Another GOP Defection

Sen. Richard Lugar broke ranks with the Bush people yesterday. Says we should get out of Iraq now. When a prominent conservative like Lugar makes such dramatic statements in public, you know time is running out. They are all looking for cover now. We will withdraw from Iraq shortly after the next president takes office. Who ever he is.

 

I read about this yesterday, I dont think he is calling for immediate withdrawal but he is saying that the surge isnt working from what I understood. But it is certainly a blow to Bush as Lugar is one of his consistent supporters and a nearly guaranteed vote for the Presidents policies.

 

Has the surge even started yet? I haven't heard much about it. (To be fair, I'm not paying much attention to the war these days).

I'd hesitate to call Lugar a conservative, but it certainly does suck for Bush. However I'd still not wager money that an immediate withdrawal will be the first order of business for the next President.

 

Yes the surge started in April I believe. It has had mixed results, violence is down signifigantly in some areas but has risen in others. September is when a "report card" is due to come out about how effective it has been.
Iraq withdrawal may not be the first order of business, but I think it will be right up there. I will be surprised if there are more than 40k troops in Iraq in January 2010.

 

Yes Lugar has now joined several other prominent Republicans speaking out for redeployment... Hagel, Voinovich, Spector and now Lugar.

The case is that even though the surge is fairly new, it can't really ever work unless we stay forever and run their security. It would be like saying if the US only had major forces in Israel the Palestinian conflict would go away. It's just nonsense.

The truth is we want oil stability in the region... this administration just won't say it out loud because they know they'd get hit with "It's war for oil!"

And hey, I want oil stability in the region myself. The problem is Bush was just mindless in the way he went about things. What we should have done is set up separate safe sections of the country for the three main groups and then patrolled buffer zones and protected oil fields.

That would have been a plan with promise and an eventual exit strategy.

And I whole heartedly agree with you that if Bush refuses to let our forces start redeployment before his term is out the next president will. I don't think anybody can win in 08 unless they support redeployment.

The country is fed up now. That sentiment can only get stronger by people being forced to put up with what they already don't want for another year and a half!

 

The talking heads seem to believe Lugar defecting could be the most damning opposition to the surge yet.

The surge is in place, but just recently. They are just now going into areas where they previously weren't allowed to go.

The only change I have seen is the tactics used by the enemy.Death tolls and the level of violence seems to be about the same. The Iraqi forces still can't seem to get their act together though I suppose they have shown improvement.

Until the Iraq government gets their act together I don't hold out much hope that the surge will be the answer.