News Should the U.S. Set a Withdrawal Date from Iraq?

[Skyhunter]

Is it time to get out of Iraq?

Here is an interview with Senator Russ Feingold.

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2005/10/10/feingold/index.html

If President Bush came to you this afternoon and said, "I've got trouble in Iraq. What should I do now?" what would you say to him?

"Well, Mr. President," I would say, "we need to get the focus back on those who attacked us on 9/11." I would say to him that I was proud of the way he and his administration conducted themselves after 9/11. I thought his speech to the Congress after 9/11 was one of the best speeches I've ever heard by a president. I admired not only the focus but the bipartisanship of his approach in the lead-up to Afghanistan. We had a historic unity in this country, and I was pleased to be a part of it.

I would then say to the president that I believe the Iraq war was a divergence from the real issue. Unfortunately, in many ways, it has played into the hands of those who attacked us on 9/11. I witnessed the connection that has grown between Osama bin Laden, al-Zarqawi and now Iraqis who have been radicalized because of our invasion of Iraq. So I would urge him to think in terms of a strategy where we finish the military mission. I would ask him to put forward a plan to identify what that mission is, what the benchmarks are that need to be achieved and when they can be achieved, and that he publicly announce a target withdrawal date, so that the American people, the Iraqi people and the world can see that this is in no way intended to be a permanent American occupation.

I have admired this man since the McCain/Feingold act which was an attempt to reform our campaign finance laws. An act which G.W. Bush circumvented in 2000, and Kerry was forced to circumvent in 2004 in order to keep pace.

I agree with him once again. It is time for the Democratic party to be a real opposition party and demand that we extricate ourselves from Iraq, and return the focus of the war on terror to terrorism, not nation building.

 

[Hurkyl]

I agree with him once again ... and demand that we extricate ourselves from Iraq

Maybe I'm misinterpreting you, but you seem to be missing the fact that he said we need to identify our goals, and how to accomlish those goals. (And implied that we should stay in order to complete those goals)

 

[pattylou]

I was in WI when Feingold got his start, and he seems like a reasonable guy overall...

I have a bit of a problem thugh, when I hear anyone say that Bush's speech was the best speech they had ever heard. As someone mentioned on another thread, virtually any president would have shown the same response to 9/11.

It was all playing on emotion. Maybe that's what speeches are about, but I have a problem with it. So why did Feingold characterize Bush's speech this way? Either to appeal to people (most likely) or because he really believes it, which seems a shame to me. I think there are some finer speeches ... The "I have a dream" speech comes to mind, as do any number of other speeches that speak to equality and goodness, rather than retribution.

John Edwards is taking a similar tack - saying what is popular to say (seemingly only because it is the popular thing to say) and trying to define himself as a cut above current Washington politics at the same time.

 

[Skyhunter]

Maybe I'm misinterpreting you, but you seem to be missing the fact that he said we need to identify our goals, and how to accomlish those goals. (And implied that we should stay in order to complete those goals)

I used the word "extricate" to imply that we do just that. We can't just cut and run, but we do need to develop a strategy to get out.

 

[Skyhunter]

I was in WI when Feingold got his start, and he seems like a reasonable guy overall...

I have a bit of a problem thugh, when I hear anyone say that Bush's speech was the best speech they had ever heard. As someone mentioned on another thread, virtually any president would have shown the same response to 9/11.

It was all playing on emotion. Maybe that's what speeches are about, but I have a problem with it. So why did Feingold characterize Bush's speech this way? Either to appeal to people (most likely) or because he really believes it, which seems a shame to me. I think there are some finer speeches ... The "I have a dream" speech comes to mind, as do any number of other speeches that speak to equality and goodness, rather than retribution.

John Edwards is taking a similar tack - saying what is popular to say (seemingly only because it is the popular thing to say) and trying to define himself as a cut above current Washington politics at the same time.

I thought it was a great speech Bush gave after 9/11. He spoke in emotional yet unifying terms. He had my full support at that moment. I truly believed that I was mistaken about him and he might just be a real leader after all. of course he quickly disabused me of that notion by invading Iraq.

The reason I linked his interview is that I believe, as he does, that the Democratic party must define themselves as an opposition party, and not the "Republican lite" party.

 

[loseyourname]

It was all playing on emotion. Maybe that's what speeches are about, but I have a problem with it. So why did Feingold characterize Bush's speech this way? Either to appeal to people (most likely) or because he really believes it, which seems a shame to me. I think there are some finer speeches ... The "I have a dream" speech comes to mind, as do any number of other speeches that speak to equality and goodness, rather than retribution.

I used to take management classes (just for the heck of it, even though I have no intention of ever going into business) and one of the first things they teach you in dealing with people is to preface an admonishment with words of praise. If you are going to suggest that the president change his course of action (which implies that his current course is wrong), then you should first identify what you think is right about what he has done. This is all Feingold is doing here: identifying Bush's initial speech and actions leading up to the invasion of Afghanistan as something positive that Bush has done. He is showing incredible acumen in knowing how to get through to people. All is does is butter up the guy whose behavior you wish to modify.

 

[Hurkyl]

I used the word "extricate" to imply that we do just that. We can't just cut and run, but we do need to develop a strategy to get out.

Okay then!