and it was the left who were correct on global warming all along, and it was the left who wiped out the deficit and created a surplus, and it is the left who will again have to pull your repug assess out of these messes because you are cowards parallelized by your own inadequacies and traumatized by Bill Clintons blow jobs form and cry babies whah, whah Sandy Berger pants, WHAH Rosie is fat, WHAH Bills ***, WHAH Hillary legs, WHAH *** attacking the sacrament of marriage, WHAH.

[jjp735i]

No matter what we do in Iraq, the country is now gone. We could stay the course and watch as they kill each other and our own, divide the country in to three parts with three governments with three armys that will wage war and kill each other or we can leave and let them kill each other. Lets leave and save our people. Because no matter what we do now, they will continue to kill each other. Bush failed so badly on this and McCain seems to be trying to show the country he can be a war President at a time when the people don't want another war President.

[bluestardad]

WE ALL KNOW THAT IRAQ IS NOT IN AMERICAS NATIONAL INTEREST!

WE MUST CONTACT OUR REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATORS TO TELL THEM WE KNOW ABOUT AIPAC, PNAC, AND THE PRO-ISRAELI THINK TANK AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE INFLUENCE ON THEIR VOTES!

HAVE THE COURAGE TO BACK UP YOUR CONVICTIONS! I KNOW MOST OF YOU DO!

I HAVE INCLUDED ACTIVE CONTACT LINKS BELOW FOR REPUBLICAN, DEMOCRATIC, AND ALL CONGRESS ALONG WITH THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES!


CONFRONT 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!

CONFRONT CONGRESS AN THE ISRAELI LOBBY OUR TROOPS ARE BEING KILLED AS I WRITE THIS!

[mcvet]

As a combat Veteran I know what our troops are going through. I also, know the impossible mission they have been handed and it can not work. We missed a golden chance to wipe out Al Quada and we had the world behind us. Instead the Incompetent Leaders put in power by a Fascist Court decided to give away our Tax Money to people who had bought and paid for the office of president. Now you may NOT like to admit the facts and truth but there they are. We invaded Iraq and did NOT kill the enemy, we did NOT continue pursuit of that enemy until they were no more and now we Will FIGHT THEM HERE!! This stupid policy of a Southern Nazi has created a level of hatred world wide for this Country the likes of which we have never seen. They are responsible for the NEW Terrorist and they are responsible for all the new recruits attracted by their arrogance. I got news for the few of you who still support the worst president in US history, He's INCOMPETENT and a FRAUD. Sieg Heil Bush.

[mcvet]

McCain is right! To pull out of Iraq before the job is done is to give the jihadists free reign and a base of operations where they can train and from which they can launch future offensives. That should be obvious to all, except perhaps the brain-dead. Better to fight them over there than to have to do it here.
Posted by jmgainor at 06:28 PM : Jul 11, 2007

You missed the report that Al Quada has rebuilt while Bush has been trying to "Give" iraq our form of Government. Al Quada wouldn't be there IF our troops weren't. Where else in the world would they be MORE safe than where they are? Where else would they have a better place to launch attacks? They are in Iraq because it's the BEST chance they will EVER have to kill American's. When you put our troops out in the Streets of Iraq, you might as well hang a target on their backs, because the radical's WILL show up and attempt to kill them. Sieg Heil Bush.

[ajmarine1]

I served on the USS Boxer LPH-4, USS Cambria LPA-36 and the USS Nashville LPD-13. Was just wondering if you were ever deployed on any ships?

Posted by IOWEIGN at 06:32 PM : Jul 11, 2007

When I was in Viet Nam, we used them, LVT's, for personel carriers. I did spend some time on the LPH New Orleans in 69. When I was on Okinawa we put on some dog and pony shows for some Generals and I was on some LSTs but I don't remember their names. Always ate good with the Navy.

[randalds]

Lot's of far flung military connections in our family though. My dad's 2nd wife's father was a fighter pilot in WWI. Born in Holland, immigrated to the US and then went to France before America got into the war and join the new French Air Corp. Had a ton of really great war stories and told them all to me when I was just a pup before he died of cancer.

Got to run...my own CO (my perfect and always right loving wife (in case she reads this)) will be home soon and I have to empty the dogs before then.

[randalds]

The Air Force huh!! Wichita, Kansas I bet!!
Posted by IOWEIGN at 07:18 PM : Jul 11, 2007

Nah, my family is from Michigan, but Tim did see more of the world then I did, since I only went to Vietnam twice for a few quick weeks each, whereas he sailed around the world. But still...A SAILOR?

LOL Actually our uncle was a Sailor too. He did was a Navy frogman and did underwater demolitions during Korea. Now HE was one bad as*s MF! Nice guy too...most of the time.

[ioweign]

But come on....A SAILOR?
Posted by RandalDS at 07:11 PM : Jul 11, 2007

You betcha - nothing like a kid from the Midwest seeing the World!

The Air Force huh!! Wichita, Kansas I bet!!

[randalds]

I was into electronics and had long list of relatives who served in WW2 in the USN.
Posted by IOWEIGN at 07:08 PM : Jul 11, 2007

Tim did hydraulics maintenance on the Snelling and then switched to calibrations specialist on the Kennedy (whatever that is).

But come on....A SAILOR?

[ioweign]

remember the Fort Snelling LSD-30 - I think out of Little Creek
Posted by IOWEIGN at 07:02 PM : Jul 11, 2007

I was proud of him....but come on....a SAILOR? His dad (different dad then me) was an Army Helicopter pilot who was killed in the early days of Vietnam and I'm sure he would have been proud (Timmy never really knew him)...but come on....A SAILOR?

;-)
Posted by RandalDS at 07:05 PM : Jul 11, 2007

I was into electronics and had long list of relatives who served in WW2 in the USN.

[randalds]

I remember the Fort Snelling LSD-30 - I think out of Little Creek
Posted by IOWEIGN at 07:02 PM : Jul 11, 2007

I was proud of him....but come on....a SAILOR? His dad (different dad then me) was an Army Helicopter pilot who was killed in the early days of Vietnam and I'm sure he would have been proud (Timmy never really knew him)...but come on....A SAILOR?

;-)