In addition to some excellent fundraising numbers for Sen. Norm Coleman's (R-MN) arch nemesis, Al Franken, Norm returned from his fifth "dog and pony" show in Iraq today. Norm is always looking for something positive and really loves his train in light at the end of the tunnel metaphor. Norm doesn't realize that the light at the end of the tunnel is the train that will end his Senatorial career. He also requests a double Friedman Unit to show that the occupation is working. But thanks for reminding us that you're still 100% for continuing President Bush's occupation of Iraq.
As a result, I've been forced to set the Norm Coleman Weasel Meter's Norm-speak Alert SystemTM to red alert.
"I think it's important for the American public to know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. That right now the light is shinning brighter than is has before but in the end that our folks are not going to be I've said this for a while, don't need to be in the middle of civil war and don't need to be out there fighting the Iraqi's battles for them," says Sen. Coleman.
[emphasis mine]
(MPR)
There's another Norm-speakTM gem in this turgid quote. "I've said this for a while, we don't need to be in the middle of civil war ..." Ya think? Among other things haven't we Minnesotans been of that opinion for a while now? Hmmm?
This attempt to sound like he's a reasonable man who is attempting to navigate through a difficult waters is utter crap. His voting record shows his 100% support of the war. He claimed he opposed the surge a year ago then came around to claim he only opposed surging in Baghdad in February to claiming that the surge was working by May. This was political gymnastics so that he doesn't sound 100% pro-war for his reelection hopes.
Just back from his 5th trip to Iraq, Republican Sen. Norm Coleman says the U.S. goal's should be to play a "secondary" military role in Iraq by the end of this year.
Sen. Coleman spent two days in Iraq meeting with political and military leaders, including the commander of U.S. troops General David Petraeus. Coleman says Petraeus documented troop surge-related security gains.
(MPR)
Sweet Jebus! After all these years of failure. All these years of benchmarks unmet. All these years of claiming he wants to see the Iraqi's stepping up without ever demanding specific consequences when they fail and he is asking for a double Friedman Unit! We only need one more year? Oh ... right. That gets you past a difficult reelection, wouldn't it. Wait ... didn't you claim that you'd be vindicated by November 2008? Has your deadline moved?
"Time will prove me right. I'm up for election in '08. If I'm wrong, folks, they'll have a chance to articulate that but I'm fairly confident, as I kind of look at the lay of the land, that we will have a change of mission, we will have significant drawdown but we're doing it without telling the enemy this is when we are getting out of here, without cutting off any funds, any support for the troops," Coleman said.
He did not say exactly what a "significant drawdown" would look like.
(Pioneer Press, July 14, 2007)
Yes, Norm, Minnesotans will be articulating their displeasure with the lack of any drawdown. The only drawdowns will be because we have no troops available to replace the troops that rotate out. But, then there is all the progress ... not.
Sen. Coleman says if conditions continue improving the U.S. could concentrate more on military training and rooting-out terrorism, rather than day-to-day security concerns.
(MPR)
Yes, the progress. All the power plants rebuilt and then stripped of parts or not maintained. All the bridges rebuilt and then blown up. All the Iraqi troops that have been trained by our troops to step up so that we can step down.
The U.S. military in Iraq says an Iraqi soldier opened fire on U.S. troops during a joint patrol last week, killing two American soldiers.
A military statement issued Saturday said the incident happened in Ninewah province on December 26, when U.S. and Iraqi Army soldiers were setting up a combat outpost.
It said three other American soldiers and a civilian interpreter were wounded in the shooting and that an investigation is underway.
The statement said the alleged shooter fled the scene, but was identified by other Iraqi army personnel and was then apprehended.
(VOAnews.com)
Our troops have repeatedly reported how if the Iraqi troops are informed of an operation too early (say 15 minutes or more) the target of the raid or mission knows its coming. Our troops have long been suspicious that some of the Iraqi troops they work with during the day are part of the insurgency at night.
So what exactly are we doing there in the middle of a three-way civil war? We've already passed the "Mission Accomplished" stage, the insurgency was in its "death throes" years ago, 2007 was the deadliest year for US troops and Norm wants a double Friedman Unit to prove we're winning?
Sheesh.
-- cross-posted from mnblue.com, home of the Norm Coleman Weasel Meter