A Voice of Reason From the Darkness . . . John McCain

[CaptnKirk]

More Troops Needed

(Last lines are rather disturbing - John Q. Populus is becoming bored with Iraq involvement and are losing intrest)

Washington Post - Clip:

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said after visiting Baghdad last week that President Bush needs to level with the public about the need for more U.S. troops as well as dramatically more spending to make postwar Iraq peaceful enough for democracy to unfold.

MvCain said that, when he returns from the Middle East, he plans to mount a heavy campaign on the issue in meetings with national security adviser Condoleezza Rice and other White House officials and during hearings of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

"We need to tell the American people directly, and I think they'll support it," McCain said from Islamabad, Pakistan. "We must win this conflict. We need a lot more military, and I'm convinced we need to spend a lot more money."

When Bush returns next weekend after a month at his ranch in Texas, one of the first political firestorms he will confront is a broad effort by Democrats on Capitol Hill and on the presidential campaign trail to convince the public that the administration's plans for postwar Iraq need rapid revision.

Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.), ranking minority member on the Foreign Relations Committee, said last week that the administration had "vastly underestimated" the policing and the work on Iraq's infrastructure that would be needed.

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said commanders have assured him that the level of U.S. troops in Iraq is adequate. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell asked the United Nations to encourage members to send more troops to Iraq as part of a U.S.-led coalition, and Bush said he expects more foreign troops to arrive in Iraq.

Aides said Bush plans to ask for more funds for Iraq in a supplemental budget request later this year. He has refused to give any range for how much might be needed.

Joshua B. Bolten, director of the Office of Management and Budget, said Friday during a visit to The Washington Post that the amount will depend on the flow of oil, the security situation and the level of international contributions.

"I think the president will be comfortable coming forward with his proposal when he feels confident enough in the numbers that we feel we can give it a good justification," Bolten said. "We thought the only responsible thing to do was wait until we had a clearer picture of what the answers to those questions would be."

The skeptics' case has been bolstered by the continuing casualties among U.S. troops and by the administration's admission -- after the bombing Tuesday of U.N. headquarters in Baghdad -- that foreign-fed terrorism has become a grave threat in Iraq.

McCain, who is leading a bipartisan House and Senate delegation throughout the Middle East, said Friday that he estimates the United States needs to add $13 billion to $15 billion for reconstruction alone, "as quick as we can spend it."

He said the failure to restore basic services more widely could lead to more violence.

"When it's 125 degrees and people don't have electricity and water, they get very unhappy," he said. "Time is not on our side."

A Newsweek poll released yesterday found that 60 percent of respondents thought the United States was spending too much in Iraq and should scale back, and that 69 percent were concerned the United States would be bogged down for many years in Iraq without making much progress.

 

[Bleep]

I think a lot of problems over there are realated to the attitude of some of the officers and soldiers .
I just talked to a Army Captain that returned from Iraq last week and she was complaining that she only had a little air conditioning now and then, she was in Bagdad sleeping in a bed everynight and had really no idea what the average soldier was going through and how they were living. She also stated to me that they (meaning the army) are not policeman, I took this as a excuse as to the problems getting out of hand with the populace. I asked her if they could not act as a police body why do they call out the Nat Guard when extra police help is needed in a disaster, her reply was "that is not really being police".
It may well be that this is a unique attitude but she did not come to this conclusion all by herself. I have heard this a lot on some of the media talk shows. Mostly on FOX and CNN
This Captain is in intellegence which does not speak well for how intellegent do you have to be to be in intellegence. Not much it seems.

Bleep

 

[CaptnKirk]

See that tent on the left just past the soldier - that was home.
No air conditioning, just a cot, misquito net, and a place to leave my weapon and helmet when sleeping. And I had it easy.
Think about all you have for a year is a place to set your weapon before going back out - and when you come back - if you come back -
you don't even get the same cot and locker, and may not even have the same GI's you knew with you this trip.
You're going back out into the game after a day or two to unwind, write a letter, and BS with brothers.

Look around the site and see what was there - the Iraq saga isn't posted yet, but some have received some pics of things
(Sand Migs was impressive)

Don't confuse gathering INTELLIGENCE with being INTELLIGENT, they're not even close. Go to a country where you
don't know the culture and don't speak the language, and try to figure out who's doing what where,
It's not as simple as Colonel Mustard in the Library with OJ's Knife.

Was I inteligent? I think so - I'm still here, I didn't have to gather inteligence from a foriegn population,
I used my inteligence to fix things that were broke so we could support critical operations - like life and death.

 

[Moonbeam]

I smell panic in the Republican party. Bush is in the basement screaming, 'Get me out of Iraq".

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: Moonbeam
I smell panic in the Republican party. Bush is in the basement screaming, 'Get me out of Iraq".

Nah, that's just the left's projection of themselves Take a look at the Democrats, their falling all over each other to see who can be the most against Bush

McCain may have some valid points but adding more troops might not be the answer...just more targets Just my Opinion.

CkG

 

[LeadMagnet]

the United States needs to add $13 billion to $15 billion for reconstruction alone

so let's do some math

100++ billion to invade Iraq
100+ billion to cleanup and rebuild lower WTC
50+ billion for electrical system upgrades
and I am sure you guys can think of ALOT more tax money that was spent on issues arising for the USA dependency on forgien oil.


I wonder how much WE taxpayers have spent researching alternative fuels, or putting solar panels on roof, perhaps some windmills off Cape Cod, hell even cleaner breder nuclear reactors.

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: LeadMagnet

the United States needs to add $13 billion to $15 billion for reconstruction alone

so let's do some math

100++ billion to invade Iraq
100+ billion to cleanup and rebuild lower WTC
50+ billion for electrical system upgrades
and I am sure you guys can think of ALOT more tax money that was spent on issues arising for the USA dependency on forgien oil.


I wonder how much WE taxpayers have spent researching alternative fuels, or putting solar panels on roof, perhaps some windmills off Cape Cod, hell even cleaner breder nuclear reactors.

Even if were possible to drop $ from one and put it directly toward another we'd have people bitching. Certain people don't want windmills "in their backyard" and don't even start with the nuke reactor stuff..it's a nightmare.

I wouldn't be opposed to spending $ on R&D for energy but until people and the gov't(including local and state) get serious about it - it won't happen.

CkG

 

[Moonbeam]

Originally posted by: LeadMagnet

the United States needs to add $13 billion to $15 billion for reconstruction alone

so let's do some math

100++ billion to invade Iraq
100+ billion to cleanup and rebuild lower WTC
50+ billion for electrical system upgrades
and I am sure you guys can think of ALOT more tax money that was spent on issues arising for the USA dependency on forgien oil.


I wonder how much WE taxpayers have spent researching alternative fuels, or putting solar panels on roof, perhaps some windmills off Cape Cod, hell even cleaner breder nuclear reactors.

You're just going to get upset if you start doing a lot of thinking.

 

[LeadMagnet]

RE:A Voice of Reason From the Darkness . . . John McCain

You're just going to get upset if you start doing a lot of thinking.

If my brain start to hurt I'll just stick it with a Q-tip.

 

[JellyBaby]

So McCain wants to throw more money at Iraq, eh? I believe there comes a time when you have to weigh the benefit of these extra-American activites with the costs to the people actually working to pay for the effort. Unfortunately, when it comes to such an analysis, our representatives often think selfishly. "Ah, to be part of history!" "To help create a legacy for my President!" "Wow, I'm making a difference". Or my favorite, "My campaign contributors will really like this!"

But will it be a history remembered for positive change abroad at the expense of domestic policy serving Americans? Sure, we might have a nice supply of crude for several more decades but the compromises that must be made domestically -- no new social programs, massive debt, loss of international goodwill, creation of new enemies, on and on -- are not imaginary.

What do you tell your grandkid when he asks why you had such a high standard of living but he endures ultra high taxes and is forced to live in a small, government run apartment complex? Will you say, "But kids in Iraq are better off because we spent so much on them a few years ago! Aren't you happy?"

Harming one group to uplift another is not a just act. They may say we can afford it but when I do the math I come to a different conclusion.

I'd be more impressed with McCain if he tried to introduce legislation that called for a paycut for all members of Congress until Iraq sees a democratic government. Something more substantial than mere words to indicate he and his buddies understand the burden and costs these actions impose upon the regular folk that are forced to fund it.

 

[Moonbeam]

I think some Republicans are thinking they could lose their jobs.

 

[Syringer]

Originally posted by: JellyBaby
What do you tell your grandkid when he asks why you had such a high standard of living but he endures ultra high taxes and is forced to live in a small, government run apartment complex? Will you say, "But kids in Iraq are better off because we spent so much on them a few years ago! Aren't you happy?"

Yeah, God forbid any kid ever cares for anyone but himself.

 

[JellyBaby]

Yeah, God forbid any kid ever cares for anyone but himself.

When you get your paycheck how do you decide where to spend the money? Is your first thought of your wife and kids? Or is it your neighbor's family? If the later, and you misspend your earnings such that the future health of your family is adversely affected, how do you reconcile that?

Charity is beautiful, no doubt about it. But we must ensure we have the opportunity to be charitable both today and tomorrow.

 

[phillyTIM]

Originally posted by: LeadMagnet

100++ billion to invade Iraq
100+ billion to cleanup and rebuild lower WTC
50+ billion for electrical system upgrades

Thanks for reminding us how much of our taxpayer money is going toward Iraq, for what does that buy us? NOTHING..... now I'm feeling pissy again. UGH!

The George Bush WMD Regime needs to be removed by a band of China, Russia and North Korea; just as the US/UK took our the Iraq Regime. The Bush Regime's ouster in Election '04 won't come a single millisecond too soon.