Iraq War Splits Candidates By Party

Democrats And Republicans Going In Opposite Directions Over How To Deal With Iraq

(AP)  Democratic presidential candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton pressed Wednesday for greater troop withdrawals from Iraq, while Republican John McCain sought to win the hearts and minds of voters in favor of staying the course.

After two days of congressional testimony from Gen. David Petraeus, the military commander in Iraq, and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker, the gap between the positions of the candidates on the war, the campaign's top issue, was as great as ever and may even be widening.

McCain, who has begun to inch back up in opinion polls after suffering serious setbacks to his candidacy this summer, spent his second day traversing Iowa in a bus festooned with a banner that said it all: "No Surrender."

The Arizona senator and former Vietnam POW was warmly received by veterans of five wars at a VFW post in Council Bluffs.

"We have suffered enormous losses and Americans are frustrated and angry ... but we do have a new strategy and a new general and it is succeeding and we ought to give it a chance to succeed," McCain told about 100 people in the VFW's red-white-and-blue-theme basement.

Across the state at Ashford University in Clinton, Obama called for the immediate withdrawal of all U.S. combat brigades from Iraq, with the pullout being completed by the end of next year.

"Let me be clear: There is no military solution in Iraq and there never was," Obama said in excerpts of the speech provided to The Associated Press.

"The best way to protect our security and to pressure Iraq's leaders to resolve their civil war is to immediately begin to remove our combat troops. Not in six months or one year - now," the Illinois senator said.

Obama made his remarks a day before President Bush was expected to announce that he plans to reduce the U.S. troop presence in Iraq by as many as 30,000 by next summer from the 160,000 there now.

Republican hopeful Mitt Romney assailed Obama, arguing that the country would be less safe had the Illinois senator's drawdown strategy - "his retreat for political purpose" - been employed last January as he proposed.

"If we had followed his plan, al Qaeda would have a safe haven in Iraq and Osama bin Laden would be celebrating," Romney said in a telephone interview with the AP from Midland, Texas, where he was speaking to a women's group.

"Had there not been a surge, had Barack Obama been running the country instead, al Qaeda would now have a safe haven in Iraq, which would have made Afghanistan's safe haven look like child's play. I think Barack Obama has disqualified himself for presidential leadership," Romney said. "If we take the kind of left turn represented by Barack Obama and his flee-in-the-face-of-success strategy, we'd be in a very different position as a nation."

[seven-pesos]

being the poorest region in america the south has no economic or financial power.

the south only has that religious power....

christian sheep by the millions.

and religion has nothing to do with christ.

religion is all about power...power and politics.

ha,ha,ha.

war, hate, arrogance, christian creeps, republican snakes...

nothing good comes out of the south.

[seven-pesos]

whenever you have a southerner running the country you''''re bound to have a useless war...

and being a southerner that war is bound to be lost.

the south never does good for america.

always war, hate, arrogance, christian creeps, republican snakes...

oh well, that''''s the south for you, folks!

[lars008-2009]

VOTE FOR JEFFERSON%u2026 VOTE GOP%u2026

dnc are like john adams and want to give the jihadist their lunch money hoping they will leave us alone....

gop are like thomas jefferson and want to spend their lunch money on weapons and go kick the jihadists in their arses.....

What Thomas Jefferson learned from the Muslim book of jihad

Thomas Jefferson knew about fascist nazi islam..... he killed plenty of them....

In 1786 Jefferson and John Adams went to negotiate with Tripoli''s envoy to London, Ambassador Sidi Haji Abdrahaman or (Sidi Haji Abdul Rahman Adja). They asked him by what right he extorted money and took slaves. Jefferson reported to Secretary of State John Jay, and to the Congress:

The ambassador answered us that [the right] was founded on the Laws of the Prophet (Mohammed), that it was written in their Koran, that all nations who should not have answered their authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make war upon them wherever they could be found, and to make slaves of all they could take as prisoners, and that every Mussulman who should be slain in battle was sure to go to heaven.[1]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Barbary_War
http://www.usvetdsp.com/jan07/jeff_quran.htm
muslim justifies slavery and piracy%u2026
http://www.hawaiireporter.com/story.aspx?6bdec278-6a71-4436-bc4d-29d1c54b0ad7
MUSLIM PIRATES STRIKE AGAIN
http://astuteblogger.blogspot.com/2005/06/muslim-pirates-strike-again.html

[aldee41]

While I agree that Ron Paul is the only Republican candidate with good sense the next President will be a Democrat.

Chose wisely. Chose Richardson.

[lars008-2009]

it is fascist nazi terrorislam stupid%u2026.

non muslims of the world unite... fight against the tyranny of the fascist nazi terrorslam imperialist empire of the darkside...

I was a fanatic...I know their thinking, says former radical Islamist
By blaming the Government for our actions, those who pushed this "Blair''s bombs" line did our propaganda work for us.
More important, they also helped to draw away any critical examination from the real engine of our violence: Islamic theology.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=465570&in_page_id=1770

Bless the Beasts and Children
Fascist nazi terrorslam kills every man woman and child in the village again%u2026 typical mo for terrorslam%u2026
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/wp/bless-the-beasts-and-children.htm

Our Prophet commanded us to fight the kaafirs when we are able and to attack them in their homelands and to give them three choices before we enter their lands: either they become Muslim and be like us, sharing our rights and duties; or they pay the jizyah (poll tax) and feel themselves subdued; or they fight, in which case their wealth, women, children and homes become permissible as booty for the Muslims.
http://islamqa.com/index.php?ref=13759&ln=eng&txt=before%20islam%20arabia%20pagan

the truth about fascist nazi terrorislam...
http://www.terrorismawareness.org/what-really-happened/

[drinuk]

Toldyouso21, interesting analogy and normally I would totally agree with you regarding these self centred pigs in the Republican party. However it does not alter the fact that Paul is the only one to sort it out honestly. Look at his record, he does what is right for America irrespective of the parties interests and their strong arm tactics and with the Democrats in the White House the disinfectant will remain in the bucket. We need a clean up right across the board, if the people can keep Paul "Safe" he will do it.

[toldyouso21]

Having looked at all the current candidates of both sides of our divide I think Ron Paul is the only chance we have AND I say that to both Democrats and Republics, Paul will I feel sort out this Elite corruption, that''''s IF his own party allow him to get there and don''''t shoot him in the run up. And that says it all!
Posted by drinuk at 09:01 AM : Sep 13, 2007


NO more Republicans for a few elections cycles please. No more. Too evil. Too sneaky.Too corrupt. They like war and treasure too much. Because a President is only one man--when he comes into power, many who he does not even know--from his party are swept into power too and we do not need the Republican hypocritical, incompetent machine to keep running. 13 years of their rule and influence have been enough. At this point, America is Enroned, outed CIAed, Illegal warred, Katrinaed, Dubai Ported, Yellow cake lied, Axis of eviled,Bin Laden is not a threat BSed, illegal RNC email used, stacked DOJed enough.

No matter how good Ron Paul is--it is like trying to rid a house of vermin, and now you present YOUR pet roach and want to argue--that HE is a really, really GOOD pet roach. No way. Every roach is born already carrying 100,000 new roach babies. We HAVE to get rid of them all--because corruption and evil breed like roaches. Total pest control here.

[toldyouso21]

I can''''t believe congress allowed him to get away with telling the Nat''''l Guard in Nevada not to obey their orders. To REFUSE to obey their orders. Posted by Hwy71So at 08:35 AM : Sep 13, 2007


A government is comprised of people--sometimes evil people. Saddam''s regime was proof of that.. sometimes people with questionable agendas and less than honorable ways of doing business--Bush''s regime is proof of that. The fact is--armies are tools and soldiers are told not to think just to obey--but there comes a time when thinking and yes DISOBEDIENCE better enter the minds of each and every soldier.

That is when any government decides to turn on its own people. NO dictatorship or rule of tyranny is successful without an army enforcing horror on the citizens. To encourage defiance in the face of tyranny or evil leaders--is a good and noble thing---because to blindly follow no matter what--is what gives countries Nazism, Fascism, Totalitarianism, dictators, despots and police states.

When a government no longer reflects the will of the people/ soldiers with honor will remember the true thrust and loyalty of their oaths and duty--NOT to a President or a regime--but to America. our Constitution and what it stands for--if any President goes against that--THEY are the enemy. THEY and whoever is evil enough and stupid enough to endorse and/or follow them. Our leaders are not Gods--they are just men--and if they get out of line, they must not be obeyed...they must be stopped.

[gunownerdan]

Dr. Ron Paul is the only candidate who is capable of obeying the presidential oath of office.
That''s why the mass media tries hard to ignore him!
ronpaul2008.com

[realpatriot1]

rafterman,

They''re just upset because our parade is growing and theirs is more like lemmings heading to the sea.

[toldyouso21]

When McCain goes down in flames next year, his rug toting, amnesty loving Lindsay Graham needs to go down too. They''''ve been in Washington too long. Everybody is trying to act like Patreaus is noble and unbiased. The general said in 2004 that everything in Iraq was great and that wonderful progress was made. Of course the Iraq study group and the GAO found out just how much a lie that was....

But Patreaus did what he does best---Parrot the position of the one man who determines "how many stars upon thars" and what his future would be.

Nobody makes General by defying their boss--even those against Bush''''s policies did not speak up or out until they were in retirement and out of reach of the Bush retaliation and smear machine.

[j4401]

The Real Reason We''re In Iraq:

An influential group of conservatives convinced President George W. Bush that it was in America''s best interests to conquer Iraq as a first step toward dominating the oil-producing nations in the Middle East. There was no "exit plan" because we never intended to exit. The plan was, and is, to build military bases in Iraq and stay there forever. Our leaders see Iraq as a place to make money. So Bush & Co. have set up their friends to cash in on the rebuilding of Iraq.

[drinuk]

Hwy71So, Maybe Kerry got it dead right, just Maybe someone somewhere has to stand up and say ENOUGH! How much longer are WE the ordinary people prepared to scammed and ripped off by these crooked evil money grabbing b a s t a r d s who WE EMPLOY to run this country.
I''ll tell you what TREASON is, Treason is killing over three thousand of your countrymen in an illegal war based on lies for personal gain and the benefit of family and friends. That''s Treason my friend!

[hungry1968]

"If we had followed his plan, al Qaeda would have a safe haven in Iraq and Osama bin Laden would be celebrating," Romney said in a telephone interview



Let''s see:

The fictional group "Al Qaeda in Iraq" didn''t exist until 2005 - after the invasion liberated ALL of the terrorist groups.

Saddam Hussein HATED bin Laden and al Qaeda and didn''t permit them in Iraq. Only America''s "intervention" allowed them into the country.

Sounds to me that Romney doesn''t know what he''s talking about. I guess that makes him the next GOP candidate!!

[drinuk]

Pastdue1, Absolutely correct, When one considers that this country of 300 million people is being run by a handful of people greasing palms to increase their personal power it is truly incredible. The net result being that the majority of those 300 million are being cheated of not only a better life but more seriously, democracy. What is the point of voting when twenty million folks in Florida are disenfranchised by a corrupt voting system, they may as well have voted for Fidel Castro because the outcome was decided and fixed long before the polls closed.
Having looked at all the current candidates of both sides of our divide I think Ron Paul is the only chance we have AND I say that to both Democrats and Republics, Paul will I feel sort out this Elite corruption, that''s IF his own party allow him to get there and don''t shoot him in the run up. And that says it all!

[hwy71so]

Its gonna be a sad day in this country if Hillary, Guiliani, or Barak get elected.

Causes me great concern.

The politicians should allow the generals to take care of the situation in Iraq. Instead congress continues to drive with blind folds on. Down-right pathetic the way the Democrats have urinated on our men and women in uniform as well.

John Kerry should be tried for Treason. I can''t believe congress allowed him to get away with telling the Nat''l Guard in Nevada not to obey their orders. To REFUSE to obey their orders. And he wanted to be president? What a hypocrite.

[rafterman1]

===LIBERALS, POVERTY PIMPS, TERRORIST APOLOGISTS JOIN THE PRIDE PARADE HILLARY / BARAK 2008!===

CONSERVATIVES, CORPORATE WELFARE PIMPS, TERRORIST CREATORS

JOIN THE NEW IMPERIALISM PARADE

RUDI/MIT 2008!

[rafterman1]

===The only terrorist apologist is the White House terrorism "Czar" who claims that OBL is impotent while pimping his latest video with pre-release announcements and then analysing his rants for the media.===

Yeah, loved it when Bushie tells everyone in 03-07 how irrelevent OBL is, but then preceeded to mention him dozens of times right before the elections in 04 and 06. Now, suddenly OBL''s not important any more. Again. Funny how that was, huh? To Repubs, it seems OBL is only important in even numbered years.

[realpatriot1]

screen_name,

The only terrorist apologist is the White House terrorism "Czar" who claims that OBL is impotent while pimping his latest video with pre-release announcements and then analysing his rants for the media.

Who''s side are they on? Not ours!

[prinzowhales]

Its no accident that Jeb Bush associates have moved into the Romney camp to help load America into the dog carrier for a harrowing four year ride atop a Romney Administration station wagon.

Even the Committee Chairman of the 9-11 Committee has come out and said that his committee''s report was "far from the truth."

http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/peter_tatchell/2007/09/911_the_big_coverup.html

Of course, everyone without fish swimming between their ears know this already. The mainstream candidates will not have a real investigation into the murder of 3,000 Americans on 9-11-2001, especially not State Street''s boy Friday, "Git" Romney. If you vote for them, you are voting for war and the continued cover-up of the murders of 9-11.

Neither will they address the fact that Bush wanted this war from the beginning and directed the NSC to make an excuse for it. Paul O''Neil, Bush''s first Secretary of Treasury reveals this on a 60 minutes piece that was BURIED.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inyCkCvqRO0