[From the diaries by susanhu whose advice to Kansas is to borrow some from John’s handsomely coiffed head of hair.]
First of all, let me say that overall I like and respect John Edwards. I love Elizabeth Edwards. When it comes to domestic policy, there are few politicians on the scene today that I would rather see in charge of things than he (or she). But Edwards’ My Bad editorial in the WaPo today — “The Right Way in Iraq
” — has me tearing my hair out.
Here is the specific paragraph where hair started parting company with scalp:
“A plan for success needs to focus on three interlocking objectives: reducing the American presence,building Iraq’s capacity and getting other countries to meet their responsibilities to help.“
Emphasis mine.
He’s still saying. . . build up the Iraqi troops! hup !hup!! Get other countries more involved! Yeah, right. Gimme an I, gimme an N, gimme a fucking break!
He goes on to say that which has already been said and said and said TO NO EFFECT: “Second, this redeployment should work in concert with a more effective training program for Iraqi forces. We should implement a clear plan for training and hard deadlines for certain benchmarks to be met. To increase incentives, we should implement a schedule showing that, as we certify Iraqi troops as trained and equipped, a proportional number of U.S. troops will be withdrawn.
Continued below:
“Third,” (he continues) “we must launch a serious diplomatic process that brings the world into this effort. We should bring Iraq’s neighbors and our key European allies into a diplomatic process to get Iraq on its feet. The president needs to create a unified international front.”
Blah blah godhelpus blah. Yes! those things would be nice. No kidding. They haven’t worked! And just who does Mr. Edwards. . .or any other Dem parroting those lines. . .think is going to execute such a plan, much less an improved plan? It will still be this incompetent administration running things for the next three years unless something as dramatic as impeachment happens. Therefore, continuing to make those two suggestions again and again and again begins to look like the definition of insanity.
So we’ve made this much progress: a few prominent Democrats are starting to admit they voted wrong. That’s a start, though not all that much of one, since they’re still not staying the whole truth which is that they weren’t smart enough or suspicious enough or honest enough to see what millions of the rest of us around the world could plainly see. I suppose that’s too much to ask ambitious men and women to say. But what is NOT progress is parroting those two tired prescriptions for peace. Do I know what we ought to do instead? No! But I do know what I wish pols like Edwards would say in addition to My Bad. I wish they would say, “Building up Iraqi forces hasn’t worked, is getting hundreds of them killed, is helping to bankrupt us, and with this administration in place, it will continue not to work. Bringing in other countries sounds like a great idea, but why should they come? So they can be insulted and cheated by our government and our corporations? We need the truth, and we need new ideas.”
End of rant. Discuss Edwards’ My Bad editorial if you feel like it. As for me, must now sweep hair off floor.
Edwards in WaPo: LINK: