Nov 16 2007
Tide Turning Against Democrats On Iraq
Boy, oh boy! Are the democrats in deep trouble with the American people over Iraq. The Dems NEVER ran on a policy of retreating in defeat on Iraq. They promised to change course – but never once explained to America they meant make us all losers. After voting for the war in 2003, the Dems have done everything they could think of to lose it. While Iraq was a mess the Dems had a chance to own the debate. But once things turned in Iraq and stories of success started avalanching out of the country – the Dems should have joined the chorus of surprised celebration.
The fact is Iraq IS reconciling. It would take a big government Democrat to miss the fact reform and healing don’t require legislation to happen. When you look at the essence of the legislative benchmarks many believe are key to political victory in Iraq the fact is the reconciliation ACTIONS covered by these benchmarks are being taken now – just without the requirement of some lame law to force their execution:
If you look at the big five legislative initiatives that we’ve been trying to pursue, for example, none of them has been signed as a law yet. But I think what’s going on, on that front, is quite interesting. Take for example hydrocarbon legislation and de-Baathification, the biggest of the big five. There are no laws passed yet on either one of them, and yet the government is distributing oil revenue to Sunni provinces proportionately to their populations. And the government is hiring Sunnis into the Iraqi security forces.
You get this very bizarre situation in which, even though they won’t pass the laws we’re leaning on them so hard to pass, they’re behaving as though the laws had been passed.
Bizarre for people to do the right thing without needing a law on the books to tell them to do it? To paraphrase a few standard jokes: if a tree fell in the forest, a democrat would only know it did so if some legislation was passed proclaiming the act. Or, how many democrats does it take to change a light bulb? The same number it takes to pass the legislation mandating the light bulb be changed!
The fact is amazing progress in Iraq. And there are amazing stories of how Americans are coming to the aid of Iraqis in need. These stories are reverberating across Iraq along with the stories of al-Qaeda’s horrific atrocities. It has become evident in Iraq America is not the enemy, al-Qaeda is. And that has led to a sea change there.
And there continues to be data coming from Iraq that violence is dropping off. Check out the latest statistics on the roadside bomb count in Iraq – the most deadly weapon used against Americans:
An American military official on Thursday reported a sharp decrease in the number of roadside bombs and other homemade explosive devices in Iraq. The official, Maj. Gen. James E. Simmons, said Iran, which American officials contend is the source of the deadliest of those weapons, appeared to be abiding by a reported commitment to halt their flow into Iraq.
General Simmons said 1,560 improvised explosive devices directed at international forces or Iraqis across the country were identified in October, down after a steady monthly decline from 3,239 in March. Half of the bombs recorded for October were found before they detonated and were cleared, but the other half exploded.
The changes in perception now flowing across Iraq are also now sweeping across America. Gallup came out with a poll this week showing the Dems performing terribly when it comes to Iraq:
But on four other issues, the public offers more clearly negative assessments. Six in 10 Americans are disappointed or angry with the Democrats’ performance on healthcare and the federal budget deficit. About two-thirds have a negative reaction to their handling of immigration and Iraq.
Calling for defeat in the face of victory is NEVER going to be a popular position. But there is another poll out that is even more stunning because it shows a dramatic shift in the number of people who see the Surge as working:
Do you think the recent increase in U.S. troops has led to major improvements in the situation in Iraq, minor improvements, or has the troop surge not made much of a difference at all?
13-14 Nov 07
Major Improvements: 25%
Minor Improvements: 34%
Not Much of a difference: 32%
Made things Worse: 3%
Don’t Know: 5%Improvement = 59%; Nothing/Worse = 35%
11-12 Sep 07
Major Improvements: 17%
Minor Improvements: 32%
Not Much of a difference: 45%
Made things Worse: 3%
Don’t Know: 3%Improvement = 49%; Nothing/Worse = 48%
17-18 Jul 07
Major Improvements: 18%
Minor Improvements: 33%
Not Much of a difference: 39%
Made things Worse: 2%
Don’t Know: 8%Improvement = 51%; Nothing/Worse = 41%
17-18 Apr 07
Major Improvements: 14%
Minor Improvements: 26%
Not Much of a difference: 45%
Made things Worse: 4%
Don’t Know: 12%Improvement = 40%; Nothing/Worse = 49%
Back in April the Surge had a -9% deficit in public opinion. It had +1 in September. Now in November it is +24. That is a huge swing from the time Harry Reid first claimed the war was lost and the Surge a failure. The dems are not facing an electorate that disagrees with them on 60% to 35%, which is not much different from the positions seen in the recent views on giving driver’s licenses to undocumented workers. With historically low popularity numbers, Congress should not be trying to sell defeat to America! But they Surrendercrats are madly doing just that.
The fallacy of their ways is thinking Americans need to see an instant turn around to see hope. We don’t. We know things take time. But we can also see the trends. Just look at my posts from over the last few weeks on Iraq! Wave after wave of news about progress and success and hope. Is it any wonder America is not buying the delusions of the Surrendercrats. I am not sure the GOP will be able to take back control of Congress in 2008. But if the Dems continue on this self destructive path of wishing defeat upon America while signs show victory is possible, they just could lose Congress after all.
So AJ, how is this latest democrat threat to withold funding
as stated by Harry Reid going to play out?
I think it won’t play out in Harry’s favor as they will be the ones to force a shutdown of DOD. From what Gates said, they don’t have much money to move around so he’s telling DOD to start planning to lay off 100,000 people on the domestic force, which will weaken the home front.
This was what he told Congress. Gee, those Democrats still gave the military a hard time yesterday.
I expect sooth-copperhead to tell us AJ lied to us with those numbers again! What a nice surprise to not see such a negative post!
They never told us their clever plan was to surrender faster than a Frenchman, or raise taxes on every bill possible or add fees to whatever service they can, or legalize felon and illegal immigrants as voters for the socialist party.
They never tell us their true intentions else they would be soundly defeated every time so they LIE.
Universal healthcare ? What like the V.A. hospitals currently have? A truely scary scenario that I don’t want my family subjected to.
Government does virtually everything worse than the private sector.
Shut up and pass funds for the troops (you support) and who are winning despite the Democrat party.
As far as I’m concerned, we have achieve a Military Victory in Iraq. Now the tough part, winning the peace. Let’s all do a lot of praying in the months and years ahead.
Jihad Watch, a website devoted to one topic, posted Diane West’s article on Tom Tancredo. I wanted to post a few comments from that site, just to show the contrast. You can view them all here:
http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/018818.php#comments
COMMENTS:
It sounds like Tancredo “gets it.” Therefore, he will never be president. 🙂
Posted by: Mo Foe
Tancredo is exactly what we need, but sadly he doesn’t have a chance in hell of getting elected for President next year. He would also make a great VP for Giuliani who I believe will win the Presidency.
Posted by: Bonniea
Sad that a Western leader is stepping up and he has no chance.
Posted by: Elric66
Tom Tancredo is the most patriotic American in politics today. God grant him victory.
Posted by: Ynkedoodl2
These days nothing is more dangerous than the truth.
I give full credit to Mr. Tancredo for saying it as it is.
Posted by: The fanatic
Re Tancredo’s warning-
Winston Churchill was called a war monger, heckled, and was the subject of numerous sanctimonious editorials and attacks for his “fear mongering” in the 1930’s re Hitler and the Nazis. Churchill called this time “my out of step period”. Eventually his critics got in step with Prime Minister Churchill.
Posted by: Frank
Of course there’s a chance that a jihadi could cross the border illegally.”
Huh? Chance?
We must assume that it is a reality that a terrorist squad will cross either border.
Posted by: Pelayo
How can people advocating open boarders not feel ashamed of themselves? They are just advocating slave labor and a free pass for drug gangs, murderers, rapists, kidnappers, and jihadists.
Posted by: mrockroll1969
The ad will fall on deaf ears and blind eyes until bodies are stacked up like cord wood. Most American are in denial on this issue, they can’t believe a religion that encourages death and conquest exists.
As far as securing the borders go:
The Left won’t secure the borders because they want the Hispanic vote and they have to deal with a belligerant Hispanic caucus that is blackmailing the rest of the party withholding their votes.
The right is too busy sucking up to business and shafting the American worker on rotten trade agreements to give a shit.
And both are working on North American Union.
Posted by: waltc
I’ll call myself an American supremeist, Tancredo isn’t saying anything that the other candidates don’t know. His electability is the bottem line, and he will not get the votes. The issue of illegle aliens should be of concern to all Americans, but we’ve to a point in America where we lable poeple as African,Mexican,Native,Irish, and so forth American. Until we all, stand as Americans first it will not matter what any seeker of the office of the Presidency of this great nation says, as we are so divided. Hell we won’t call a terrorist a terrorist or an illegle alien, an illegle alien.
Posted by: AMartinez
My daughter works at a manufacturing company in which about half the workers are illegals. There is no question that she would be better paid were it not for them. They not only take our jobs, they depress our wages. But don’t kid yourself, businesses love the cheap labor, and money talks.
Posted by: jewdog
Imagine who is crossing in the open desert.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57289
http://lonestartimes.com/2007/05/23/terrorists-come-over-the-open-border-no-way/
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/031006/6venezuela.htm
Posted by: buckshot3565
Time to get some sleep. I hope everyone has a great weekend.
Jihad Watch, a website devoted to one topic, posted Diane West’s article on Tom Tancredo. I wanted to post a few comments from that site, just to show the contrast. You can view them all here:
http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/018818.php#comments
COMMENTS:
It sounds like Tancredo “gets it.” Therefore, he will never be president. 🙂
Posted by: Mo Foe
Tancredo is exactly what we need, but sadly he doesn’t have a chance in hell of getting elected for President next year. He would also make a great VP for Giuliani who I believe will win the Presidency.
Posted by: Bonniea
Sad that a Western leader is stepping up and he has no chance.
Posted by: Elric66
Tom Tancredo is the most patriotic American in politics today. God grant him victory.
Posted by: Ynkedoodl2
These days nothing is more dangerous than the truth.
I give full credit to Mr. Tancredo for saying it as it is.
Posted by: The fanatic
Re Tancredo’s warning-
Winston Churchill was called a war monger, heckled, and was the subject of numerous sanctimonious editorials and attacks for his “fear mongering” in the 1930’s re Hitler and the Nazis. Churchill called this time “my out of step period”. Eventually his critics got in step with Prime Minister Churchill.
Posted by: Frank
Of course there’s a chance that a jihadi could cross the border illegally.”
Huh? Chance?
We must assume that it is a reality that a terrorist squad will cross either border.
Posted by: Pelayo
How can people advocating open boarders not feel ashamed of themselves? They are just advocating slave labor and a free pass for drug gangs, murderers, rapists, kidnappers, and jihadists.
Posted by: mrockroll1969