Levin, Warner "Not Optimistic" About Iraqi Political Progress

Washington Post:

The Democratic chairman and ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee said today that the surge of U.S. troops "is having measurable results" in Iraq, but they are "not optimistic" about prospects that officials in Baghdad will "make the political compromises which are essential for a political solution."

Back from a brief trip to Iraq and Jordan, Sens. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and John Warner (R-Va.) said in a statement released today that the surge "has provided a degree of 'breathing space' for Iraqi politicians to make political compromises" but they "are not optimistic about the prospects for those compromises."

Read the whole story: Washington Post

Comments

[KindAndThoughtful]

04:46 PM on 08/21/2007

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[Curt]

01:40 PM on 08/21/2007

Let's see bush achievements since 9/11;

A ten trillion dollar debt with no plan to pay it down.


Osama Bin-Laden still free five years after bush invaded Afghanistan.

The Talabin control more of Afghanistan than the government in Kabul.

Al-Qaeda is right back to the same level of power that it was before bush wasted a trillion dollars in the "War on Terror".


Over 6 billion in military aid given to Pakistan.

How did Musharraf reciprocate?

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, Bush's best friend in the war on terror, called a truce with Al Qaeda that allows Bin Laden free movement inside the remote mountains between his country and Afghanistan as long as Bin Laden doesn't come after him.

As well as not punishing Pakistan for providing N. Korea with the plutonium it used to build it's nukes.

Plus the unelected dictator is once again threatening to suspend elections to keep Benazir Bhutto and moderate PPP from regaining controll of Pakistan

Total chaos in Iraq and the only solution that is offered is in Jan.,2009 "It's someone else's problem".


China's military flush with cash because of the billions in interest paid to them annually due to bush's borrowing.
we are number 42 in life expectancy, 14th in infant mortality, and the number 1 debtor nation.

Russia is redeploying long range bombers and playing war games with China.


Bush has to renege on it's claims that N.Korea is a Terrorist nation or it will walk away from peace talks.

Radical Shiites have more power than at any time in history.


33% rise in violent crime.

11% rise in poverty.


13% drop in average salaries.


Oh But Saddam is dead and Baghdad is less violent than last year.

[rwe]

02:52 PM on 08/21/2007

Even though every one of the above is pretty much BS media,DIMLIB spin WE (and we needed the help of the women, blacks, gays,and many democrats ) VOTED HIM IN TWICE. And since sept 11 no terrorsis acts on US soil to speak of (you will of course blame the bridge ,mine,Katrina, and the Chinese lead paint on Pres Bush)

[Curt]

01:14 PM on 08/21/2007

What Levin said:

[T]he whole purpose of the surge was to reduce violence so that the Iraqi leaders would have the breathing room to reach political settlement. That was the stated purpose of the surge.

Well, that purpose has not been achieved, even though the level of violence has been reduced in a number of areas. The purpose of the surge, by its own terms, was to have the — give the opportunity to the Iraqi leaders to reach some political settlements. They have failed to do that. They have totally and utterly failed.

By using the repukelietard "spin this thing until Jan.2009" filter you get:

Well, that purpose has been achieved, the level of violence has been reduced in a number of areas. The surge have give the opportunity to the Iraqi leaders to reach some politicical settlements. They have do that totally and utterly.

[helonias]

12:55 PM on 08/21/2007

ANything anyone says about Iraq is bullshit.

Because they cannot even admit there is a 1,000 year old religious war going on between 2 sects of the same religion who whant to kill each other in their gods name. And we ain't going to stop that, no one will.

[StopThePlanet]

12:21 PM on 08/21/2007

I'm not optimistic about American political progress either. Not a single arrest or impeachment hearing.

[booboouu]

12:36 PM on 08/21/2007

William Jefferson should be in jail before too long...

Hey, keep your hopes up, most of the dems leadership is subject to one type of criminal investigation or another.... a few should get snagged....

[StopThePlanet]

02:54 PM on 08/21/2007

Do you think that your childish taunts bother me?

[booboouu]

12:06 PM on 08/21/2007

It seems like these dems are spokesmen for Iran and Al Quada...

someone should check their campaign contributions and see who's been contributing...

[VogonsCryptolect]

11:15 AM on 08/21/2007

New military tactics in Iraq are working but the best way to honor U.S. soldiers is "by beginning to bring them home," Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton told war veterans Monday.

Not every Democrat has come back from Iraq supporting a drawdown of U.S. forces in the coming months, as party leaders have advocated. Staking out positions that could complicate efforts to achieve party unity in September, a few Democratic lawmakers have returned expressing support for a continued troop presence. One of them, Rep. Brian Baird (Wash.), said yesterday that he will no longer vote for binding troop withdrawal timelines.

Last Friday, Baird told the Olympian, a newspaper in his district, that he now believes the United States should stay in the country as long as necessary to ensure stability.

That followed comments by Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.) suggesting that his trip to Iraq made him more flexible in his search for a bipartisan accord on the future U.S. role in the conflict. "If anything, I'm more willing to work to find a way forward," he told reporters late last month.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Al+Qaeda?tid=informline
Rep. Tim Mahoney (D-Fla.), who was with McNerney, told his local paper that the troop increase "has really made a difference and really has gotten al-Qaeda on their heels."

Levin was unambiguous. Like other Democrats, he hailed the work of U.S. forces and an increasingly capable Iraqi army. Ten of the Iraqi army's 12 divisions are now trained, Levin said, and by year's end, an 11th will be ready.

--------------------------------------------
The real headline and the new Dem message....

"SHIT!!!!!!!!!

THE SURGEGE IS WORKING.......

BU, BBU, BUT WE'RE PULLING OUT ANTWAY DAMNIT!!!!"

[Paul]

11:39 AM on 08/21/2007

If, as you say, the surge is working:

The militias are disarming?

Suicide bombers are going home?

The Iraqi forces are now trustworthy?

What, exactly, is the evidence? Because someone who has been in Iraq for 3 hours says so?

[booboouu]

12:10 PM on 08/21/2007

Look even the dems are saying that good progress is being made...

that's why the dems are nnow changing their measure of success....

[tcuoohjohn]

10:54 AM on 08/21/2007

Iraq is just another failed state in a long line of failed middle east states. All we have achieved in Iraq is to waste 500 Billion dollars and 4,000 American lives.

[rwe]

10:49 AM on 08/21/2007

Durbin,Clinton,Levin,Warner "the surge is working " but lets get rid of the iraq govt . It also seems a ploy to cover their twofaced flip flopping rears when the Petreaus reports come out showing the progress in this just cause. Oh and by the way according to Gallup the Congress has the lowest approval rating ever , the next was the Democratic 1992 congress. Even with Pres Bush and VP Cheney's low approval they are 57% above the LIBDIMS

[Amunaka]

02:40 PM on 08/21/2007

Oh and by the way according to Gallup the Congress has the lowest approval rating ever , the next was the Democratic 1992 congress. Even with Pres Bush and VP Cheney's low approval they are 57% above the LIBDIMS .

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


Wheres your stats for that ...



CURRENT RATINGS OF PRESIDENT, SENIOR CABINET MEMBERS AND PARTIES IN CONGRESS


The Harris Poll® #69, July 12, 2007

How would you rate the job are/is doing –

Congress

Positive
24

Negative
72

Democrats in Congress

Positive
31

Negative
64


Republicans in Congress

Positive
21

Negative
76


President George W. Bush

Positive
26

Negative
73

Vice President Dick Cheney

Positive
21

Negative
74

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

Positive
34

Negative
51

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid

Positive
20

Negative
49

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell

Positive
20

Negative
44

http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/harrispoll-07122007.pdf




Democrats Now Trusted More than GOP on Ten Out of Ten Key Issues

rasmussenreports.com
Wed Jul 25, 2007


When it comes to National Security, Democrats are now trusted more by 42% of likely voters, Republicans by 40%. This means that Democrats now enjoy at least a nominal edge on all ten issues regularly tracked by Rasmussen Reports to gauge voters' trust of the two major parties

In late June Democrats had the edge on nine of ten issues. At that time, the GOP had a single point advantage of the National Security issue.

Republicans had enjoyed an historic advantage on National Security for several decades but are burdened by the unpopular War in Iraq. Last year's Dubai Ports debacle also hurt perceptions of the GOP on national security.

The Democrats have also gained a little ground this month when it comes to the War in Iraq. Harry Reid's party moved from a ten-point advantage in late June to a twelve-point lead of 47% to 35% in the new survey.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/rasmussen/demsnowtrusted10issues2007072520070725

[squareyellowpaper]

09:57 AM on 08/21/2007

Im not optimistic over the congress of the United States nor of the President. There is no progress in our government.

[jeersforfears]

09:44 AM on 08/21/2007

Carl Levin is flat-out rooting against political progress in Iraq - it would boost the Reps and all that.

John Warner is an idiot.

[IntelligentDesign]

09:54 AM on 08/21/2007

A sure sign of totalitarian rule is the automatic rejection of any one who does tow the propaganda verbatim - jeers here is advocating that free speech be squashed in favor of a pure unilateral and infallible message as proclaimed by Bush/Cheney - he is a traitor to the true ideals by which this country was founded.

[squareyellowpaper]

09:59 AM on 08/21/2007

He is not "ROOTING" against progess.

You are an idiot. Do you think people are actually happy about the current situation in Iraq? You are stupid.

[squareyellowpaper]

10:03 AM on 08/21/2007

I hope you go back to school soon.

How do your teachers cope with teaching such ignorant, arrogant, little idiots!

[IMPRISONBUSH]

09:30 AM on 08/21/2007

" WARNER " when will you and your party start acting like leaders and stop this CANCER BUSH & CHENEY from KILLING ( YES I SAID KILLING ) any more of our BEST.
OR are you a part of this " NEW WORLD ORDER "
of continued DEATH AND DISTRUCTION.

[jeersforfears]

09:46 AM on 08/21/2007

IMPRISONBUSH

Free your mind, dude!

[helonias]

09:27 AM on 08/21/2007

So we have really stupidly opened Pandoras box.

Now we are surprized and angry thay Pandora's a bitch and the stuff in her box is even worse.

[BronxBorn]

09:39 AM on 08/21/2007

Cheney knew that in 1994.And still...

[Thalia]

09:45 AM on 08/21/2007

Huh?

[BronxBorn]

09:25 AM on 08/21/2007

From Crooks and Liars, A media watchdog group.Today.
Bill O’Reilly, on June 20, talking about the war in Iraq:

“I’m gonna tell you that the big picture is, the Iraqis have two more months. They’ve got two more months. And if they don’t step up and help more than they’re helping — and by help, I mean, they have to pass oil legislation so everybody gets a piece of the oil pie.” He added, “Their armed forces have to fight more aggressively and bravely alongside us, and if they don’t do it in two months, it’s over.”

O’Reilly, on August 20, on the same subject:

Silence.

[Thalia]

09:13 AM on 08/21/2007

Maliki should pull a Bush and stick his fingers in his ears and say ,"I can't hear you! I'm the Decider! Nyah, nyah, nyah."

[HarryQLeese]

09:27 AM on 08/21/2007

Oh, Thalia, if them dumb dumb dum dummies new how to reed, them would realize that it were predicated, and ritten long long long so fucking long agio, in the Good Book, yes the ona nowed to you and me as The Bibbel. In there it say, or if it dont, then I says it shood say, that "A grate leader of mens, namped GrogBash (later, determined by schoolars to repersent todays Grog Bush ), any how this grate leader will cumm into the Middel Eanst, start a big funckng war, crush kill destroy fuck peoples up real real oh so bad, loats of bloods and gutes,for sure. Then, when it look bad for the dark skined mens who cumm from there, this leader will kick them out oof the dessert, so he can call up all his bundies, them cumm in with tractors beck hoes font end loogers and such, build grate big hotels mootels cashinos stripe clubs and loats of barfs, all with hippy hours 2 forf 1 from 5 to 7 pm, creat 2 million doolar cuntiminimums, all so the rich rich funkers can spends all there monies they made in the stick market and walla street, and them has a hell of a tim doing dastardly things only sick peverted twinsted wachos usually do, they do these tings 24-77.

[HarryQLeese]

09:30 AM on 08/21/2007

Oh, and oof you donut belief me, just look at where Grog Bushs bundies are builiding just what I says. look only to the Untied Ayrpe Empirates, specifincally DubYa Eye, wher them is doing this as we speeks. Them funkers is ALE god bundies of the Bish adminininistation for sure. Iff you notice somtimg, them named DubYa Eye affter you now whoo.