war critics hate our troops

[Irvine511]

at least Dick "go fuck yourself" Cheney seems to think so:

[q]What we’re hearing now is some politicians contradicting their own statements and making a play for political advantage in the middle of a war. The saddest part is that our people in uniform have been subjected to these cynical and pernicious falsehoods day in and day out. American soldiers and Marines are out there every day in dangerous conditions and desert temperatures – conducting raids, training Iraqi forces, countering attacks, seizing weapons, and capturing killers – and back home a few opportunists are suggesting they were sent into battle for a lie. The President and I cannot prevent certain politicians from losing their memory, or their backbone – but we’re not going to sit by and let them rewrite history. We’re going to continue throwing their own words back at them. And far more important, we’re going to continue sending a consistent message to the men and women who are fighting the war on terror in Iraq, Afghanistan, and many other fronts. [/q]

from his speech yesterday at the "Frontiers of Freedom Institute 2005 Ronald Reagan Gala."

 

[financeguy]

To be scrupulously fair about this, he did not precisely state that war critics hate the troops.

Having said that, never forget that Cheney dodged the draft, while John Kerry (for example) gave devoted service.

 

[reptile]

war critics dont hate the troops...maybe they hate the people who put them in the line of fire though.......
Dick is in as we speak in my hometown of Adelaide (south australia) the security has been outrageous...putting the Beatles visit back in 64 to shame!!!!....he is here for some talkfest that usually would take place in sydney or some other exotic place but as our current foriegn minister lives here in Adelaide it is taking place here......

 

[joyfulgirl]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/11/17/murtha.iraq/index.html

Senior Democrat calls for U.S. troops to leave Iraq

Rep. Murtha: 'U.S. and coalition troops have done all they can'

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Warning that other global threats "cannot be ignored," Rep. John Murtha, D-Pennsylvania, a leading adviser on defense issues, called on Thursday for the immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

"U.S. and coalition troops have done all they can in Iraq," the senior lawmaker said. "It's time for a change in direction."
...

On Wednesday, Vice President Dick Cheney dismissed Democratic critics, calling allegations that the administration misled the country as "one of the most dishonest and reprehensible charges ever aired in this city."

Murtha took issue with the administration's counter-criticism, specifically President Bush's Veterans Day speech in which he said it is "deeply irresponsible to rewrite how that war began."

"I resent the fact that on Veterans Day, they criticized Democrats for criticizing them," Murtha said. "This is a flawed policy wrapped in illusion. The American public knows it, and lashing out at critics doesn't help a bit. You've got to change the policy. That's what's going to help the American people. You need to change direction."

(emphasis mine)

 

[nbcrusader]

War critics, as with the critics of war critics, speak primarily for their own political ends.

 

[joyfulgirl]

War critics, as with the critics of war critics, speak primarily for their own political ends.

I don't disagree. I think the Democrats who voted for the war who are now speaking out against it are basically covering their asses but regardless, I still believe it's the right thing to do.

 

[A_Wanderer]

war critics dont hate the troops...maybe they hate the people who put them in the line of fire though.......
Dick is in as we speak in my hometown of Adelaide (south australia) the security has been outrageous...putting the Beatles visit back in 64 to shame!!!!....he is here for some talkfest that usually would take place in sydney or some other exotic place but as our current foriegn minister lives here in Adelaide it is taking place here......

Thats Donald Rumsfeld not Dick Cheney.

 

[Antilarry]

'frontiers of freedom' ???? where the hell do they come up with this stuff?

and yes, its rummy in adelaide. he's scoping out a good coffee shop.

 

[reptile]

Thats Donald Rumsfeld not Dick Cheney.

DOH!DOH!DOH! (Falls down cliff hitting every rock on the way down). I knew that! Hey they all look (and sound ) the same to me...slimy and slippery.....

(mental note; stay offline when drunk and tired in order to avoid futher embarressesment

 

[A_Wanderer]

Thank you very much, and good evening to all of you. I heard about your gathering, and since I work down the street from here I thought I’d drop in and say hello.

Let me thank the good people of Frontiers of Freedom - George Landrith, Kerri Houston, Al Lee - for bringing us all together this evening. I see many good friends in the room, including current and former office holders. It’s a pleasure to see all of you. I’m sorry that we couldn’t be joined by Senators Harry Reid, John Kerry, or Jay Rockefeller. They were unable to attend due to a prior lack of commitment.

As most of you know, I have spent a lot of years in public service, and first came to work in Washington, D.C. back in the late 1960s. I know what it’s like to operate in a highly charged political environment, in which the players on all sides of an issue feel passionately and speak forcefully. In such an environment people sometimes lose their cool, and yet in Washington you can ordinarily rely on some basic measure of truthfulness and good faith in the conduct of political debate. But in the last several weeks we have seen a wild departure from that tradition. And the suggestion that’s been made by some U. S. senators that the President of the United States or any member of this Administration purposely misled the American people on pre-war intelligence is one of the most dishonest and reprehensible charges ever aired in this city.

Some of the most irresponsible comments have, of course, come from politicians who actually voted in favor of authorizing force against Saddam Hussein. These are elected officials who had access to the intelligence, and were free to draw their own conclusions. They arrived at the same judgment about Iraq’s capabilities and intentions that was made by this Administration and by the previous Administration. There was broad-based, bipartisan agreement that Saddam Hussein was a threat … that he had violated U.N. Security Council Resolutions … and that, in a post-9/11 world, we couldn’t afford to take the word of a dictator who had a history of WMD programs, who had excluded weapons inspectors, who had defied the demands of the international community, who had been designated an official state sponsor of terror, and who had committed mass murder. Those are facts. What we’re hearing now is some politicians contradicting their own statements and making a play for political advantage in the middle of a war. The saddest part is that our people in uniform have been subjected to these cynical and pernicious falsehoods day in and day out. American soldiers and Marines are out there every day in dangerous conditions and desert temperatures - conducting raids, training Iraqi forces, countering attacks, seizing weapons, and capturing killers - and back home a few opportunists are suggesting they were sent into battle for a lie. The President and I cannot prevent certain politicians from losing their memory, or their backbone - but we’re not going to sit by and let them rewrite history. We’re going to continue throwing their own words back at them. And far more important, we’re going to continue sending a consistent message to the men and women who are fighting the war on terror in Iraq, Afghanistan, and many other fronts. We can never say enough how much we appreciate them, and how proud they make us. They and their families can be certain: That this cause is right … and the performance of our military has been brave and honorable … and this nation will stand behind our fighting forces with pride and without wavering until the day of victory.

 

[Klink]

^ Translation: my country, right or wrong.

This is why I fear nationalism as much as any ism in the world.

we’re going to continue sending a consistent message to the men and women who are fighting the war on terror in Iraq, Afghanistan,

Another misleading attempt to link terrorism, Afghanistan and Iraq.

These are elected officials who had access to the intelligence , and were free to draw their own conclusions. They arrived at the same judgment about Iraq’s capabilities and intentions that was made by this Administration and by the previous Administration.

They did not have access to the SAME intelligence, a crafty omission. In any case, they authorized BUSH to use force IF NECESSARY, not recklessly. They did not use it themsleves.

This doesn't matter. The fact is that the Bush Admin knew their intelligence was either non-existent, limited or inconclusive or and they still went to war. That deserves political criticism...and probably even incarceration.

 

[reptile]

^ Translation: my country, right or wrong.

This is why I fear nationalism as much as any ism in the world.




Another misleading attempt to link terrorism, Afghanistan and Iraq.





They did not have access to the SAME intelligence, a crafty omission. In any case, they authorized BUSH to use force IF NECESSARY, not recklessly. They did not use it themsleves.

This doesn't matter. The fact is that the Bush Admin knew their intelligence was either non-existent, limited or inconclusive or and they still went to war. That deserves political criticism...and probably even incarceration.

Hey good one.
LIke the midnight oils reference (even if it was unintended)

 

[onebloodonelife]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/11/17/murtha.iraq/index.html

Senior Democrat calls for U.S. troops to leave Iraq

Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin has been calling for troop withdrawal since the middle of August...he's also been thinking about running for the 2008 Democratic nomination...I can only hope that he does end up running.

 

[verte76]

Cheney's statements are just not logical. I have nothing but respect for our troops. It's the big shots in Washington who didn't give them an exit strategy that piss me off, not the troops. I think it's a really cheap shot to accuse Administration critics of hating the troops. It's not true, and I resent it.

 

[Zootomic]

This is just more of the same old strategy the Bushies have been using from day one: when being criticized, don't respond to the actual criticism; instead, attack those who dare to criticize.

 

[verte76]

This is just more of the same old strategy the Bushies have been using from day one: when being criticized, don't respond to the actual criticism; instead, attack those who dare to criticize.

I agree. Would someone please tell the Veep that this is not the way to get respect for what he's doing? Accusing us of hating the troops because we are pissed off at the big shots in Washington and not the soldiers is really low. If Cheney can't take criticism he should have never started a political career, period. If he wants to score low with historians or whoever, hey, it's not my problem, I'm just Artist Joan Q. II don't have any power and don't want any. It seems to me that Cheney isn't willing to put up with all of the risks he gets with the glory of his job, the responsibility to deal with criticism is important for someone in his position. If he can't take it, tough luck, he'll have to put up with it as long as people are doing polls. I really feel alot of anger and resentment towards Cheney right now. I do not like to call people creeps, but I'm really starting to think of Cheney as a first class creep right now. He's pissing me off, and I do have a temper. No guts, no glory. I am very pissed at the people in Washington, I am absolutely not pissed at our troops. They're wonderful, they are doctors and nurses giving health care, they are helping rebuild schools, they are doing all sorts of wonderful things. To accuse people like me of hating the troops is just plain despicable and it pisses me off big time.

 

[nbcrusader]

This is just more of the same old strategy the Bushies have been using from day one: when being criticized, don't respond to the actual criticism; instead, attack those who dare to criticize.

Sometimes you don't respond directly to the criticism in order to avoid giving it undue validity.

Response to constructive criticism (the kind that offers reasoned alternatives instead of just complaining) is more appropriate.

Simply saying "pull our troops" is not offering an exit strategy, does not lead to increased stability in the region, and makes excellent "locker room material" for the insurgents.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/22/politics/22murtha.html?pagewanted=print

"Only a year ago, though, Mr. Murtha wrote in the epilogue to the paperback edition of a biography he wrote with a former aide that "an untimely exit could rapidly devolve into a civil war, which would leave America's foreign policy in disarray as countries question not only America's judgment but also its perseverance."

But in several trips to Iraq in the last year, he said that he became convinced that the military was not making progress at defeating the insurgency. Yet, he said, the Bush administration ignored his efforts to open private discussions on devising a bipartisan course change.

A letter on Iraq that Mr. Murtha said he sent to Mr. Bush last year did not get a reply until five months later, and then from a underling at the Pentagon, he complained.

"I deserve more respect than that," he said.

Mr. Murtha said he began discussing his growing unease with the military presence in Iraq with longtime advisers, including two retired generals and a former secretary of the Army, whom he would not identify. They urged him not to call publicly for a withdrawal, he said, but as his doubts about the war grew, "they finally came around."