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| Anti-War Liberal Schakowsky Not Convinced by Petreaus | |
| 2007-08-26 | |
| When Rep. Jan Schakowsky made her first trip to Iraq this month, the outspoken antiwar liberal resolved to keep her opinions to herself. "I would listen and learn," she decided. At times that proved a challenge, as when Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih told her congressional delegation, "There's not going to be political reconciliation by this September; there's not going to be political reconciliation by next September." Schakowsky gulped -- wasn't that the whole idea of President Bush's troop increase, to buy time for that political progress? But the real test came over a lunch with Gen. David H. Petraeus, who used charts and a laser pointer to show how security conditions were gradually improving -- evidence, he argued, that the troop increase is doing some good. Still, the U.S. commander cautioned, it could take another decade before real stability is at hand. Schakowsky gasped.
Seated at the Venus (Chicago restaraunt), her white notebook in front of her, Schakowsky recounted some of the day's more vivid images. The irony of having to wear body armor to a meeting of Sunni and Shiite leaders to discuss their progress in working together. The creepy feeling when she examined the improvised explosive devices used to devastating effect against U.S. soldiers, from crude models activated by cellphones to sophisticated Iranian designs that Schakowsky described as "sleek copper bowls." The blasts of a simulated raid by Iraqi soldiers on a terrorism suspect's house. And the stifling heat that felt "like a hair dryer on the back of your neck." But it wasn't just Republicans who came away impressed after visiting Iraq. Rep. Brian Baird (D-Wash.) announced that he will no longer support a timetable for withdrawal, warning of a "potentially catastrophic effect" on the region. Schakowsky acknowledged that the military's presentation may have been effective. "If you took the briefings at their face value, without context, without bringing anything to it -- clearly they were trying to present that positive spin, and that's what [other lawmakers] took away from it." In other words, she didn't learn anything. More at link. | |
| Posted by:Bobby |
| #14 #13 was me Mooses! |
| Posted by: Red Dawg 2007-08-26 23:36 |
| #13 Mooses, LOL you might have one of the best collection of pics.. But Mooses, In the interest of fairness Youse might be being unfair to #3! He's a real sincere kind of person and you know as well as I do that Left-Tard Jan Schakowsky ain't got even one sincere bone in her entire body. LOL! she's a whole lot worser than he is! |
| Posted by: Neville Glomoter4532 2007-08-26 23:35 |
| #12 Damn, #10 OP - What'd the Iraqis do to deserve that? Haven't they suffered enough? |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2007-08-26 21:45 |
| #11 "Don't bother me with the facts, I've already made up my mind!" |
| Posted by: Rex Mundi 2007-08-26 19:59 |
| #10 There are some people, especially in Washington, DC, and among the "elite" in the "news" media, that need to be taken BACK to Iraq and left there. Preferably in the southwestern desert, without water, in their birthday suits, with nothing but a spoon. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2007-08-26 18:28 |
| #9 you have to have a mind first if it's ever going to change lol! |
| Posted by: Unutle McGurque8861 2007-08-26 17:51 |
| #8 Moonbat fantasy meets professional reality. And we wonder why she walkes away confused? Silly folks she even said, "I come from an environment where people talk nine to 10 months," She openly admits she lives in a beltway reality, not any reality remotely based in fact or understanding. What I got from her visit is - she missed her air conditioning, was put out by wearing something other than a beltway bagsuit, and did not like the briefing because it showed a measured and realistic approach to a very complex event. I wish just one person from inside the beltway would actually sit and listen to what Gen Petraeus has to say. They might find out he has a solid understanding of what is happening and what it takes to fix that large complex country. I feel better now. |
| Posted by: 49 Pan 2007-08-26 13:57 |
| #7 Edwards does have a point - There are two Americas - One reads Michael Yon and Ralph Peters, supports the troops and the mission and see the potential for a humiliating defeat for Al Qaeda from which they might never recover. The other reads the MSM and follows the Daily Kossacks, says they support the troops but don't support their mission and see the potential for a humiliating defeat for America from which we may never recover. Which America would you want to live in? |
| Posted by: doc 2007-08-26 13:46 |
| #6 you have to have a mind first if it's ever going to change. She'll be spared that risk. Content with her reality, every fact and evidence disproving it is discarded as "spin" |
| Posted by: Frank G 2007-08-26 13:42 |
| #5 "I would listen and learn," she decided. Why else would you go there Congressperson? To lecture? |
| Posted by: Bobby 2007-08-26 13:27 |
| #4 What bigjim-ky said. I have grave doubts that there is any achievement we could make in Iraq that would convince the Democrats and their MSM cronies to stop undermining the war effort; they've simply got far too much invested in their defeatist narrative at this point, to give it up at any price. We have a simple choice: we can either win this war, or we can let these bastards continue to erode America's will to survive. One or the other. But not both. |
| Posted by: Dave D. 2007-08-26 11:46 |
| #3 |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2007-08-26 10:23 |
| #2 nice going Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih. |
| Posted by: Boss Craising2882 2007-08-26 09:43 |
| #1 Given the anti-war lefts unreasoned hatred of Bush and their foot stomping temper tantrums of late, I don't think there is anything you could say to get her off your back. Even as we hoist the flag of victory she won't care, because she is anti-war. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2007-08-26 08:18 |