As typical of the media for the last few election cycles, in the days after an election they run all sorts of stories they suppressed because they might have helped Republicans. The media ran thousands of stories about Iraq… all of them focusing on the negatives. But none looked at what might happen if the Dems won.
Suddenly -after the election- they look at the other side.
Democrats’ victory unnerves Baghdad
BAGHDAD — Across the capital Wednesday, Iraqis balanced their hopes against fears about how U.S. policy will change on the ground in the wake of the Democrats’ overwhelming victory in congressional elections and U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s sudden resignation.
Rasha Tariq, 23, a college student, said she found herself near tears when she awoke Wednesday morning to the news that the Democrats had won the House and were on the cusp of taking the Senate.
Tariq said she worries the Democrats’ victory will mark the beginning of a gradual U.S. pullout from Iraq and the disintegration of what little order is left on the dangerous streets of Baghdad.
“If it was up to the Democrats, we would still be living under Saddam’s tyranny,” Tariq said in an interview Wednesday in the Sadoun Street shopping district. “I’m afraid that this change is going to affect the American presence in Iraq. I don’t want them to leave.”
While understanding that U.S. involvement in Iraq will not be altered overnight, both politicians and pedestrians in Baghdad said Wednesday that they were sure the U.S. has reached a turning point in the war.
In other words, they know the Dems want to hang them out to dry.
I believe a lot of people that voted Dem were deceived about what “Not staying the course!” meant. A few probably believed it just meant changing up the strategy and tactics or even adding more troops.
Others were sweet talked into believing a orchistrated fancy ‘phased redeployment’ would have consequences other than ‘cut & running’.
This isn’t a “Used Car” its a “Previously Owned Vehicle”.
Yep, lets build consensis around the opinion of a 23yo Iraqi student who is postulating political outcomes based on a system of democracy that her nation only briefly had in the early 1900’s. Since then, nada in the way of comparative political systems. You will have to install hand grips to the this to spin…
But, but how can this be? I was told the Iraqis were not capable of living in a Democracy, nor did they really want one in the first place. And a majority of Iraqis want us out NOW.
This is another high-octane “truth to power” lecture I have been given from the left. (Oh, and with links)
Which is it?
“Yep, lets build consensis around the opinion of a 23yo Iraqi student”
We built a national consensus around a 20-something shit-for-brains named Kos. I’d go with the Iraqi who’s likely to die. But what’s 10 million dead Iraqi’s to the Democrats if it’ll give them a one seat majority in the Senate?
Where Were These Stories Before the Election?
Oh, oh! I know!
Answer: Sat on by the NYT, WaPo and other MSM outlets for, oh, I’m just guessing here, over a year! A la Foley, etc….
Sure you would Johnny Boy. But not enough to actually join up and fight, right?
Hey Seamus, I agree with John AND am enlisted… are you?
That sneaky MSM. This girl was interviewed on Wednesday. How dare they not report it before the election! You have got to be the most paranoid group on the face of the earth.
Yea, where were those stories? All I saw in the liberal MSM were the reports about how a vote for the democrats was a vote for the terrorists.
Focus Chris, the article says “these” stories, not “this” story.
WHERE WERE THESE STORIES BEFORE THE ELECTION?
For the sake of fairness, we can’t say this young girl represents the opinion of a majority.
If you asked me my opinion on the election, and asked my girlfriend her opinion on the election you would get two totally different answers, and we live less than a mile apart.
So Seamus what you’re saying is you side with a 20-something shit-for-brains named Kos. Doesn’t say much for your choice in “friends” and “associates” or your ability to judge anything much less anything related to fighting the jihadist-cut-throats.
I’m seeing this another way. Perhaps just wishful thinking, but we’ll see.
Regardless of what one thinks of the decision to topple Saddam, once its happened, you really need to finish the job.
I think a lot of smart Dems know that. They yell and holler, and whatever else is necessary to get power, but now that they have it, they know the job needs finished.
The good part is they know it needs finished. The bad part is that they were able to run a serious manipulation – Not to say the Republicans didn’t deserve to lose. Just that the Dems didn’t deserve to win that way. I think its dangerous.
This Michael Moore marxist lite framework. A dangerous beast to call on as an ally.
Of course, I could be wrong. And even if I’m correct, can the unleashed beast be controlled?
“Where were these stories before the election?”
U.S. storeis were either on the election
Or about the 4th highest total of American deaths in Iraq, and the violence happening in Iraq.
This has been another installment of simple answers to simple questions.
“Rasha Tariq, 23, a college student….”
Well gosh if 23 year old Rasha says we dems want to hang them out to dry then it must be so……dam how’d they get our play book?
And of course the BIG BAD MEDIA is out to get all Republicans….and when the Republicans loose an election they don’t cry like babies and blame it on everyone and everything else but themselves….Talk about whiney ass cry babies.
People have such short memories or is it selective memories. I remember the slaughter of millions in southeast Asia. They’re blood is on the hands of the cut and run dim’s and specifically Hanoi John Kerry and his lies to congress.
I remember American Marines being dragged through the streets because the dim’s put them in a combat situation and then abandoned them.
I remember hundreds of Americans killed in a Marine barracks and the dim’s demanded we run instead of hunting the murderers down.
I remember the first attack on the WTC and the maximum that was done was put a blind man in jail. No effective search and attack on Usama. Hell they didn’t have to search, he was being offered up on a platter but the leadership of the dim’s couldn’t find the zipper on his pants, and couldn’t be bothered.
I’ve got a list of ‘cut and runs’ by them dim’s filed somewhere. You can locate them on the web with a little searching.
Seamus can KMA, and I served 22 Years with a ‘full’ tour in Vietnam, unlike the coward Hanoi John’s less than four months before he cut and ran on his crew. I also volunteered for the first Gulf war but had been out of the service 30 days too long. All Americans aren’t cowards and a fair part of us believe in helping others gain they’re freedon. Can’t say that for many left wing democrats.
I don’t blame the Iraqi’s for being worried. They’ve now experienced a couple of years of freedom of choice, and they can rightly see it going down the tube, and the slaughter of millions that will follow the cut and run.
That (cut and run) is the history of today’s democrats.
I see the wholesellers are wasting no time in raising prices to cover the announced tax increases. Prices are rising already, just go shopping.
“we can’t say this young girl represents the opinion of a majority”. But the dim’s can take the word of an army deserter or someone claiming to be a vet of Iraq (never in the military) as the gospel as to what the real members of the military say of think. RIGHT
The failure of a general Clark sure dumped one of them in a hurry. Guess all of the phony soldiers that the dim’s paraded around are now back at work, and with enough coaching they’ll learn to say ‘want fried with that’.
Sorry seamus,
Too old for Iraq. My generation went to ‘Nam.
Uhh mun-go have you been listening to your “friend” overseas jumping for joy that the cut and run cowards got elected? And the asskissing has already begun.
Gas already up .10 a gal one day after the tax raisers won.
The polls show that a majority of Iraqis want US troops to leave. And they also APPROVE of attacks on our troops.
Now, where were those stories before the election?
I actually find this story very encouraging. This was in “da Trib” which is an instrument of the propaganda wing of the “democrat” party.
Many of the “democrats” who were elected Tuesday ran as conservatives. If they were actually being honest that means that the house, while not being Republican controlled anymore is still conservative controlled. If they were actually being honest. My fear is they will vote in lock step with the secular regressive socialist wing of the party. I’ve prayed since last Tuesday that that is not the case even though in my gut I doubt it.
But then this story comes along and gives me hope. The plea of a 23 girl– it’s just so touchy-feely, so left wingy–A victim, a face to the unintended consequences of the Murtha-Kos-Dean-etc. crowd.
Maybe at least on this one issue the “democrats” will do the right thing at least enough of them to matter- it’ll only take a handful.
Tuesday was still sad in that we’ve added years to the genocide the secular regressives like to call “choice” and I’m sure will see many new taxes on the poor and middle class, but at least they might not turn this into another Vietnam-like “democrat victory”.
All polls show 100% of all terrorists wanted Democrats to win.
Not one endorsement for President Bush.
I wonder why?
Just kidding, I do know why.
Notice how a majority of both the Iraqi and the American people want us out of Iraq. The only ones who want us to stay in Iraq are Al Qaeda and the Republicans.
Think about it for a minute. They both need each other to justify their existence.
Al Qaeda wants us to stay in Iraq? Huh?
Give me a link or please stop making things up as you go.
Jesus Jumpinjoe, the Al Qaeda in Iraq head terrorist statements are only everywhere you look today. This is from the BBC:
Of course, Al Qaeda wants us to stay in Iraq. Because they have suckered us into the kind of urban battlefield where they can bleed us indefinitely. They are dictating the terms of the engagment in Iraq now. They’ve got us right where they want us.
I know it’s hard to resist Jumping Joe, but it’s really pretty senseless to argue with a member of the fabricated reality based community.
Take heart in this article. It was in a “democrat” propaganda rag. It appears, at least to me, that the lefties might just be preparing Average Joe for the U.S. doing the right thing and finishing what we started.
It’s a brilliant plan when you think about it. Get just enough “conservative democrats” elected so that they can vote with the Republicans and do the right thing in Iraq. They can still raise taxes and still continue the genocide and statutory rape, opps I meant “choice”, but Average Joe will perceive them as doing the right thing and will vote for Saint Hillary in ’08. They will have complete power and then all the “conservative democrats” suddenly realize that they were actually secular regressive socialists all along.
Would anyone be shocked if the lefies decided to set aside their core values for a little while in exchange for total power?
It will get a lot darker before dawn, but 2010 will hopefully be a revisit of 1994.
And the next sentence is:
Why leave that out? My guess it changes the entire premise of your Al Qaeda wants us in Iraq argument.
Richg, it really gets tiring having to prove these basic facts to people like you.
This is from Fox News (or do you consider that a left-wing rag too)?
That pretty much sounds like he wants us to stay for the reason I said in my previous message. Because in urban warfare they can bleed us idenfinitely with snipers and IEDs.
waddayknow sarcastically wrote:
How old do you have to be to know that you want to live in freedom?
We will no longer have to worry about the NYT publishing National Security Secrets, there won’t be any. Peloshi will order them to be faxed to the terrorists before the ink dries from the top secret stamp. That way the dim’s can get more Americans killed faster.
I’m still waiting for the day to come, and it will come, that the public will rise up and have a mass hanging at several of the antique MSM outlets, congress, and the DNC. I sure hope i’m able to participate. I’ll have to practice a little on the thirteen knot noose but still remember enough from rescue rope classes to get er done.
Hmmm. Interesting which parts Paul decides not to highlight:
Jassim Saed, who owns a small novelty shop on bustling Sadoun Street, said he listened closely to the rhetoric from the Democratic and Republican candidates through campaign coverage on Arabic-language satellite television.
He said the Democrats echoed many Iraqis’ frustration with how the U.S. planners of the war have operated on the ground. But Saed believes the Democrats have yet to articulate what should be done differently to improve the situation for Iraqis.
…
Dr. Sami Ismael, 58, said he hopes the Democrats’ victory will push the Republicans to make necessary changes in tactics.
With the national police infiltrated by militia and the Iraqi army having often proved itself ineffective, many Iraqis have grown to see the U.S. troops as the only forces they trust. Last month, Gen. George Casey, the top commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, said increasing the number of troops on the ground remains an option.
“Whatever they do, it can’t get any worse,” Ismael said.
My prediction is that the Democrats will not push for immediate withdrawal. If they are smart they will push for negotiations with Iran and Syria so that we can work with them in ensuring security in Iraq. They will not cease funding for the war, in fact they should push for more reconstruction funding, which has ceased, as well as much better oversight on contracts.
Personally I think the best thing for Iraq, if not necessarily the US, would be a doubling of troops in Iraq (actually a tripling would be ideal, but pretty much impossible without a draft). This of course would be enormously unpopular, extremely costly, and would result in many more US casualties, and thus will not happen, but I believe it is the only way we could secure the country, and if done right would be short-lived.
The logic is contradictory. If AQ wanted the US to stay in Iraq, why would they cheer the victory of the “cut and run” party?
The fact is that 10 AQ terrorists die for each American killed. This is a rate that AQ cannot sustain. Life is miserable for the terrorists that have managed to stay alive. When the Democrats pull the troops out, they will have a celebration bigger than a Super Bowl party, a New Year’s Eve party and the Mardi Gras all put together. After they sleep it off, the beheading will resume, mass graves will resume, attacks on the US will resume. The lefties will retreat to their cocoon where they can watch CNN and MTV while they selfishly enjoy their freedom that was paid for with the blood of brave men that went before them.
I have to agree with Scrapiron here.
The memory of the abandoned clinging to helicopter rails and swimming out to disappearing ships will haunt me forever. The result was millions killed and millions more trapped in Stalinist regimes for a long time. I regard this as a low point in US history.
For too many Democrats these were formative events and times; and for whom Vietnam stands as a high victory that ushered in a period of Democratic election wins, and Carter.
I have learned that it is useless to argue this with those of the left who align with Clinton and Carter about this period. They have their opinion and I have mine.
But it is not altogether inappropriate to remember this when it comes to judging the likely course that so many on the left have promised. I, for one, will not be too surprised if the troops end up closer to Okinawa than Tehran.
Yes, one can forget about these comments by this one girl from Baghdad as not representative, and yes we can claim that the Cubans are fine and ignore those Miami hotheads, and dismiss those in the US Vietnamese community as collaborators, and forget about those troublesome Jews who have “unjustified” fears, and celebrate this great victory of the anti-war forces with all our hearts.
But once again a call for help will come from the powerless and oppressed, and that call will come to us. It might be a girl from Afghanistan who just wants to go to school, or one from Africa who’s entire tribe has been murdered by the government… or a Kurd from Iraq.
It is what we do when this call comes in that will define us, not the press and not the Europeans.
And some of us remember the feeble Carter Administration and the majority of Democrats who voted against stopping Saddam in the invasion of Kuwait.
Dismiss it though we try, this one young girl can see clearly what we cannot: that if the Democrats had been in charge, Saddam would still be in Iraq, and Kuwait. Her life and millions like her would be far different.
Just like they negotiated at the Paris Peace Accords with the North Vietnamese to guarantee the safety and democracy of South Vietnam. The end result: one million men, women and children slaughtered and still no elections after 30 years.
When will Democrats ever learn? How many have to die?
Kaz,
Chest thumping is part of their culture. That’s why they wanted Democrats to win. Because the “cut and run” rhetoric hands them a victory.
Leaving Iraq hands them a victory.
What, you never heard someone in a fight say, “that’s right, you want some more of this”.
You are reading waaaaay to deep in those statements.
Kaz,
You can grasp at straws all you want. I prefer to base my views on as much of the available evidence as I can access. I don’t focus on 5-10% and ignore 90-95% of the facts as you lefties do.
The lefties will retreat to their cocoon where they can watch CNN and MTV while they selfishly enjoy their freedom that was paid for with the blood of brave men that went before them
Ah, that must explain why there are more Democrats in office who have served in the military, opposed to Republicans who seemingly always have terrible anal cysts, or ‘other priorities’ like Unka Dick did which keep them from serving.
Like my stepfather, who served in ww2, a democrat.
Like my father, RIP, who served in Korea, a democrat.
Like my cousin, who served in Gulf War1, a democrat.
Yup, they all HATE America with a passion. Get real, George. Handle defeat with some humility and grace, if it’s within you.
The assertion that there are more Democrat veterans than Republicans has been debunked long ago.
Here is the breakdown of Vets in the House and Senate.
Vets in the Senate
Vets in the House
And just for shits and giggles, this link: Colonel Eugene Holmes’s September 1992 affidavit concerning Bill Clinton and the draft
Fine, Jumpin joe, you got me on that one. I should have been more specific with my words, noting about the current Bush administration and it’s players, opposed to Congress. A better source is here
http://veterans.house.gov/vetlink/vetsincongress.html
But thanks for bringing up Bill Clinton, it totally proves the theory that the right will be completely obsessed with him long after he is dead and gone. Is it because he is everything most of you are not, i.e. smart, admired, successful, driven, charming, and still a hit with the ladies?
You see, the press is going to cook american brains little bit by little bit, that it is ok to be in Irak and Afganistan now that democrats (socialist) are in power.
P.Bunyan and Jumping,
The way I see it the tactics of Al Qaeda in Iraq are basically to hide among the civilian population conducting sniper attacks and bombings against our troops in order to elicit a response that kills innocent civilians and turns the population against our presence.
Look at what just happened in Gaza this week. The Hamas militants have been firing rockets into Israel for months now. The Israelis have returned fire, but this week they made a mistake and accidentally killed 19 Palestinian civilians. That was exactly what Hamas wanted to happen because this radicalizes the Palestinian people and assists their recruiting efforts.
The Al Qaeda in Iraq want to prolong our presence there as much as possible because they know that the imagery of Iraqi civilians killed by errant air attacks strengthens their cause enormously in the Arab world and helps them raise money and recruit new fighters. Al Qaeda has drawn us into exactly the type of urban warfare trap in which Hezbollah had the Israelis trapped for 20 years in south Lebanon. Israel’s occupation of south Lebanon radicalized the population there and essentially gave birth to Hezbollah which was not a substantial force in Lebanon prior to that. The same thing is happening now in Iraq.
Kaz,
Al Qaeda has drawn us into exactly the type of urban warfare trap in which Hezbollah had the Israelis trapped for 20 years in south Lebanon. Israel’s occupation of south Lebanon radicalized the population there and essentially gave birth to Hezbollah which was not a substantial force in Lebanon
————————————————
This is patently false. This is clever but a deceptive agenda for the Dems. Iraq now has an elected gov with the support of the majority of people. The Sunni is the only minority who had control over Iraq for a long time and now don’t want to give that up. Even within the Sunni community, only the former Baathists who want to regain their power to oppress the majority of Iraquis really want to fight against the gov. There is no support for the terrorists in Iraq like the support for Hezbollah.
It is a shame that the liberals didn’t want to stand with the MAJORITY of the Iraqui people against a minority insurgent and the most brutal terrorists who want to blow up women and children. This is the same “civil war” excuse that the liberals used in VN to aid the communists in conquering South VN. THe liberal turned a blind eye towards a million VNmese who died on the sea or the labor camps. Also the Cambodian genocide.
Any intellectually honest person would acknowledge that the terrorists and their Iranian sponsors got exactly what they want with the Dem victory. They claim exactly that now and they are celebrating. I am surprised that Kaz continued to spin for giving the terrorists exactly what they want. This is really a sad state on the liberal left. I wish people like Kaz would have called for the Dems to respond to these claims of the terorists. Instead they have been silent and busy to fight Bush.
I don’t focus on 5-10% and ignore 90-95% of the facts as you lefties do.
Then I assume you’re not ignoring the fact that 5% of the fighting in Iraq is with AQ, and 95% is with homegrown Iraqi insurgents who simply want us out of their country?
How is that a better source? It gave the same breakdown as my links on who served in the House and Senate. Clearly there are more Republican veterans.
I know that bursts a lot of bubbles for Democrats especially after 2004 election because they were led to believe they were the party of veterans.
Please don’t let your cognitive dissonance keep you from learning.
That is why I like blogs that have active comment sections. You can learn more that way.
You should take your new knowledge, because it is a non-disputable fact, and learn not to rely on a talking point alone.
That wasn’t the point at all. It wasn’t an obsession. I was pointing out in a pithy way that you really don’t mean what you say.
If your “core values” dictate that those that occupy the “Executive Branch” possess military backgrounds, than your argument is mute if you reserve those values for just one political party.
Otherwise you come off as a lefty troll posting de-bunked talking points.
Only a lib could claim to care about troops, as their elected leaders slander and accuse them constantly.
Only a lib could claim to care about life, while helping to execute 3700 innocent babes daily.
Only a liberal would disallow Terri Schiavo’s parents from caring for her, yet want to state to care for murderous gangster Tookie in perpetuity.
Only a lib a STUPID enough to believe the rich dont pay taxes LIE, while the top 20% pay over 80% of total taxes.
Only a lib thinks we are safer as a nation with FAR left liberals like NAMBLA loving Nancy in charge.
The Senate is pretty equally divided between vets in both parties, but after Jan. won’t that change? There were a lot of dem. vets who won. The House does have more Rep. vets.
Only a liberal would disallow Terri Schiavo’s parents from caring for her, yet want to state to care for murderous gangster Tookie in perpetuity.
Only a ‘conservative’ would believe that the federal government should brazenly interfere in a painful private, family matter where they have no business whatsoever, for nothing more than scoring political points.
I thought conservatives stood for family values and privacy, unless it makes great TV for the mouth breathers who watch Faux News
Didn’t work out too well, did it?
You forgot that the “conservative”, from the “culture of life” party, where even a clump of cells deserves protection, apparently wants to kill Tookie.
That’s nice sentiment there Brian, while you’re not revealing your own opinion of abortion or the death penalty. If you’re having difficulty seeing the difference between “a clump of cells” which will grow into a human who will likely never kill and a human who has killed several people – or if you’re trying to equate the two at all – you’d do well give it little more thought.