Sen. John Warner "cuts and runs"

[Don Corleone]

I was at death's door on Friday and through the weekend, recovering from a thankfully short-lived flu bug, so I didn't have time to post this. But I'm amazed nobody else did.

Sen. John Warner, Republican from Viriginia, former chairman of the Armed Services Committee and about one of the most hawkish guys in the Senate, called on the President to begin removing troops from Iraq starting in mid September.

What do you guys think? He's turned coward after all these years of advocating aggressive military postures? I mean, he was Ronnie's man in the Senate during the cold war. I think he actually helped write the bill that authorized Bush to use force in Iraq in the first place. Is he pro-terrorist?

[HoreTore]

He hates freedom.

[drone]

From what I read, he is just fed up with the Iraqi government.
[warner]If they aren't willing to take responsibility and try to run the country, what's the point of leaving the troops?[/warner]

This may be his last term, so he might not really care about the political ramifications of anything. If he runs again in 2008, unless the Dem candidate is a pinko transvestite heroin addict, he/she will get my vote. I will not forgive the Military Commissions Act.

[Xiahou]

I didn't post this because it's not really anything new. Warner has been calling for drawdowns, redeployments, ect. for a while now. Certainly from before this recent trip. Yet every time he opens his mouth it's covered as some great new shift in opinion.

[Don Corleone]

I hadn't heard of him calling for troop pullbacks before, my bad. I thought the only Republican senator that was calling for them was Hagel.

[Xiahou]

I hadn't heard of him calling for troop pullbacks before, my bad. I thought the only Republican senator that was calling for them was Hagel.

He and Lugar sponsored a bill recently I believe. Don't have time to search for it at the moment though...

[Spino]

I can appreciate the poker hand logic that might be behind this action. Warner seems to be banking on the notion that a message to the Iraqi PM in the form of a 'shape up for we ship out' threat will have the desireable effect. Since it was Warner who threw this one out there I'm inclined to think he doesn't really mean it. On the other hand... Warner voted against the troop surge which actually seems to be having a positive effect so perhaps he really is in favor of calling it quits.

Whenever members of Congress flap their jaws I wonder just how familiar they actually are with the subject matter at hand? Probably not very much. Maybe Warner should, like most Congressmen, stop reading the pre-highlighted, summation paragraphs prepared for them by their assistants and pages before shooting their mouth off. Even then would it make any difference?

[KafirChobee]

He hates freedom.

ROFL .... good one!

Actually, Sen. Warner is simply supporting the Bushys own feelings about al-Maliki's government.

Remember just last week Bush made comments complaining about the progress of al-Maliki and his inability to meet the goals we (Bushys) set for him.

http://www.wral.com/news/national_wo...story/1725717/

Then, Bush retracted -or clarified (depending on your support for the occupation - war as they prefer to call it) what he said. Saying in affect, "You're doing a great job Brownie ... er, Nouri - who-ah-ya, old buddy, old pal".
After of course al-Maliki again expressed his attitude that he could get along just fine without us (US).

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20070714/iraq/
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/07/14/2518/
Personally, it is time for us to give al-Maliki his wish. We pull the bulk of the troops out and home to their loved ones - and leave a contingency force in the North to protect the Kurds from a Turk invasion (and of course protect the oil fields there).

Warner is just another of Bushys stooges doing their bidding to scare someone that knows how to play the game better than they do.

Screw it, lets get the hey out of there. Now! After all, even al-Maliki says they don't need us there.

[Odin]

Screw it, lets get the hey out of there. Now! After all, even al-Maliki says they don't need us there.

Seconded.

Warner is about done anyway isnt he? And what was he talking about a 5000 troop pull back as a symbol to maliki that we "wont stay indefinately"?

Nah, add a another 0 and I'll bite, the power vaccum and who fills it (sadr) once we leave should be a nice little legacy for Bush when he goes on the speaking circut, or opens his library, or writes a book.

[Tribesman]

What do you guys think?

Just another politician who has realised what a screw up he supported , it just took him a long time to figure it out .

Personally, it is time for us to give al-Maliki his wish. We pull the bulk of the troops out and home to their loved ones - and leave a contingency force in the North to protect the Kurds from a Turk invasion (and of course protect the oil fields there).

Just wondering Kafir , since the Turks are your allies and the kurdish groups they want to attack in Iraq are terrorists according to your government how would that work ?
And of course the oil fields there pump the oil to Turkey so what would they be protecting ?
Since they are doing nothing to protect the Kurds from the Iranian attacks why would they do anything about the Turks ?

[drone]

Senator John Warner cuts and runs.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Warner to retire from Senate

(CNN) -- Sen. John Warner, R-Virginia, said Friday he won't run for re-election.

Sen. John Warner, R-Virginia, was first elected to his seat in 1978.

"I say that my work and service to Virginia as a senator will conclude upon the 6th of January, 2009, when I finish ... my career of a then 30 years in the United States Senate," said Warner, 80.

Warner announced his retirement during a news conference at the University of Virginia, his alma mater.

Warner's retirement puts Senate Republicans in a bigger bind as they try to recapture the chamber from the Democrats in next year's election.

Virginia was once a solid red state, but Democrats have won most of the major state wide elections in recent years.

Two entertaining senatorial elections in a row for me, apparently!

[Odin]

Senator John Warner cuts and runs.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Warner to retire from Senate

(CNN) -- Sen. John Warner, R-Virginia, said Friday he won't run for re-election.

Sen. John Warner, R-Virginia, was first elected to his seat in 1978.

"I say that my work and service to Virginia as a senator will conclude upon the 6th of January, 2009, when I finish ... my career of a then 30 years in the United States Senate," said Warner, 80.

Warner announced his retirement during a news conference at the University of Virginia, his alma mater.

Warner's retirement puts Senate Republicans in a bigger bind as they try to recapture the chamber from the Democrats in next year's election.

Virginia was once a solid red state, but Democrats have won most of the major state wide elections in recent years.

Two entertaining senatorial elections in a row for me, apparently!

The republicans are about done, they will be lucky if they dont loose more seats in the senate.

Balance is a wonderful thing, a dem president with a majority in both houses, lets see how much of a mess they can create, cant be worse then the ones the current fools have made.