As Iraq descends into deeper hell, I think of Dean’s words last December.
For years now many of our Democrats of all levels have worried so much about how we say things. I was thinking of this as Iraq descends into deeper hell. About how careful with words some Democrats have been without regard to what we were doing. Without regard to the lives lost and bodies maimed.
But let one outspoken Democrat say the truth too clearly, too soon,in a way that is painful…and the same ones who are so careful so cautious condemn that person. It became all about words, all about being correct. All about never daring to say we were losing, even back then.
This was last December. It was a radio station in San Antonio, Texas. Look at the time wasted and the lives lost. What he said was true, but it was not politically correct…so it took longer for others to speak out openly.
What Howard Dean said in December about Iraq.
Saying the “idea that we’re going to win the war in Iraq is an idea which is just plain wrong,” Democratic National Chairman Howard Dean predicted today that the Democratic Party will come together on a proposal to withdraw National Guard and Reserve troops immediately, and all US forces within two years.
“I’ve seen this before in my life. This is the same situation we had in Vietnam. Everybody then kept saying, ‘just another year, just stay the course, we’ll have a victory.’ Well, we didn’t have a victory, and this policy cost the lives of an additional 25,000 troops because we were too stubborn to recognize what was happening.”
“I think we need a strategic redeployment over a period of two years,” Dean said. “Bring the 80,000 National Guard and Reserve troops home immediately. They don’t belong in a conflict like this anyway. We ought to have a redeployment to Afghanistan of 20,000 troops, we don’t have enough troops to do the job there and its a place where we are welcome. And we need a force in the Middle East, not in Iraq but in a friendly neighboring country to fight (terrorist leader Musab) Zarqawi, who came to Iraq after this invasion. We’ve got to get the target off the backs of American troops.”
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What John Judis at TNR had to say about the comments…a very perceptive article.
Truths Dean spoke about Iraq
“There are, however, two very different questions to ask about Dean’s statements on Iraq. The first is whether they are politic–whether they have advanced his own or his party’s electoral chances. Probably not–I am no fan of Dean as a national politician or party chair; and I would certainly concede that a Democrat in Georgia, Florida, or Nebraska might not want to run on what he says.
The second question, though, is whether his judgment on Iraq has been sound. And there I would say that it certainly has been. During the months leading up to the invasion of Iraq, and during the invasion and occupation, Dean has been almost consistently correct in his statements. He has been the Democrats’ and the nation’s Cassandra–willing to reveal bitter truths about which Republicans and his fellow Democrats would prefer that he remain silent.”
Judis takes time to list the times Howard Dean has been right about Iraq, and it is almost unbearable in the clearness.
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Down With Tyranny did not hesitate to come out in support of what Dean said.
A NATIONAL DEMOCRAT WILLING TO TELL THE TRUTH! GUESS WHO!
“At least Howard Dean, though under tremendous pressure from corporate Beltway careerist slime like Biden, Bayh and Lieberman to keep quiet for the sake of “party unity,” has come out and said what most Democrats are afraid to say– that there is NO WAY TO WIN THE WAR IN IRAQ, despite pie-in-the-sky scenarios painted by delusional Democrats like Wes Clark, Biden and Lieberman.
Dean was clear as a bell when he said in an interview on WOAI Radio in San Antonio that the “idea that we’re going to win the war in Iraq is an idea which is just plain wrong. I’ve seen this before in my life. This is the same situation we had in Vietnam. Everybody then kept saying, ‘just another year, just stay the course, we’ll have a victory.’ Well, we didn’t have a victory, and this policy cost the lives of an additional 25,000 troops because we were too stubborn to recognize what was happening.”
Instead of clearheaded, brave fighting Dems like Dean (and Murtha) we’re stuck with a bunch of overly-cautious careerists.”
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What many Democrats worried about last December when Howard Dean spoke out about the war in San Antonio, Texas.
Democrats criticing Dean and Pelosi for speaking against the war
“Strong antiwar comments in recent days by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean have opened anew a party rift over Iraq, with some lawmakers warning that the leaders’ rhetorical blasts could harm efforts to win control of Congress next year.
Several Democrats joined President Bush yesterday in rebuking Dean’s declaration to a San Antonio radio station Monday that “the idea that we’re going to win the war in Iraq is an idea which is just plain wrong.”
This WP article also shows Rahm and Hoyer criticizing Pelosi for standing up for Murtha.
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Earl Pomeroy told him to “shut up”, but I understand he later called and apologized.
Shut up, Howard
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Taylor Marsh about Howard Dean and San Antonio remarks. She says he drives her crazy and compares what he said to how Clark would say it. I did not realize how angry it made her.
This article made me rather sad, as even as late as December of last year she was speaking of all the wonderful victories we have had. I tend to differ. There have been too many deaths to claim any kind of victory.
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Alternet about the remarks. Their point is that the concept is now out there, what so many have been afraid to say…that we are fighting a losing war.
Howard Dean: Just Plain Right
But the “can’t win” phrase is out of the box. It’s much like Rep. John Murtha’s call for the United States to “immediately redeploy” — there’s no going back. We can’t win is now a permanent part of the debate on Iraq.
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Michael Reagan said he should be arrested and hung. Well, consider the source.
Reagan threatens
And from the WOAI link above, Dean was also very clear on what had happened to get us into this tragic mess.
“What we see today is very much like what was going in Watergate,” Dean said. “It turns out there is a lot of good evidence that President Bush did not tell the truth when he was asking Congress for the power to go to war. The President said last week that Congress saw the same intelligence that he did in making the decision to go to war, and that is flat out wrong. The President withheld some intelligence from the Senate Intelligence Committee. He withheld the report from the CIA that in fact there was no evidence of weapons of mass destruction (in Iraq), that they did not have a nuclear program. They (the White House) selectively gave intelligence to the United States Senate and the United States Congress and got them to give the go ahead to attack these people.”
And everything he said was true.