Out of Iraq
Had I been in Washington already, I would have joined the 13 Senators who voted June 22 for the Kerry-Feingold proposal to redeploy American combat troops out of Iraq by July 1, 2007.
The Republicans, including my opponent Olympia Snowe (and, unfortunately, more than a few Democrats), are acting like the reluctant bridegroom, continually putting off the date for the wedding until an increasing number of improbable benchmarks are reached. For the reluctant bridegroom, it’s after he lands that new job, finds a better apartment, pays off the car, after the holidays, after….after…after.
For the Republicans and the Bush administration, it’s been after the Iraqi constitution is adopted, then after elections are held, then after the new cabinet is announced, then after the Iraqi forces are trained, then after quarterly security reports from the President turn up rosy, then after…after…after.
Snowe has reportedly sponsored her own amendment that would set out even more of these delaying benchmarks, saying in a statement (Bangor Daily News 6/23/06) “This is critical because the message must be clear — our presence in Iraq is in no way indefinite, open-ended and unconditional.”
Sure Senator, that’s clear. Uh-huh.
Many a bride has gotten her man to the altar — or seen her man “cut and run” — by setting a date and watching what happened. It’s a definitive moment.
We saw what happened in Congress this week when some Democrats with backbone tried to set a date for the big event. Congress did a “cut and run” on the American people.
Face it, the Republican truth is that they have no intention of getting us out of Iraq, regardless of how many self-imposed benchmarks have come and gone — or how loudly Olympia Snowe proclaims the opposite.
The 13 Senators who voted for the Kerry-Feingold proposal are: Sen. John Kerry (D-MA); Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI); Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI), Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA); Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL); Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA); Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI); Sen. James Jeffords (I-VT); Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA); Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ); Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT); Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ); Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR).
