The Candidates on Iraq
The foreign policy issue already framing the 2008 presidential election is the war in Iraq. The war's growing unpopularity among Americans, coupled with nightly images of civilian and soldier casualties, will only add to the candidates' need to craft a plan to win the war. On this issue, the candidates are divided between supporting the president's strategy to surge more troops into central Iraq versus establishing a timetable, complete with benchmarks, to eventually pull out U.S. forces and possibly withhold funding for the war effort. Further, there are sharp philosophical divisions among the candidates and their parties over whether Iraq symbolizes the central front in the larger war on terrorism, rather than an isolated civil war between sectarian factions with a long history of mutual animosity.
Democratic Candidates on Iraq
Joseph Biden, Jr.
Although Sen. Biden (D-DE) initially supported the war in 2002, he has become one of its fiercest critics in the Senate. With Leslie Gelb, president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, Biden proposed a five-point plan (PDF) for the future of Iraq. The plan calls for a federalized Iraq with three regional governments (Kurd, Sunni Arab, and Shiite Arab) and a centralized government for management of "truly common interests" like oil and border defense. The plan also advocates a "regional non-aggression pact" and a redeployment of U.S. troops by the end of 2007. Biden says that a "small residual force" of U.S. troops should remain in the region even after that redeployment. Still, Biden strongly opposes permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq. In August 2006, Biden sponsored an amendment, which passed, opposing any attempt to create permanent bases in Iraq.
In early 2007, Biden cosponsored the Iraq War Policy Bill, which expressed disagreement with President Bush's troop surge plan, though it did call for a continuation of military operations against al-Qaeda and other insurgents in Anbar province. That bill failed in the Senate.
Biden also sponsored the Iraq War Policy resolution in January 2007. That measure expressed that "it is not in the national interest of the United States to deepen its military involvement in Iraq, particularly by escalating the United States military force presence in Iraq." The resolution also failed in the Senate.
Hillary Clinton
Like Biden, Sen. Clinton (D-NY) supported the invasion of Iraq at its advent, but now opposes it and claims that as president, she would end the war. Clinton opposed the 2007 escalation of the war. In early 2007, Clinton proposed the Iraq Troop Protection and Reduction Act. That bill, which would have prevented an increase in troops in Iraq above the level of January 1, 2007, had no cosponsors and never reached a vote.
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Member Comments
Posted By: JohnGaltlaketahoe @ 03/28/2008 1:02:00 PM
Comment: The neocon controlled Bush Administration staged the 9/11 attacks in order to justify the imperial conquest of American military power into the oil soaked Middle East.
Only the oil remains. No weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq. No mobile biological weapons labs were found in Iraq. Iraq did not seek to acquire yellowcake uranium. The aluminum tubes were not suitable for nuclear use. The lead hijacker in the events of 9/11 did not meet with Iraqi intelligence. Iraq did not provide chemical weapons training to Al-Qaeda. There was no relationship between Iraq and Al-Qaeda. Hussein nor Iraq was involved in the events of September 11, 2001. Only the oil remains. The anti-trust violations of this State Department and Executive Branch are massive.
This war on terror has nothing to do with Al-Qaeda. Al-Qaeda was created and sponsored by the CIA during the 1970's Afghanistan war all the way up to the 1990 and the begining of the first Gulf War. Al-Qaeda involvement in the events of 9/11 has a sponsor.
Dick Cheney's private and secretly held meetings described as his ENERGY TASK FORCE are swimming in anti-trust violations regarding the soaring price of oil which is not related to market conditions,,,, rather...related to the mechanisms of the US STATE DEPARTMENT AND THIS EXECUTIVE BRANCH waging illegal international aggression for the confiscation and hostile takeover of IRAQI NATURAL RESOURCES.
Posted By: JohnGaltlaketahoe @ 03/26/2008 9:13:07 PM
Comment: No weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq. No mobile biological weapons labs were found. Iraq did not seek to acquire yellowcake uranium. The aluminum tubes were not sultable for nuclear weapons. The lead hi-jacker in the events of 9/11 did not meet with Iraqi intelligence. Iraq did not provide chemical weapons training to Al-Qaeda. There was no relationship between Iraq and Al Qaeda. Hussein nor Iraq was involved in the events of 9/11.
One million Iraqi citizens have died. 2 million have been displaced. Four thousand US soldiers have died. 100,000 have been wounded physically and mentally.
Only the oil remains. The conflicts of interest inherent in this Bush Administration are currently confiscating the natural resources of Iraq.
Should this entire Executive Branch he hung? Should there simply be another election and a new President to continue this nightmare? Only the American electorate can decide what treason and insurrection against the American electorate means.
But make no mistake....this Bush Administration used lies and innuendo to place the US military into Iraq.
Posted By: lnardozi @ 01/05/2008 5:02:13 PM
Comment: Quotes from Bloomberg Economic News
``Since 1949 the unemployment rate has never risen by this magnitude without the economy being in recession,'' John Ryding, chief U.S. economist at Bear Stearns Cos. in New York, said in a note to clients. ``We now put ourselves on recession watch.''
Factories have already slowed. ISM's manufacturing index for last month fell to 47.7, the lowest since April 2003, the purchasers group said this week.
Factory payrolls decreased by 31,000 after falling 13,000 a month earlier. Economists had forecast a drop of 15,000 in manufacturing employment. Builders reduced payrolls by 49,000 after cutting 37,000 jobs in November.
Government payrolls increased by 31,000 during the month, indicating private payrolls declined by 13,000.
Jan. 4 (Bloomberg) -- The Federal Reserve will increase the size of two scheduled auctions of emergency loans by 50 percent to $30 billion as part of a global attempt by central bankers to restore faith in the money markets.
NYT
Of 1,000 owners surveyed nationwide, only 28 percent said they felt economic conditions for their businesses were improving, while 65 percent said conditions were getting worse.
After inching down in recent weeks, average gas prices across the nation rose by 7.3 cents last week to $3.053 per gallon, 71.9 cents higher than the same period last year, the Energy Information Administration reported Wednesday.
Business Week
"Staying at [the $100] level will mean inflation and economic hardship," says Fadel Gheit, senior energy analyst for Oppenheimer Holdings (OPY). "The price has nothing to do with fundamentals, but it has a broad impact."
Here's a question for you. How many books on economics has your candidate read? How many has he WRITTEN? The best economist in the world can't convince someone to whom he can't explain the problem. It looks very like we are headed for a recession or a depression. Before you cast your all-important primary vote, shouldn't you find out who has the most education on economics? This is not one of those times when you basically get bragging rights. This time, it may make the difference between you keeping your job and house or living on the streets. Remember, if we ALL sink there will be no one to give you welfare. Even people who OWN their house could be dispossessed by incredibly high real estate taxes. I know everyone says he is a long shot, but PLEASE do yourself (and me) a favor and research Dr. Ron Paul. The house you save may be your own.