Now, isn’t this rich? “Nancy Pelosi has traveled to Iraq,” she’s there now, “for a quick fact finding visit that will include a meeting with the Iraqi prime minister, al-Maliki. The congressional delegation traveling with her includes Tom Lantos, Democrat from San Mateo; Ike Skelton of Missouri; Jack Murtha, and a couple of others. They are scheduled to return to Washington on Monday.” Now, what is this really all about? We know these people are trying to lose the war. They are invested in defeat. They want to “bring the troops home.” They want to make sure that there’s nothing solved, and they want this to happen by May, by the way. Don’t ever forget this: these people continue to play politics with the troops, with their little resolutions. Republicans, by the way, are sort of hanging tough (except for Hagel, about whom more later) but they’re refusing to compromise with the authors of this resolution on the Democrat side. But regardless politics with the troops is being played here.
Pelosi and this bunch that’s over there meeting with the Iraqi prime minister, do any of you really think that they’re going to over there with an open mind and if the Iraqi prime minister says, “You know, we’re making a lot of progress here and we can wipe this insurgency out and we’ve got Mookie on our side now.” Mookie is triangulating, by the way. Muqtada al-Sadr has surprised everything by saying he, too, is in favor of getting the rid of the insurgents. Well, he’s the insurgency! (Laughing.) So he’s telling us he’s in favor of getting rid of himself. That tells me he’s worried it’s going to be successful; he’s trying to buy some time for his own life, folks. When Mookie says, “Hey, you know, I like this plan! I want to get rid of the insurgents, too,” it’s a sure sign he thinks that it might work. But come on! Pelosi and Murtha and Lantos and Skelton are going over there and might come back with the change of heart? Don’t be fooled, my good friends! This is nothing more than liberals traveling to Iraq for photo-ops.
They’re going to come home and because they’ve been there and they will have the pictures to prove it, they will claim to know even more what is happening on the ground as they plot to undermine the war! That’s all this trip is about. There’s no open-mindedness on their part. This is totally to further their attempt to undermine and sabotage the opportunity for victory over this enemy in this war in Iraq, and I’m sure they’ll come back with the requisite stories from the troops, selected troops, that don’t believe in what we’re doing and think this surge is silly and so forth, and it will be a classic attempt to once again divide not only the military, but the American people as well and to continue to gin up all of this support for defeat.
Meanwhile, Senator Feingold — who couldn’t wait to shake President Bush’s hand after the State of the Union speech, out in the hall outside the House chamber. He couldn’t way to shake his hand, tell him he’s doing a good job. “Senator Feingold has scheduled a hearing next Tuesday in his judiciary committee subcommittee to explore whether Congress has the authority to cut off funding for the US military campaign in Iraq. The move comes as the Congress prepares to vote on a congressional resolution opposing the escalation of the war.” Feingold is obviously “a fierce war critic, is going to force Democrats to consider an option that many consider politically suicidal: denying funds to the military and US soldiers to force a quicker end to the war.” Meanwhile: yesterday, there were some fireworks at the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. Carl Levin and John McCain had this exchange about the troops in Iraq.
LEVIN: A significant amount of the troops that are there want us to change the direction in Iraq, so it’s not us sending a wrong message. The troops themselves and their families have indicated — very strongly, in large numbers — that the message that they want to get to the Iraqis is get on with their own government, get on with their own nation.
McCAIN: Mr. Chairman, I think I’m familiar with the sentiment of many of the troops, and the fact is they want to win.
LEVIN: We — we all want that.
McCAIN: We want to win and that’s why we’re changing the strategy, Mr. Chairman, and I’m sorry you don’t support the strategy.
LEVIN: A strategy which has failed!
RUSH: Get that! McCain just essentially said to Levin, “Look, you can’t tell me what the sentiments of the troops and their families are because I know what they are, and the fact is they want to win!” And Levin says, “Well we all want that.” No, you don’t all want to win! And McCain said, “and that’s why we’re changing the strategy, Mr. Chairman, and I’m sorry you don’t support the strategy.” He’s saying: I’m sorry you don’t support victory, Mr. Chairman — and Levin says it’s :a strategy that has failed.” It hasn’t failed yet; it hasn’t been implemented yet! That’s what this is all about.