(Just a reminder... - promoted by Phillip Martin)
"No timetable, no funding. No excuses."
From an e-mail from the Edwards campaign: Tonight, after President Bush makes yet another argument for continuing the war in Iraq, John Edwards will speak directly to the American people in a nationwide address on MSNBC.
Our campaign has bought airtime on MSNBC immediately following the President's address at 9 p.m., and John Edwards will challenge the President's remarks with a strong call to the nation to end the war now. Edwards is the only front-running candidate to unequivocally call for an immediate withdrawal of all the troops.
The difference between Edwards, Obama, and Clinton? I am going to unashamedly quote directly from Edwards' website: "My position has been very clear. For over a year, I have called for an immediate withdrawal of 40-50,000 troops--not by next summer, not in the near future, but today--to jumpstart the comprehensive political solution that will end the violence in Iraq and will allow a complete withdrawal of all combat troops within 9 to 10 months. Some, like Senator Obama, have said we should only `begin' to end this war now. Senator Obama would withdraw only 1-2 combat brigades a month between now and the end of next year, which for the next several months could essentially mimic the president's own plans to withdraw 30,000 troops by next summer.
"Taking credit for this gradual withdrawal is like taking credit for gravity. These 30,000 troops would have to be withdrawn anyway, unless the president extended tours to an unconscionable 18 months.
"Enough is enough. We don't need to `begin' to end the war now. What we need to do now is actually end the war. This is about right and wrong. Our young men and women are dying every day for a failed policy. Every member of Congress who believes this war must end, from Senators Obama and Clinton to Senator Warner, has a moral responsibility to use every tool available to them, including a filibuster, to force the president to change course. Congress must stand firm and say: No timetable, no funding. No excuses." Why is Edwards position so welcome to me, personally? Because of things like this, from a Washington Post article titled"Democrats push toward middle on Iraq policy":Democratic leaders in Congress have decided to shift course and pursue modest bipartisan measures to alter U.S. military strategy in Iraq, hoping to use incremental changes instead of aggressive legislation to break the grip Republicans have held over the direction of war policy. We didn't elect a Democratic majority so they could sit on their hands. Watch John Edwards tonight, read the responses from Obama and Clinton tomorrow, and see which candidate matches your beliefs on Iraq.
**UPDATE**To read more details about Obama's plan, read this New York Times article. |
