AM Feed - June 20: Troop Changes in Iraq
Hot Topics
- Japan has announced its intention to withdraw its 600 peace-keeping troops from Iraq, while Senate Democrats have begun discussing plans for a draw down of U.S. troops in the coming months as well. Meanwhile, conservative opponents have desperately attempted to label such strategy as “cut and run,” even while failing to produce ideas of their own. Senate Democrats presented two plans for Iraq, one which called for a withdrawal beginning this year (but no timetable), and another that would remove all U.S. combat troops by July 2007. “Three and a half years into the conflict, we should tell the Iraqis that the American security blanket is not permanent,” said Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI). [link] and [link]
- The Washington Post has used the Freedom of Information Act to obtain a copy of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s 2005 interview with investigators from the Pentagon inspector general’s office over the leasing scandal that involved several hundred tanker airplanes and a waste of some $30 billion in government funds. Rumsfeld’s interview had been deleted from the initial report on the grounds that Rumsfeld didn’t say anything relevant. The secretary claimed memory gaps and distractions from ongoing war as reasons for the loss. [link]
- Governor Ernie Fletcher (R-KY) simply cannot escape the cloud of scandal that envelopes his administration. Fletcher initially tried to downplay corruption charges against him, but 15 members of his administration are under indictment – including the governor himself. Now his approval ratings have dipped below 30 percent. Included in the criminal charges against the Fletcher team are 23 felonies and 60 misdemeanors. Last summer, Fletcher declared a blanket pardon for everyone in his administration but himself. [link]
Morning Snark
- As a politician, you know things are going bad when you hope for something to bump your approval ratings up to the rarified air of George W. Bush numbers.
Comment
- It is time for the US to follow the advice of A country singer who said” Know when to hold and know when to Fold.”I think it is time to fold.
— Rosalie Stern Jun 20, 13:15 # - A war hero won in Virginia’s democratic primary for U.S. Senate against the repugnant incumbent Senator George Allen. Webb is his name; a Vietnam veteran war hero of unimpeachable character to run against the Iraq war, tax cuts that benefit the rich, the ineptness of the bush administration and a miserable environmental record. I think he’s got a chance in Virginia’s November election. I hope other states are seeing similar promising candidates with a will and a chance to prevail. It’s the only way things will change in our country.
— jen Jun 20, 14:00 # - Unfortunately we see no progress in Florida politics.
We still have JEB who may be selected as our next king and we have the ever so resourceful Katherine Harris.
And I live in the homophobic area of Tampa.
But the Guns for Jesus groups are quite popular.
— MO Jun 20, 16:42 # - Now now—Florida’s not so bad. I mean, after all, Mel Martinez is from here. smirk I’m moving to Hong Kong next year, myself.
— Nikflorida Jun 20, 20:18 # - The Republicans continually make any Democratic strategy seem as though they cannot handle national security to make us safe. Take a look at how safe we are with the Bush regime. Frankly, I would feel much safer with a Democrat in the White House and a Democratic majority in the House and Senate at this point. There are too many House members elected that were paid for by Tom Delay. We now have a number of corrupt House members and they will continue to do the job Delay mentored them to do.
— Joyce Fisher Jun 20, 23:12 #
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