Ramifications: The War in Iraq could be OVER!

The anger of the people is translating into votes: Democrats are winning, Republicans are sweating. We need to sieze on this to bring our troops home.

Tomorrow morning, the GOP strategists are going to wake up and survey the damage. The Fighting Dems stormed to victory in New Jersey (double digits) and Kaine, 5% in a Red State. They will be looking around for something to to catalyze a reversal of the slide. Bright Republicans will sieze on Iraq as source of all their woes.

Democrats need to be out there en masse turning up the heat on the Republicans over Iraq. We need to truly support our troops by bringing them home from that hell hole by Christmas. What better gift to the Mothers who are now afraid to answer the phone for fear of what news will be on the other line than to have their sons and daughters safe at home?

With sustained pressure, Democrats can start peeling away the moderate Republicans in a reversal of the Rovian strategy of putting pressure on Blue Dogs like Ben Nelson. The next few days will be crucial for forcing the Bush administration to give up on their Iraqi fantasy.

Just thought I'd put this out there.

•  America needs to end the Bu$hCo war

  I'm not a political strategizer.  I'm very happy for the Democrats.  It is a big D win -- but mostly it's a Bu$hCo loss.  The most important thing now is to get the traitors out of office and into the courtroom.  This will continue to be a win for Dems and a big loss for Repubs, but the issue that is resonating (finally and rightly) with the American public is that they have been lied to and robbed with impunity.  Thirty thousand killed, two thousand troops dead, and we are less safe.  One TRILLION dollars gone from our joint savings account -- and nothing to show for it.

  Throw the bums out and make 'em pay.

  by Yellow Canary on Tue Nov 08, 2005 at 07:37:29 PM PDT

•  The voters have spoken

  We earned political capital and we intnd to spend it. It's our style...

  MANDAT, bitches!

  by glazeone on Tue Nov 08, 2005 at 07:37:57 PM PDT

  •  My E key is broken, dammit

    We earned political capital and we intend to spend it. It's our style...

    MANDATE, bitches!
    

    by glazeone on Tue Nov 08, 2005 at 07:39:03 PM PDT

•  Like pulling teeth

  These are not reality-oriented people. These are nasty, power-mad, crazy people. They won't walk away from their perceived domination. IMHO what we are about to see is a huge ugly fight (or rather a whole series of them), like WWF with food. Knives in the back, leaks, plots-within-plots, and political strategy de jour. Oh, and jail.
  To borrow a phrase from Fitzmas eve, grab some popcorn and pull up a seat. The show's about to start...

  by marksb on Tue Nov 08, 2005 at 07:55:01 PM PDT

•  Not as simple as that.

  If we just pull out of Iraq, two things happen:

  One, Iraq becomes a petri dish for breeding terrorists like bacteria.  

  Two, the plague spreads throughout the Middle East creating major instabilities which will affect us one way or another, and we will not be able to avoid it.  

  Merely "pulling out" at this stage is like trying to prevent a pregnancy by "pulling out" after ejaculation.

  What we need to do is:  

  1. Apologise to the world for starting a war based on lies.

  2. Propose an international Marshall Plan for Iraq.  The goal being to rebuild Iraqi infrastructure and turn over ownership to Iraqis.  People with ownership are willing to fight for what they have.  This will deal with the majority of the security issues.  The rest could be handled by a UN peacekeeping force composed of allied units.  

  3. Do our share to fund the plan and support it.  And see it through.  

  This will get the vast majority of our troops home.  Not tomorrow or next month, but at the soonest possible time that is consistent with not leaving a powderkeg with a burning fuse.  Those who would remain on the ground would be part of the UN force, with proper support from other nations.  

  That is the best we can hope for.  It has a decent chance of working, and it's a hell of a lot better than what's certain to happen if we walk away from a mess we created.  

  by G2geek on Tue Nov 08, 2005 at 08:05:39 PM PDT

  •  The shiites will restore order

    It won't be pretty, but hey, whatever works.

    by Paul Goodman on Tue Nov 08, 2005 at 08:08:28 PM PDT

    •  your a deep thinker, pauly.

      by 2nd balcony on Tue Nov 08, 2005 at 09:37:04 PM PDT

  •  good argument (which is the problem.)

    but my crystal balls are a bit cloudier than yours, so i can't say it will happen.

    but as i say below, non of your excellent suggestions are possible while (ball and)chainey's mafia is working the levers.

    they'll have to go before the troops can.

    by 2nd balcony on Tue Nov 08, 2005 at 09:35:50 PM PDT

•  hold on mr. half measure:

  i sense a very deep connection between a (relatively) open process of investigation and corrective action and any chance to get out of iraq soon.

  i don't think that we have reached the point where enough people believe what bushco has done to our country.  if you think the neocon cappos who run the show are peeing themselves over these results you're wrong.  they've fried  bigger fish than this.

  things have changed, but a substantial call for withdrawl of the troops might delay that very event.  with the country divided, any event could cause too many people to slink back into their fearful and jingoistic states.  nor have enough people confronted the fact that the mission actually has not been accomplished,and maybe can't be, and maybe they don't even know what the mission is.

  i would never say this to discourage you from advocating and acting as you think best.  its not a matter of political strategy.  i just think that anything and anyone that can help stop the killing in iraq will not manifest while bushco continues to run amok.        

  by 2nd balcony on Tue Nov 08, 2005 at 09:26:17 PM PDT