Standing On One Principle, Voting On Another

Washington Post:

To paraphrase the immortal words of John Kerry, Sen. John Warner actually did vote to shorten the Iraq war before he voted to lengthen it.

Just two months ago, the courtly Virginia Republican went to the Senate floor and sided with his Democratic colleague from the commonwealth, Jim Webb, on a plan that would shorten troop deployments in Iraq. Yesterday, he went to the same place to announce that he would now vote against the same bill.

"I endorsed it," Warner said. "I intend now to cast a vote against it."

With those dozen words, the former chairman of the Armed Services Committee put a surprise end to the latest efforts in Congress to limit the Iraq war.

Read the whole story: Washington Post

Comments

[HelenIsaacson]

12:35 AM on 09/21/2007

"If the people lead, the leaders will follow.", I hope this saying, which I just saw on a bumper sticker, is true because our "leaders" fail to do their job. We need to remind them, again and again, that the last election meant that the American public wants the troops home. Democrats will now put forth legislation calling for cutting the funds since a bi-partisan compromise doesn't work. While you sit at your computer you can let your Senators know that you want them to support the Feingold-Reid bill that would call for bringing the troops home and then cutting the funds. Click on http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/ to get to your Senators. You can also urge Speaker Nancy Pelosi to support similar legislation in the House by clicking on http://speaker.house.gov/contact, and if you want to do even more you can get active in your community. Check out the web site of a group I helped form last year, the Bay Area Grandmothers Against the War, www.gawba.org or contact us at [e-mail] or 510-845-3815 and we will help you with free materials.

[Qbear]

11:57 PM on 09/20/2007

Warner,
I hope every night ghosts of dead troops and Iraqi civilians haunt your dreams for the rest of your bitter sh*tty life.

[MissingAmerica]

10:48 PM on 09/20/2007

The Republicans just seem to get worse. It's a shame that Bush's pall will be the last shadow cast on so many stellar political careers, both here and abroad.

[thgy]

05:27 PM on 09/20/2007

Warner's line has been busy all day.
Does he have it off the hook or is he being buried in phone calls?

[Dap]

05:12 PM on 09/20/2007

It is clear a good thing that the good Senator is retiring, the man is starting to wrestle with his own conscience and is in serious denial.

[LittleBrother]

03:46 PM on 09/20/2007

What was Liz Taylor THINKING?

[AnotherMcIntosh]

06:39 PM on 09/20/2007

Q. What was Liz Taylor thinking?

A. Great actor. As good as Arlen Spector.


Both of them (and Chuck Hagel) have been able to play their parts and convince some people that they value principles over Republican loyalty.

Kudos to all of them.

[mstoot]

03:29 PM on 09/20/2007

But, but, but, didn't you know they have to protect their seat in congress. No matter that maybe a thousand or more of our troops die before the next election, just as long as their seat is protected, that's all that matters. When will the people in this country wake up and smell the coffee? Vote the bastards out!!

[Manx]

03:05 PM on 09/20/2007

Sen. John Warner is a fraud but the main stream media talks about him as if he's a venerable statesman, beyond reproach. His legacy will be as an enabler of Bush's Iraq war.

[RandyRanson]

02:46 PM on 09/20/2007

Warner wants to go out as being the warmonger he always was, and has always been. There's a vast difference between being a war Hawk and an far sighted Eagle, as a war Hawk, Warner has failed in his lifetime quest to raise hell and create destruction, in his desire to turn the world of his, into one big US war making machine, that dominates everyone else on Earth.

Thank God, he's going to leave Washington, people like him believe they're owed more medals than their valor ever deserves. In other-words, they're full of themselves.

[Cunningham]

02:34 PM on 09/20/2007

Blackmail, anyone?

[Observer1]

02:34 PM on 09/20/2007

Talk about a sucker-punch. Beautiful.
Warner pulled the Dems into thinking he would support their bill, and then when they bowed to say thank you BAM!...RIGHT Uppercut. Beautiful.
I hate this war, but I love the politics.

Looks like the second time Hillary was fooled.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

06:26 PM on 09/20/2007

Warner is good at this. As good as Hagel, and almost as good as Specter.

As one example, in early February, Warner pretended that he was willing to have a debate about the troop surge as long as the results would be meaningless - and then he voted against the weakened resolution that he proposed.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lane-hudson/the-shameful-senate_b_40520.html

As an old Navy man, he know how to "get 'em to come along side before raising the flag and opening the gun ports."

He's done it before. Give him anther opportunity, and he'll do it again.

[Mike169]

02:18 PM on 09/20/2007

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'.
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.

[TruEngineHearing]

02:07 PM on 09/20/2007

What a cowardly act. How does he justify abandoning the lives he was about to save? This is truly repulsive by an accounting. I can't even believe he is really doing this. It is unconscionable.

[WTFbush]

02:04 PM on 09/20/2007

I hope that EVERY SINGLE member of the military and their FAMILIES that states that that Republicans are "pro-military" will take notice....and remember.

[workingboy]

01:46 PM on 09/20/2007

heard that pre-liz, he was married to a mellon; upon divorce, he hit her up for alimony. true??? this sad man just sold out to the Crime Family; not to worry, he will do the CYA, ensure my legacy thing: write his MEMOIR and appear on larry king undead. like colin powell, he should now go away. he has no currency. the blood of our soldiers cannot be removed from his expensive, yet morally tattered, clothes. senator warner, the rags of sin have an ineffable look and smell to them. now, go!