posted on October 12, 2004 11:30:57 AM new
kerry's flunkies refuse to respond to reporters question of "kerry's Iraq plan"
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By Robert B. Bluey
CNSNews.com Staff Writer
October 12, 2004
(CNSNews.com) - Two of Sen. John Kerry's surrogates on Monday accused President Bush of politicizing the military strategy in Iraq, but when a reporter asked how the senator's plan would be better than Bush's, a Kerry aide promptly halted the discussion.
The episode took place during a 2:15 p.m. conference call that featured two military advisers to the Kerry campaign. They spoke about a press report that suggested the United States would hold off on any major combat operations in Iraq until after the Nov. 2 election.
At the start of the question-and-answer portion of the call, Agence France-Presse reporter Stephen Collison asked retired Adm. William Crowe, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, how Kerry's plan would be better than what Bush already has in place.
"Senator Kerry's frequently talked about how he has a plan for Iraq, which is better than the Bush plan," Collison said. "The president has already called Senator Kerry's plan the Bush plan himself. Other than what he talks about getting Iraqi soldiers on a 747 and training them elsewhere, can you give any more concrete details of what Senator Kerry is actually planning to do and how it would be better than the Bush plan?"
But before Crowe could respond, Mark Kitchens, Kerry's deputy press secretary for national security, interrupted and said the question didn't pertain to the conference call.
"That's a question we could answer on another call," Kitchens said. "This call is about the three points that we mentioned, so we could just keep the questions specific to those issues. Thanks. Next question, please."
Kitchens opened the call by introducing Crowe and retired Gen. Merrill A. "Tony" McPeak. He proceeded to tell reporters about three developments on Iraq, which included articles in Monday's Los Angeles Times and the Baltimore Sun and an unfavorable report from the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies at Tel Aviv University.
The question about Kerry's "plan" followed his performance at Friday's debate, when he used the words "I have a plan" 13 times. Not all the references were about Iraq, but a skit on "Saturday Night Live" repeatedly poked fun of the remark and Kerry's name-dropping habit.
Crowe and McPeak were recruited by the Kerry campaign to discuss the Pentagon's apparent decision to hold off on any major combat operation against insurgents in Iraq until after the Nov. 2 election. The Los Angeles Times quoted unnamed officials in its report Monday.
After Collison's question was brushed aside, CNSNews.com followed up with Crowe by asking what Kerry would do differently. This time, Crowe was allowed to respond.
"Our people on the ground, very many of them want more troops," Crowe said. "Whether that gets to Washington or why the administration is not doing it, I can't explain. [Kerry] also will listen more to the military and take professional military advice. He's made that clear, and that's hammered into him by all his lieutenants and all his military advisers."
Crowe also insisted, "I can assure you that Senator Kerry will not make a distinction between casualties before an election or casualties after an election."
Meanwhile, McPeak, who suggested on Friday that a military draft might be needed if Bush is re-elected, continued to blast the president.
"The report in the Los Angeles Times is a little bit troubling because it sort of flies in the face of what the president has been saying, especially in the last couple of debates, to give the impression to the American people that everything is going swimmingly in Iraq," McPeak said.
"Our government's attitude is apparently to hold down the casualties before the Nov. 2 election," McPeak added. "In other words, our tactics, in some respects at least, according to this report, are dictated by the U.S. electoral calendar."
White House spokesman Taylor Gross told the Los Angeles Times, "The commanders in the field will continue to make the decisions regarding military operations and will continue to assist the Iraqi people in the pursuit of a more peaceful and safer Iraq."
The Democrats' accusations came as Iraq continues to play a major role in the presidential campaign. It was addressed at length in both debates between Bush and Kerry, as well as the contest between Vice President Cheney and Sen. John Edwards.
"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The person who has nothing for which he is willing
to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."
--John Stuart Mill
posted on October 12, 2004 11:39:05 AM new
Sometimes I question if kerry and crew even know what they're talking about, at all, but especially when it comes to Iraq. Look at what has been going on over there in the last two weeks and try to convince anyone that major offensives are being put off until after the elections. Yeah right....NOT!!!
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"And they, the interrogator went through all of these statements from John Kerry. He starts pounding on the table. 'See here, this naval officer, he admits that you are a criminal.'" Excerpt from "Stolen Honor"
- James H. Warner
Former Vietnam POW
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"I will never submit America's national security to an international test. The use of troops to defend America must never be subject to a veto by countries like France. The President's job is not to take an international poll -- the President's job is to defend America." --President George W. Bush
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Re-elect President Bush
[ edited by Linda_K on Oct 12, 2004 11:46 AM ]
posted on October 12, 2004 12:04:37 PM new
You didn't highlght the pertinent quote here, Bear:
"That's a question we could answer on another call," Kitchens said. "This call is about the three points that we mentioned, so we could just keep the questions specific to those issues. Thanks. Next question, please."
____________________
"Bad temper is its own scourge. Few things are more bitter than to feel bitter. A man's venom poisons himself more than his victim." --Charles Buxton
posted on October 12, 2004 12:34:25 PM new
I disagree, bunni. That's their MO...it started at the beginning of his campaign and still continues to this day. Any question they don't have an answer for they're told to ask some other time. But, funny, that time never seems to come around. Those calls to kerry's campaign office are often reported as being unreturned.
----
He's all over the map, has touched all side of the war issue...and they're probably afraid to say anything since they don't remember exactly what his LATEST postion on it was.
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"And they, the interrogator went through all of these statements from John Kerry. He starts pounding on the table. 'See here, this naval officer, he admits that you are a criminal.'" Excerpt from "Stolen Honor"
- James H. Warner Former Vietnam POW
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I will never submit America's national security to an international test. The use of troops to defend America must never be subject to a veto by countries like France. The President's job is not to take an international poll -- the President's job is to defend America." --President George W. Bush
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Re-elect President Bush
posted on October 12, 2004 01:31:51 PM newAny question they don't have an answer for they're told to ask some other time. But, funny, that time never seems to come around.
I am still waiting for Bush to answer what three things he would have done differently. Funny how he just avoided that question in the debate.
There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again." —George W. Bush, Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002
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Let's have a BBQ, Texas style, ROAST BUSH
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On This Week with George Stephanopoulos, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld declares: "the area… that coalition forces control… happens not to be the area where weapons of mass destruction were dispersed. We know where they are. They’re in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and east, west, south and north somewhat."
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posted on October 12, 2004 05:16:53 PM new
Linda, Bush still hasn't answered, after 4 years, just how he intends to pay for all the things he's spending money on, sending us merrily into greater & greater debt...
____________________
"Bad temper is its own scourge. Few things are more bitter than to feel bitter. A man's venom poisons himself more than his victim." --Charles Buxton
posted on October 12, 2004 05:40:18 PM new
bunni - That's just not true. He has said many times that when the economy gets going...more jobs are created...the more everyone pays in taxes....just like during the clinton administration...so many had great paper wealth they were selling it...and, of course, were taxed on it, thus leading to a large part of the 'extra' money.
Same thing can happen again. And as I have shared before not to long ago our deficite was projected to be $100Million less that originally forecasted to be...for that reason.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"And they, the interrogator went through all of these statements from John Kerry. He starts pounding on the table. 'See here, this naval officer, he admits that you are a criminal.'" Excerpt from "Stolen Honor"
- James H. Warner Former Vietnam POW
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I will never submit America's national security to an international test. The use of troops to defend America must never be subject to a veto by countries like France. The President's job is not to take an international poll -- the President's job is to defend America." --President George W. Bush
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Re-elect President Bush
posted on October 12, 2004 05:42:48 PM new
bunni - Okay now...I'm going to wait and see if you're willing to tell me just how you think kerry's going to reduce the deficit in 4 years WHILE at the same time promising nearly 2 trillion dollars MORE in spending.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"And they, the interrogator went through all of these statements from John Kerry. He starts pounding on the table. 'See here, this naval officer, he admits that you are a criminal.'" Excerpt from "Stolen Honor"
- James H. Warner Former Vietnam POW
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I will never submit America's national security to an international test. The use of troops to defend America must never be subject to a veto by countries like France. The President's job is not to take an international poll -- the President's job is to defend America." --President George W. Bush
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Re-elect President Bush
posted on October 12, 2004 06:13:02 PM new
logansdad - I am still waiting for Bush to answer what three things he would have done differently. Funny how he just avoided that question in the debate.
Well...wait no longer. Go read the debate transcript...he did mention one thing he'd have done differently. You obviously missed it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"And they, the interrogator went through all of these statements from John Kerry. He starts pounding on the table. 'See here, this naval officer, he admits that you are a criminal.'" Excerpt from "Stolen Honor"
- James H. Warner Former Vietnam POW
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I will never submit America's national security to an international test. The use of troops to defend America must never be subject to a veto by countries like France. The President's job is not to take an international poll -- the President's job is to defend America." --President George W. Bush
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Re-elect President Bush
posted on October 13, 2004 12:05:00 AM newbunni - Okay now...I'm going to wait and see if you're willing to tell me just how you think kerry's going to reduce the deficit in 4 years WHILE at the same time promising nearly 2 trillion dollars MORE in spending.
Linda, you say this like Bush is not up to the same thing!! Yes, Bush too supports a budget that, over the next 14 years, will come to over 1 trillion dollars (not 2, for either of them). The difference is that while Bush continues to spend, spend, spend (not to mention getting us into wars) while cutting taxes to corporations & the wealthiest citizens & yet offering no explanation about how things are to be paid for, Kerry has stated a plan on how to recover & raise funds.
____________________
"Bad temper is its own scourge. Few things are more bitter than to feel bitter. A man's venom poisons himself more than his victim." --Charles Buxton
posted on October 13, 2004 07:13:15 AM new
Plus, it's good to keep in mind that Bush created that deficit from a 5.6 surplus. But then According to the right wingers, Bush is responsible for nothing...the most irresponsible President in the history of the United States.
posted on October 13, 2004 07:43:08 AM new
No Linda he did not answer the question. He side stepped the question with a lot of BS and then said this:
Now, you asked what mistakes. I made some mistakes in appointing people, but I'm not going to name them. I don't want to hurt their feelings on national TV.
So he admitted to one mistake and that was such a vague response at best. The person asking the question asked for three mistakes and what was done to correct them.
Here was the original question:
GRABEL: President Bush, during the last four years, you have made thousands of decisions that have affected millions of lives. Please give three instances in which you came to realize you had made a wrong decision, and what you did to correct it. Thank you.
There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again." —George W. Bush, Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002
----------------------------------
Let's have a BBQ, Texas style, ROAST BUSH
------------------------------
On This Week with George Stephanopoulos, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld declares: "the area… that coalition forces control… happens not to be the area where weapons of mass destruction were dispersed. We know where they are. They’re in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and east, west, south and north somewhat."
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[ edited by logansdad on Oct 13, 2004 07:44 AM ]
Excerpt from "Stolen Honor"
