Kuhl and Reynolds in the bag for more surging, Walsh half in the bag
Erin Kelly has a nice summary in the D&C of where local Congressmen sit on continuing the surge. Here’s Reynolds:
Reynolds is encouraged by reports that the U.S. military surge has increased security in parts of Iraq but is troubled by the apparent inability of the Iraqi government to bring reconciliation to the rival factions, Platt said.
Sounds like a rubberstamper to me. Here’s Kuhl:
I haven’t prejudged anything at this point. I want to hear from the commander on the ground,” Kuhl said.
“I’m confident that General Petraeus is the most competent, qualified, objective individual to determine how this country should proceed in Iraq.”
Here’s Walsh:
“The big question I have is how long do they think we need to be there before the Iraqis can defend themselves and Iraqi troops and police can be in full charge of security,” Walsh said. “I don’t think we should be there for a long time. I don’t think the American people want us to be there much longer, either.
Keeping his options open. Reserving the right to rubberstamp more surging but also hedging his bets.
Rotten gets shrill, God bless him, over Kuhl’s claim that “I’m confident that General Petraeus is the most competent, qualified, objective individual to determine how this country should proceed in Iraq”:
This one sentence is the reductio ad absurdum of all the Petraeus-centric rhetoric we’ve been hearing for the last six months. Kuhl is putting a general above the President and Congress in making the strategic decision of the next steps in Iraq. Kuhl’s flight from responsibility has led him to utter a statement that, taken to its logical conclusion, would have the reader believe that we live in a military dictatorship instead of a republic.
Petraeus, Crocker and the rest can give their report on how they think things are going in Iraq, but Kuhl is living in a fantasy world if he thinks residents of the 29th are going to adopt David Petraeus as their new Caesar. I think yesterday’s editorial in the fairly conservative Corning Leader, which states that Petraeus’ report is “anti-climactic”, is pretty close to the prevailing majority opinion.
After today’s non-event of Petraeus’ testimony, the Congress, which has the power to declare war according to a quaint little document we like to call the Constitution, will be called upon to make a decision. They may not be “competent, qualified and objective”, but they are responsible, whether or not our Member of that august body wants to admit it.
Very well put. The notion that our “strategy”, if you can call it that, in Iraq can, should, or will be free of political influences is patently ridiculous.
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The D & C is now reporting in its editorial blog that Walsh is coming out against the war, and reportedly won’t vote for any more funding. I’d like to see his exact words.
Thanks, Lee. I’ll check that out.
Now is the time everyone should be calling REPUBLICAN representatives and demanding they do the same.