Why should Kerry being against the war be a surprise? This is just the latest flip from the flop.

Wasn’t it he that turned against hs brother soldiers still fighting for freedom in Vietnam. This is perhaps the only thing that rings consistent with Kerry, deserting those in the fight.

Posted by: Mike WIley at May 13, 2004 02:00 PM

Sadly, Kerry has experience in using war for political gain. Just as he did before, he wants to turn a military victory into a political defeat. Doesn’t he realize that his comments prolong the insurgency and make the job more difficult for our troops in Iraq?

Posted by: Brian at May 13, 2004 02:11 PM

True!

However, Hanoi John will NOT MAKE IT to the White House. Someone will prevent it somewhere, somehow.

Posted by: leaddog2 at May 13, 2004 02:14 PM

With Brothers like him, I’d elect to be an only child.

Posted by: Joel Gaines at May 13, 2004 02:14 PM

What an a-hole. This guy reminds me of George Costanza in the “Seinfeld” episode where he’s a clown at a kid’s party, a fire breaks out and George tramples everybody, including an old lady, to get out first. Kerry would say anything to advance himself, regardless of the consequences to others. He has nothing to offer, so everything he does is to tear others down so that he comes out ahead, despite having added nothing. Between Kerry and his ventriloquist, Ted Kennedy, the Democrats should be dying of embarassment. There will be another terrorist attack — how could there not be with all the encouragement Kerry, Kennedy and other national Democrats are giving them? It would be just if it occurred in Massachussets for sending us these stupid jackasses.

Posted by: TL at May 13, 2004 02:15 PM

Well, the war was an unmitigated success.
The following occupation…well…not so good.

Brian,
“I’m a war president!”
Any guess who said that?

Leaddog2,
Just what are you suggesting?

ok, ep2k

Posted by: elvispresley2k at May 13, 2004 02:21 PM

The War went extremely well and the ongoing occupation ( if ‘occupation’ is what you want to use to describe a noble cause) is going extremely well.

I hate to be the guy who has to contradict everyone but I will. Iraq has Hospitals opened. It has more people in education schools than it ever had with Saddam. More barrels of oil shipping than ever before. Electricity going good. Freedom like never before.

Iraqi’s can pick up and read whatever books they wish to. Iraqis can play sports. Iraqis can under their own ‘choice’ and under their own ‘decision’ join the Iraqi Security Military or the Iraqi Police.

The Iraqis have gotten a Constitution in an extremely quick manner. That Constitution preserved the rights of everyone man and woman and is unprecedented in Middle East History.

The ongoing, after the war, situation in Iraq is has gone on as AMAZINGLY WELL as you can ever even dream in your wildest optimism.

You pessimists have just been unemployed.

Posted by: Jeff MacMillan at May 13, 2004 02:45 PM

Conventional Wisdom is that the occupation has been one gigantic blunder after another. I suggest it’s premature for such a judgement.

I don’t think there was much of a plan for the post-war period. Rather, the approach was to adopt a few general guidelines and then mostly play it by ear. There is just about zero precedent for the undertaking in Iraq; therefore, just about zero basis for planning. What are reported as blunders in our media are really, IMHO, the external signs of trial and error. There seems to be an almost preternatural speed of adaptation in Iraq in both military and political tactics, doctrine, ROE, etc.

But underneath this seemingly shifting sand of drift and indirection, there are barely discernable solid structures. The main point I infer, and I admit to considerable speculation on my part, is the aim to force nominal Iraqi leader to understand what leadership is really about and to start practicing it. I have characterized Arab/Islamic culture as: “The worship of maleness at the expense of manliness.” I’m beginning to see some Iraqi men emerging here and there.

A bit over a year ago, as US troops entered one of the holy cities, they faced a near riot of civilians interposing themselves as they feared even for the Americans to come near one of the shrines. This week, US troops with Iraqi commandos under their command blew up a mosque and approached within 500 meters of the shrine in Karbala. Not a peep of protest was heard from Iraqis.

Posted by: Dean Douthat at May 13, 2004 02:54 PM

Can someone please explain why anyone would want such a coward for president? Seriously I know some of you guys hate Bush and all, thats fine, but do you think electing a complete PUSSY is going to make us less of a target? I think it will paint a huge red bullseye on America.

Posted by: BallsDeep at May 13, 2004 03:25 PM

Jeff:

I don’t think its pessimism that’s driving all the conventional wisdom and reportage from Iraq. Rather, it might well be the opposite, over optimistic anticipation of shadenfruede.

Posted by: Dean Douthat at May 13, 2004 03:43 PM

C`mon “BallsDeep” tell us how ya really feel…
But you are soooooo right…
THIS LINK IS NIC BERGS MURDER SO CAUTION SHOULD BE USED ITS DAMN DISCUSTING..
http://liverevolt.com/seldomsober/
AGAIN FOLKS EVERY AMERICAN NEEDS TO SEE WHAT WE ARE UP AGAINST AND ASK THEMSELVES WHO DO THEY THINK WILL HUNT DOWN THESE DOGS AND BRING THE TO JUSTICE!!
scroll down to “BERGS VIDEO”
—- I CANT CAUTION YOU ENOUGH IT WILL TURN YOUR STOMACH————————————————————-

Posted by: Rob..NC at May 13, 2004 03:44 PM

Dean, Jeff,

Those are some rosey pictures you paint. And undoutedly some of it is true. But there remains, an escalating (or hopefully leveling?) grumbling of insurgency against the occupation (and IGC members) , hostage taking, rpg attacks, bombings, etc. These suggest to me a high level of insecurity and lawlessness. Order must be restored before any kind of goverment can operate.

Jeff Sessions was on C-span a couple days ago and lamented how the road from the airport to downtown baghdad hasn’t even be secured.

I’m anxious for (substantive) positive news, but let’s not put on the white-wash just yet.

ok, ep2k

Posted by: elvispresley2k at May 13, 2004 03:48 PM

..seems I heard about a soccer game today maybe someone can give you the link 2k, glad Elvis isnt here ….

Posted by: Rob..NC at May 13, 2004 04:05 PM

…http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,119863,00.html
The wind of change is begining to pick up….

Posted by: Rob..NC at May 13, 2004 04:10 PM

The democrats spent a lot of time in the last few years bitching about the economy.

However, all the bitching in the world couldn’t stop the economy from actually recovering.

In much the same fashion, there will be 4 months of Iraqi sovereignty before the election, and as time goes on it will be more and more difficult to conceal the fact that OVERALL, things have been getting better all along and will continue to get better.

Baring some major, unforseen situation, Bush is going to win reelection. Period.

Posted by: eric at May 13, 2004 04:16 PM

..http://www.instapundit.com/

Posted by: Rob..NC at May 13, 2004 04:18 PM

Rob,
Is this the story? A few weeks old…

Iraqi soccer coach departs amid safety concerns

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/soccer/04/16/iraq.ap/

ok, ep2k

Posted by: elvispresley2k at May 13, 2004 04:19 PM

Senator Kerry? The proctologist will see you now…

Posted by: Steve in CA at May 13, 2004 06:51 PM

“Kerry Calls Iraq War a Dismal Failure”

“The Sky is Blue”

…yawn… So what?

Posted by: gus3 at May 13, 2004 07:20 PM

here is kerry’s solution- call in the UN. Why not? Kerry can always use some Corrupt UN bucks for his bank account, after all, he has none of his own, he lives off his wife.
The guy is a low life, the war in iraq is far from a failure, it’s a success, a swamp of terrorism being drained. Better there than here, but the dolt and traitor is too stupid, or jealous, to see it.

Kerry’s solution:

The United Nations recently passed another blatantly anti-Israeli resolution in support of extremist Arab Palestinians claims. There is no longer any point in entering into dialogue with this organization. In countless ways, over many years, the UN has proven itself to be a largely criminal and discredited organization that can no longer claim to have any moral standing. Very few of its 191 members can be counted upon to put principle ahead of crass expediency.

The hopeful vision that accompanied its founding in 1945 has long since evaporated. It was the United Nations that recognized Israel in 1947 and therefore the UN has a duty to protect Israel from forcible extinction and live up to and enforce the UN Charter. If the UN fails to protect any of her members including Israel, then all that remains is a stench along the East River.

Mass murder of millions has gone on for years in many places with no response at all from the UN. There has also been a UN failure to hold violators of human rights responsible and to oppose rogue states seeking the acquisition of weapons of mass murder. The overriding self-interests of dictatorships, police states, anti-Western, anti-democratic, and Arab/Islamic-driven theocratic continue day in and day out to paralyze any possibility that the UN could ever encourage true justice.

Here are just a few examples of major crimes that were ignored by the UN:

• Genocide by the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia in the 1970s estimated at 2 million people.

• North Korea starved to death about 2 million of its own people.

• Saddam Hussein gassing of the Kurds and slaughter of the Marsh Arabs, while devastating their fragile ecosystem.

• Failure to oppose the spread of WMD in Pakistan, North Korea, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Libya, etc.

• Moslem genocide of 2 million of southern black Sudanese Christians and animists over an 18-year period. Over 1 million people in Sudan have been driven from their homes with the threat of mass murder of another 400,000 by the end of 2004.

• Slaughter of 800,000 Tutis and Hutu in Rwanda.

• Constant terror attacks on Israel plus the usual calls from Arab and Muslims countries for the destruction of Israel.

• Failure to implement its own resolution for the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon following Israel’s exit, over four years ago.

The membership roster of the UN’s Human Rights Commission says it all. Some of those stalwart, exemplary nations include Libya, Syria, Sudan, and other rogue states that support terror and daily commit major violations of human rights. It looks more like a lineup before a vice squad, or a ”Who’s Who of Mass Murderers!” It’s the fox guarding the UN hen house!

In addition, it was recently revealed how Saddam Hussein figuratively ‘’bought’’ the UN under the UN’s 1995 Oil for Food Program. He was allowed to illegally divert 10 percent of all transactions to himself and to various collaborating governments including France, Germany, and Russia. Also dipping his fingers into that ”oily tithe” was none other than Kofi Annan’s own son, one of those on the ”Oil for Food” monitoring agency.

Entirely legally, the UN itself received a ”commission” on all ”Oil for Food” transactions. This became a major revenue source for the UN giving it a substantial vested interest in continuation of Saddam’s regime, under lucrative (for the UN) sanctions.

In return for billions in bribes, the UN and some members of the Security Council opposed any U.S. military action against Saddam Hussein. After all, why would they NOT want to drag on the search for a peaceful solution with more years of useless inspections?

Iraqi oil flowed out of the ground and the revenue derived from it flowed into secret bank accounts. Hungry Iraqi children became dead Iraqi children, and America became the ever-convenient ”fall guy.”

Let the truth be known that the UN itself has now become the threat to peace and to world stability. The record is clear—too clear. It is time to stop the pretense that the United Nations is anything other than a hopelessly corrupt, ever mischievous, ever conniving, anti-democratic, failed organization.

It is time to stop looking to it for any honest brokering and leave it on the sideline of world affairs. It is time to establish an alternative mechanism for dealing with the world’s ills, and this time, let it be an association of democracies—”by invitation only!”

Posted by: Al Lat at May 13, 2004 08:43 PM

ep2k:

I’m not painting rosy pictures. Look, al Sadr jumped the shark some weeks back. I believe he was set up in a masterful series of moves by CPA/CENTCOM; only mopping up remains. His attacks have precisely demonstrated his lack of political relevence.

The main folks killing Americans right now are Sunnies and their foreign allies from Syria and al Qaeda, not al Sadr minions. Sunnis are killing Americans because they cannot survive without American protection and they know it. We will systematically reduce their opportunites while contiuing to protect them.

It is a shame that our media people over there are so lame-brained and/or agenda-driven that the real story is seldom even hinted at, let alone clearly reported.

Posted by: Dean Douthat at May 13, 2004 10:02 PM

“I don’t think its pessimism that’s driving all the conventional wisdom and reportage from Iraq. Rather, it might well be the opposite, over optimistic anticipation of shadenfruede.”

Err… You are actually stating a cause for the effect. Cause = Over Optimism. Effect = Pessimism.

Pessimism = Pessimism = Pessimism. You don’t have to be a liberal to fall prey to pessimism. It just happens.

While everyone and their brothers and sisters, uncles, nephews nieces, mothers and fathers are out their screaming rage about ‘this problem,’ and ‘that problem,’ …. I am not going to fall prey to this. I am not going to stand for this.

You’ll get 100% Positive news from Iraq from me any day of the week and twice on Sunday. Let the ‘herd’ gallop to the negatives. I’ll sit back and relax and put emotions aside and perfectly understand how amazing the accomplishments truly are and how amazingly fast they have occured.

To that guy that mentioned that Baghdad Airport to whatever is not secured? Will that guy help secure Detroit Michigan!?

Posted by: Jeff MacMillan at May 13, 2004 11:01 PM

I think the scariest implication here is Kerry demonstrating just how little vision he has. Just like the recovering economy is beginning to eat his campaign alive, so to will Iraq, by election time, eviscerate him unless the situation there becomes far worse than it is now.

This is what you get when you base your campaign not on any positive program, but upon bashing your opponent. It seems that none of his handlers remembered to tell Kerry that while bashing might be great for getting the faithful out to the polls in the primaries, for the general election it just makes you look like an asshole to all but your core. For the Democrats, that’s about 35% of the electorate.

:jackson

Posted by: jackson zed at May 13, 2004 11:02 PM

What Racicot did not mention was that Kerry preceded this remark by saying, “I know that what happened over there is not the behavior of 99.9 percent of our troops.”

Posted by: bravenator at May 13, 2004 11:10 PM

What Racicot did not mention was that Kerry preceded this remark by saying, “I know that what happened over there is not the behavior of 99.9 percent of our troops.”

Posted by: bravenator at May 13, 2004 11:11 PM

That’s single first sentence is supposed to make the rest of his diatribe of calling Iraq a failure and bashing Bush A-OK? Sorry, but you can’t say that and then say that the mission our Armed Forces are undergoing is a failure and expect the Military to love ya.

Posted by: Jeff MacMillan at May 14, 2004 12:21 AM

Especially when such shrill posturing and pandering comes from a proven turncoat traitor like Hanoi Jonn.

Posted by: leaddog2 at May 14, 2004 09:13 AM

What a weak kneed expession of lack of will and dare I say COURAGE. Was one of those Purple hearts for leaving his cojones in Veitnam? Our troops are winning, the political process is in motion, and our goals are becoming more attainable every day.

Posted by: Gerry Owen at May 14, 2004 03:34 PM

Bringing stability to Iraq did not happen in 12 months, it may not happen in 4 years - so to judge things now as a fait accompli is terribly premature unless you’re so naive as to believe something like this is accomplished in a year’s time.

Not that Kerry has any political motivation for such statements (just history).

Like Kerry’s campaign, it’s too early to judge….

which one is the failure.

I hope everyone in our armed forces gets a chance to vote this time around. Perhaps we can detain Algore on November 2nd?

(Wormer:) Put Neidermeyer on it, he’s a sneaky little shit like you.

Posted by: torpedo_eight at May 14, 2004 10:13 PM

If Kerry thinks the war is a failure, why does he tell journalists that we have to “stay the course”? Is this another example of being on both sides of an issue? I personally believe that anyone who thinks Kerry is committed to Iraq is a sap. And there are several around, particularly in the conservative camp.

Posted by: popd at May 15, 2004 10:52 AM

Senator Kerry told us that the war in Vietnam was a failure, too. The media (print and TV) was basically our only avenue of information at that time. So, when we were constantly bombarded with messages about how badly things were going, we believed them.

I remember seeing an officer testify before Congress and telling the panel of senators (and us) of the terrible things our soldiers were doing in Vietnam. He recited a litany of horrors and left us with the impression that not only were we losing the war - we were not worthy of winning it. Now, years later, I have learned who that officer was, John Kerry; and time has brought to light that what he said - under oath - was essentially a LIE.

Now, Senator Kerry wants the public to line up again like a bunch of lemmings and follow him over the cliff simply because he has declared that the War in Iraq is a failure. It’s not so easy this time, Senator. We are better informed; we aren’t solely reliant on the main stream media any more; technology has brought the soldiers and the battlefield right into our homes; and your own personal history has led us to doubt your credibility. Indeed, the more you speak of your experiences all those years ago - the more you remind us of your veteran status, the more we remember. We remember and THIS time, we check the facts - something with which you are all too careless.

Though it may be a long time ago - another generation ago, we remember the effects of what you did. We remember the actions of those here at home who turned against our soldiers - and in my view against our country. We remember the Congress cutting off funds to fight the war so that we had no choice but to leave Vietnam in disgrace. We remember the sight of that last helicopter taking off from the U.S. Embassy in Saigon with people clinging to it, begging us not to leave them behind. We remember what happened to the people in Southeast Asia as a consequence of that withdrawal. And WE TELL OUR CHILDREN.

To paraphrase a song from that time long ago - this time with a different meaning, “We’ll not be fooled again.”

Posted by: BB at May 15, 2004 02:32 PM

I wish I was as optimistic, but I remember another war which we won in the field and lost in Washington - Vietnam.

What a coincidence that Kerry had a big hand in losing that one also.

Meeting with the enemy and then spreading their propaganda line far and wide was his way of reaching political office. Those of us who are Vietnam Veterans were smeared by the bastard without even knowing who did it (I sure do now though, and there’s no payback like payback delayed).

But the important point here is that this is a war of wills, and America is poor at that, because the left and the mainstream media are so quick to find fault with all war actions, both for partisan reasons (in this election year) and because they just can’t stomach the realities of war. The realities of war give them cognitive dissonance which they can only resolve by finding us to be the villains. They then proving this t to themselves by finding scandals and blowing them up far past their real significance.

I am not kidding when I call leftism a cognitive disorder.

Posted by: John Moore (Useful Fools) at May 16, 2004 02:33 AM

I don’t pretend to believe that Kerry would win or lose Iraq, but I can tell you this…In 10 years, as Iraq joins the ranks of hostile theocracies, we’ll look back and say, look at how many American lives and American dollars were wasted to get us (and them) here.

Because we won’t let the U.N. tell us when we can or can’t defend ourselves, we’ll be digging the financial hole, and ruining thousands of American families just because we thought we could act alone in this war. And don’t talk about coalitions.

You’re going to scorn the U.N. about being ineffective and corrupt (which they are), but at the same time praise this ragtag group of nations contributing minimal resources to help us in Iraq as some group of global heroic “Coalition of the Willing”??? The U.N. may be deserving of scorn, but it is the only international body there is. And they bring legitimacy to those regions that recognize no other international “”“”objective”“”” body.

The smart thing that I do hear from John Kerry is that he would try and re-engage the global community in Iraq. How the Bush Administration could think that we can sacrifice OUR sons and OUR daughters, and have us as taxpayers finance this war practically alone is the most short-sighted and morally bankrupt idea to ever come from our government. And Republicans too, for crying out loud!

In the future, when our retirement dollars buy us only a cup of coffee and an aspirin (remember the deficit), how many of us are going to feel good in beating our chests and saying “America stood up to tyranny and terrorism alone.”??

America’s battle against terrorism doesn’t end in the next few years, people. It continues on and on. If we don’t develop a strategy that brings a greater sense of international cooperation, the American dream will die, bankrupt and alone.

I’m not sure I can vote for Kerry, but I sure as hell cannot vote for Bush again. There’s just a tad too much incompetence with the moral clarity.

Posted by: CandE at May 18, 2004 02:05 AM

CandE I think you better do some reading between now and November.

Posted by: Cap'n DOC at May 20, 2004 07:32 AM