July 6, 2007

News Flash: Another RINO Has It Both Ways!

Hatched by Dafydd

So yet another Republican who is much more liberal than the mainstream of the GOP conference, Pete Domenici (R-NM, 75%), has broken ranks with the president and come out against the Iraq war... though he cautions he won't vote to end it, either.

Domenici joins such Republican conservative stalwarts as Dick Lugar (IN, 64%), George Voinovich (OH, 56%), Olympia Snowe (ME, 36%), Susan Collins (ME, 48%), Arlen Specter (PA, 43%), Chuck Hagel (NE, 75%), Norm Coleman (MN, 68%), and John Warner (VA, 64%). Remember, the percentages above represent how many times the senator voted with the American Conservative Union.

To the elite media, a senator like Pete Domenici represents a "GOP stalwart":

In another setback to President Bush's increasingly unpopular war strategy, GOP stalwart Sen. Pete Domenici said he wants to see an end to combat operations and U.S. troops heading home from Iraq by spring.

The longtime New Mexico senator is the latest of several party loyalists and former war supporters to abandon Bush on Iraq in the past 10 days. They have urged a change sooner rather than later and further isolated the GOP president in his attempt to defend the unpopular war.

Here is the deep reasoning behind Domenici's content-free announcement:

"I do not support an immediate withdrawal from Iraq or a reduction in funding for our troops," Domenici said. "But I do support a new strategy that will move our troops out of combat operations and on the path to coming home...." [Something like, say, a counterinsurgency strategy?]

"I have carefully studied the Iraq situation and believe we cannot continue asking our troops to sacrifice indefinitely while the Iraqi government is not making measurable progress to move its country forward," he said.... ["Measurable progress" would be, say, enacting an oil-revenue sharing bill? Alas that they're making no progress on that front...]

The senator said the situation in Iraq is getting worse. [Yes, the news clearly indicates the "surge" (I'll bet Domenici calls it that) has failed.] He said he now supports a bipartisan bill that embraces the findings of the independent Iraq Study Group. [Which, queerly enough, include initiating a "surge" (the ISG's term) to secure Baghdad and other vital areas (p. 50 of the pdf). Go figure!]

Hard as it is to fathom, Sen. Domenici doesn't appear to have read Big Lizards at all.

This is what passes for "carefully stud[ying] the Iraq situation" in RINOland: a misinterpretation of a misreading mistakenly missing the mission, followed by an indecisive and ineffective independence from individual initiative in the year 2007 Anno Domenici.

"I don't have a clue what's going on, but I know what I must do about it: nothing! And I'll do it good and hard, too."

Wake me when Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY, 84%) or one of the "Big Four" Republican presidential candidates calls for retreat and withdrawal to nearby Okinawa. Or heck, even when Pete Domenici does.

Hatched by Dafydd on this day, July 6, 2007, at the time of 3:02 AM

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Comments

The following hissed in response by: Davod

Isn't Domencini in trouble for pushing one of the fired Prosecutors to look into Democrat problems. Maybe he is just looking for some good PR.

The above hissed in response by: Davod [TypeKey Profile Page] at July 6, 2007 3:50 AM

The following hissed in response by: Terrye

I don't think Lugar or Domenici would vote to pull out of Iraq, I think they are just saying they want to see the guys come home, soon. Don't we all. What counts is how they vote.

The above hissed in response by: Terrye [TypeKey Profile Page] at July 6, 2007 4:06 AM

The following hissed in response by: Terry Gain

What they say also counts. The key to the Surge is the infusion of Iraqi troops who are holding areas that have been cleared. The Surge is working militarily. One wonders where Domenici gets his news if he doesn't know that.

When it's clear that the Surge has worked Republicans will be able to ask why the public should support a party that didn't have the insight, foresight or fortitude to support the mission through to a successful conclusion. Republicans like Domenici won't be able to say that.

OTOH if the current pattern does not continue and the war is not won, Republicans are toast in 08 and no amount of backtracking now will make any difference in the vast majority of cases.

The above hissed in response by: Terry Gain [TypeKey Profile Page] at July 6, 2007 5:57 AM

The following hissed in response by: Big D

I think the illness of RINOs is the need to get their names in the paper occasionally. What better way than to parrot the press and bash Bush?

The above hissed in response by: Big D [TypeKey Profile Page] at July 6, 2007 9:19 AM

The following hissed in response by: PC14

Last Friday, while waiting my turn at the barber shop, a Camp Pendelton Marine Intelligence Officer was getting his hair cut (the barber did not charge him) and we were talking Iraq. He has put in four tours and said the biggest hindrance that he faces is the fear of the typical moderate Iraqi who knows stuff and could finger bad guys but just isn't willing to do so as they are terrified by the possibility of our withdrawal. He said there are some very brave people who just won't tolerate terrorist violence and will even turn in their sons if necessary. If the majority of the population felt that they could come forward and provide intelligence about the bad guys, he said we would have Baghdad completely under control. But the troops understand that the average moderate Iraqi is smart enough to know that he and his family will be executed once there is a troop withdrawal. He said criticism of Iraqi citizens by US politicians drives him nuts.

If the freakin' Dems and other surrender monkeys would just shut their pie holes and let the Generals do their thing, great stuff could happen.

The above hissed in response by: PC14 [TypeKey Profile Page] at July 6, 2007 9:44 AM

The following hissed in response by: YOURMOMMA

The Sacramento Bee led this morning's edition with Rep. John Doolittle's (R-CA)withdrawal of support for the Iraq war. His turn-about is especially interesting because he has been a strong supporter of Pres.Bush's plan, and his defection follows several weeks of prominent articles in The Bee about possible conflict of interests involving Mr. Doolittle's wife. Even more interesting is that he announced his new stance to a town meeting in Rocklin, CA, followed by a meeting with the Board of Editors at The Bee. Is this defection or deflection?

The above hissed in response by: YOURMOMMA [TypeKey Profile Page] at July 6, 2007 10:14 AM

The following hissed in response by: MTF

Domenici is disgusting.

The above hissed in response by: MTF [TypeKey Profile Page] at July 6, 2007 11:26 AM

The following hissed in response by: Rovin

PC14, I'm guessing 70 to 80% of the troops over there feel the same way your Marine Intelligence Officer does----from our dear "we support the troops" left-toids.

When it's clear that the Surge has worked Republicans will be able to ask why the public should support a party that didn't have the insight, foresight or fortitude to support the mission through to a successful conclusion.

Terry, I've got me a long and well prepared list waiting for those who turned their backs on our troops and the Iraqi nation, especially for those who did it for obvious political gain.

The above hissed in response by: Rovin [TypeKey Profile Page] at July 6, 2007 5:07 PM

The following hissed in response by: exDemo

I'm glad to see another Republican getting on board the President's post Surge "Victory is Imminent" program of the Iraqi stand up as we stand down, ahead of time.

Coming to a political lectern around Thanksgiving with the first troop draw down scheduled for next Summer, if all goes according to plan.

I can see the wailing and gnashing of teeth by committed Surrendercrats, having to lose out to a Peace with Honor, we stayed the course long enough to win, preemption of all their ridiculous hate.

Let them nominate Billary and go down in flames in a 48-50 state sweep to Rudy and Fred. It was delicious to see the flunk-out Elmer Gantry not carry his home State of Tennessee. It will be even nicer to see the Billary carpetbagger loss of New York...

One or two more SCOTUS judges and breakup the 9th circle of anti-American ignorami, and fill the one third of the vacancies on the Fourth Circuit.
No more Gang of 14 nonsense from the professional "Stick a finger in the eye of your friends; Get a headline" crowd of defanged McCain and Lindsey.

Goodbye Jackass Party control of the Judiciary! Is it too soon to wish you a speedy die off aging hippie liberals!!

Hallelujah!!

No more asinine, imbecilic, moronic judgments that a nation at war, can't hold enemy POWs for the duration.

George Washington, the Continental Congress, Abraham Lincoln no to mention Woodrow Wilson, FDR and Harry Truman were war criminals for trying to imprison lovely, patriotic, murderers of civilians and soldiers.

The ACLU types say make nice, and sing kumbaya instead... we won't have to entertain those idiots any longer.

Hallelujah!!


The above hissed in response by: exDemo [TypeKey Profile Page] at July 7, 2007 11:24 AM

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