Words from John Murtha

[GenuineRisk]

Originally Posted by boldruler

It has turned Sunni v Shiite and it is not the business of America. Let them have their Civil War and figure out who they are as a nation. America lost 600,000 men (2% of the population at the time- equivalent to 6 million today) to figure out what it was. You can't tell countries what they will be, they have to figure it out themselves.

As for Afghanistan, we should stay there, in fact we should have never gone to Iraq and we should have put all our resources into Afghanistan. It would be much more of a success had we. The problem is the idiot neocons and their friends couldn't make the money off that war. FACE IT, the Iraq war was planned long before 9-11, some feel it was planned in the mid 90's after the first Iraq war, back when we had a competent Bush as President, not his son.

I agree with you about Afghanistan and that Iraq was planned long before 9-11; 9-11 just provided a convenient excuse (and a way to dupe most of America into believe Hussein has anything to do with it. I find it funny how so many Americans will say they don't trust politicians, and then blindly accept everything those politicians tell them).

But I have to respectfully disagree on McCain-- I can't get behind anyone who is willing to accept the absolute gutting of the torture legislation that he pushed to pass. Torture is not acceptable under any circumstances and to me a man who is willing to play the game until he's in office on torture is a man who will continue to play the game once he's in office. I don't buy the whole "different man once in office" thing. TR was considered a lunatic by his own party BEFORE he was President. He didn't play along; they made him VP to shut him up. Plus, McCain is a social conservative, regardless of what he tries to imply.

Did you see the TIME cover story on Teddy Roosevelt? Very entertaining reading.

I don't think Giuliani will make it past the primaries, unless he does an about-face on his social liberalism (and I wouldn't be surprised to see him do just that). AND-- I think if the Dems would grow some cojones and bring out all the assorted dirt on Giuliani prior to 9-11, he might well have trouble in the general election. Buddy-buddy with Kerik, marched in parades with his mistress, announced his marital separation to the press BEFORE he'd mentioned it to his wife, his own son won't speak to him, putting his buddies into six-figure positions overseeing the dispensation of the 9-11 money (later forced to back down on that)-- there's plenty of ethical problems with Mr. G, but I don't think the Dems have the backbone to play as dirty as the Republicans have played the past few elections (and very successfully, I must add). They say the only reason Schumer beat D'amato in '98 is he was willing to climb down in the gutter with D'amato.

For the record, I couldn't care less about politicians dalliances, but dude, say something to your wife BEFORE you go to the media... tacky! And lots of Americans do seem more interested in politicians sex lives than in their policy decisions, don't they?

(Though it was very satisfying to see Livingstone brought down by Larry Flynt. I do enjoy seeing hypocrites brought down.)