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Breaking Rank, Sen. Smith (R) Calls for Quick Withdrawal from Iraq

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Another Republican has separated himself from President Bush...this time for moral reasons. Sen. Gordon Smith (R) from Oregon made an impassioned speech in the Senate Chamber calling for an almost immediate withdrawal of our troops from Iraq.

Question? Is Sen. Smith now a Cut and Run Senator too? Comments?

Breaking Rank, Smith Calls for Quick Withdrawal from Iraq

By Daphne Retter
Published: December 8, 2006 - NY Times

Oregon Republican Gordon H. Smith, who in 2002 voted to authorize the war in Iraq, on Thursday became the first GOP senator to raise the possibility of a quick withdrawal of American troops. (snip)

“We have no business being a policeman in someone else’s civil war. So I welcome the Iraq Study Group, but I’d rather do it quicker rather than later,” he said, referring to a bipartisan report issued this week that recommended a phased redeployment of U.S. troops. “Whatever it is, it will not be pretty.”

“I, for one, am at the end of my rope when it comes to supporting a policy that has our soldiers patrolling the same streets in the same way, being blown up by the same bombs day after day,” he said.

“That is absurd; it may even be criminal,” Smith continued in an emotional speech
Source: Breaking Rank, Smith Calls for Quick Withdrawal from Iraq - New York Times
 
Good for him. As more and more good-at-heart Republicans finally face their conscience and logic as opposed to the party line they've been forced to run on, Bush will start to feel the heat.
 
I am very proud of this Senator. It sounds like he is speaking through his heart, which I think is very respectable. This war has become a total joke, and George Bush claims to care about the families who have lost loved ones. He says this, of course, while his daughters are in South America partying their hearts out. It is so good to see the President's daughters showing how much they are sacrificing for this war. What could they be thinking? Show some class, girls.
 
I am very proud of this Senator. It sounds like he is speaking through his heart, which I think is very respectable. This war has become a total joke, and George Bush claims to care about the families who have lost loved ones. He says this, of course, while his daughters are in South America partying their hearts out. It is so good to see the President's daughters showing how much they are sacrificing for this war. What could they be thinking? Show some class, girls.
I don't understand, aps. This post makes no sense. Are the Bush daughters supposed to become nuns during wartime? I went to a party last night, had a great time. Does that mean I couldn't possibly care about the troops and their families? Does it mean I haven't sacrificed? Because I have. I have done many things for the troops along the way. Is it classless to enjoy your life while we are at war? Last time I checked, our soldiers are at war so that we can continue to enjoy our freedoms. When was the last time you attended a party? Have you stopped having an occassional good time during this war?
 
Well looks like CurrentAffairs beat me to the response to that post.GWB's daughters have their own minds, and can do what'd they'd like.They don't need to support the war, and Bush isan't looking for them to unless theres some interview that I missed where he exclaimed this.

Anyway, I dontthink this Senator is a cut and run guy per-se but I don't agree with some of what he says.We arn't being policeman to a civil war because I don' think a civil war is taking place.Outside Baghdad and such tehre are actually a lot of peacful places in a Iraq with no war at all, I don't believe it's escalated to that level.And the whole soldiers patrolling the streets in the same manner and dying in the same manner, well I suppose this is why we need a change in strategy, leaving Iraq, isn't one of them.
 
Well looks like CurrentAffairs beat me to the response to that post.GWB's daughters have their own minds, and can do what'd they'd like.They don't need to support the war, and Bush isan't looking for them to unless theres some interview that I missed where he exclaimed this.

Anyway, I dontthink this Senator is a cut and run guy per-se but I don't agree with some of what he says.We arn't being policeman to a civil war because I don' think a civil war is taking place.Outside Baghdad and such tehre are actually a lot of peacful places in a Iraq with no war at all, I don't believe it's escalated to that level.And the whole soldiers patrolling the streets in the same manner and dying in the same manner, well I suppose this is why we need a change in strategy, leaving Iraq, isn't one of them.

I strongly disagree with you and strongly agree with you at the same time. Am I schizophrenic? LOL. Let me explain.

In the Baghdad, Anbar Province, and northern Iraq, a full scale civil war is definitely in progress, but why all the peace in the south? Iran now owns the South, and gives support to the Shiite militias. Those militias have not made a move at this time because it is not in their best interests to do so. Unless we make a boneheaded move by attacking Iran, they will be more than happy to just stand by while their arch-enemy Sunni areas are torn apart by violence. In that respect, I think they are very much in favor of the United States being in the middle of it. As long as the US is bogged down there, they do not present any kind of a threat to them. Once the US leaves, the South will, of course, strengthen their ties with Iran.

All in all, I dont think federalism is going to work in Iraq at all. The mistake made by the British after WWI is going to be undone, and there will be 2 or 3 separate nations where Iraq once existed.
 
I strongly disagree with you and strongly agree with you at the same time. Am I schizophrenic? LOL. Let me explain.

In the Baghdad, Anbar Province, and northern Iraq, a full scale civil war is definitely in progress, but why all the peace in the south? Iran now owns the South, and gives support to the Shiite militias. Those militias have not made a move at this time because it is not in their best interests to do so. Unless we make a boneheaded move by attacking Iran, they will be more than happy to just stand by while their arch-enemy Sunni areas are torn apart by violence. In that respect, I think they are very much in favor of the United States being in the middle of it. As long as the US is bogged down there, they do not present any kind of a threat to them. Once the US leaves, the South will, of course, strengthen their ties with Iran.

All in all, I dont think federalism is going to work in Iraq at all. The mistake made by the British after WWI is going to be undone, and there will be 2 or 3 separate nations where Iraq once existed.

I see what you're saying, I guess what I meant to say is it hasn't gone completely full scale all out civil war yet.Iran likes to be hypocritcal to everything they say.They want to promote freedom but behind our back they fuel the insurgents.In his letter the President of Iran said this, he also said he thinks the U.S. should leave and deal with it's own issues.

It's sad he thinks that this isn't our issue.Islamic terrorism is a worldwide issue.If they are so willing to help us promote freedom and such then why keep the uranium enrichment program going. He knows full well numerous countries condemn the program but he's stubborn.Iran wants to see us leave so their terrorists groups can take full control.
 
If they are so willing to help us promote freedom and such then why keep the uranium enrichment program going.

If another country told us to get rid of ALL of our nuclear weapons and technology, would we listen to them? There is your answer.
 
So it's called a smart double standard. They are not our friends if they were we probably wouldn't mind them getting nukes so much.
 
If another country told us to get rid of ALL of our nuclear weapons and technology, would we listen to them? There is your answer.

Except in this case it's not ALL of their weapons and technology, it's one thing that in international community finds a threat because it could potentially be used for nuclear weaponry.there are other processes to obtain the energy they are supposedly using the program for, they know it, they just don't care what anyone thinks.Were talking about the same ignorant, oblivious President that denies the Holocaust, remember?
 
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