It seems that almost every major Democrat was for a surge before they were against it. Don't believe me? Here are some recent before and after comments. I hope you find them as confusing as I do ...
Harry Reid Then:
If Commanders On The Ground Recommend A Surge, “Then Sure I’ll Go along With It.” (ABC’s “This Week With George Stephanopoulos,” 12/17/06)
Harry Reid Now:
“The Surge Is A Bad Idea.” (Sen. Harry Reid, Press Conference, 01/05/07)
“I Am Totally Opposed To The Escalation.” (Tony Batt, “Reid: Democrats Might Try To Deny Funding For Troop Surge,” Las Vegas Review-Journal, 01/09/07)
Richard Durbin Then:
“If We Need Initially Some Troops In Baghdad, For Example, To Quiet The Situation, Make It More Peaceful So That Our Soldiers Start Coming Home, Then I Would Accept It.” (Ed Tibbetts, “Durbin Speaks Out On Troops For Iraq,” Quad-City Times (IL), 12/21/06)…
Richard Durbin Now:
“The Proposed Surge In Troops ‘Is A Sad, Ominous Echo Of Something We've Lived Through In This Country,’ Said Durbin.” (Dori Meinert, “Durbin, Obama Oppose Proposed Surge In Troops To Iraq,” Copley News Service, 01/05/07)
“I Don’t Believe That’s [A Surge] The Answer To Our Challenge In Iraq.” “The word surge has been carefully chosen. It has a temporary quality to it. I don't know what the president will propose in specific terms, but if it means sending 20,000, 30,000 more American troops, I don't believe that's the answer to our challenge in Iraq.” (Sen. Richard Durbin, Press Conference, 01/05/07)
Chris Dodd Then:
CBS’ HANNAH STORM: “Would You Send In More Troops?”
SEN. DODD: “Well, I Would. If The Field Commanders Feel They Need It, I Would.” (CBS’ “Early Show,” 06/29/05)
“I'd Be Willing To Support Some Additional People If We Needed It In Order To Get The Job Done.” SEN. DODD: “Show me some demonstrable evidence that they're coming together as a people -- Shias and Sunnis, sitting down and recognizing that they have an obligation to come together as a people -- then I'd be willing to support some additional people if we needed it in order to get the job done.” (David Lightman, “Dodd Could Back Buildup; Attaches Conditions To More Troops In Iraq,” Hartford Courant, 12/18/06)
Chris Dodd Now:
“A ‘Surge’ Of American Troops Will Do Nothing.” “The proposal being considered by the administration to add between 15,000 and 30,000 soldiers in a ‘surge’ of American troops will do nothing to address this issue.” (Sen. Dodd, “Begin Withdrawing, Redeploying Troops Now,” Des Moines Register, 12/24/06)
“Adding 20,000 More People … Is Asking For A Disaster, In My View.” “Adding 20,000 more people, 17,000 of whom would be in Baghdad, a city of six million people where 23 militias are operating today, I think, is, is asking for a disaster, in my view.” (NBC’s “Meet The Press,” 1/15/07)
Bill Nelson Then:
“Both Nelson And Harris Said They Would Support Sending 100,000 More Troops To Iraq If Military Commanders Said It Was Necessary.” (Kevin Begos & Jerome R. Stockfisch, “Harris, Nelson Hold The Line,” Tampa Tribune, 11/02/06)
Bill Nelson Now:
“…I Don’t Support The President’s Plan To Add 20,000 More In Iraq.” “I’ll do what I think is right to support our troops, though I don’t support the president’s plan to add 20,000 more in Iraq.” (Sen. Bill Nelson, “Nelson To Support Anti-Buildup Resolution, Opposes Cutting Off Funds For Troops,” Press Release, 01/18/07)
John Kerry Then:
“We Don't Have Enough Troops In Iraq. … There Aren't Enough People On The Ground... The Way You Honor The Troops And The Way You Provide A Policy To America Is To Do Everything Possible To Win.” (NBC’s “Today,” 06/29/05)
“If It Requires More Troops In Order To Create The Stability That Eliminates The Chaos … That's What We Have To Do.” “I believe the following very deeply. Number one, we cannot fail. I've said that many times. And if it requires more troops in order to create the stability that eliminates the chaos that can provide the groundwork for other countries, that's what we have to do.” (NBC’s “Meet The Press,” 04/18/04)
John Kerry Now:
“Who Is Responsible For Too Few Troops And No Plan?” (Sen. Kerry, Congressional Record, 09/06/06, p. S9010)
“On The Contrary, What I Have Advocated Is Setting A Date By Which Time We Would Withdraw Our Troops.” (Fox News’ “Fox News Live,” 01/11/07)
“What The President Did Last Night Is Essentially Say To The Jihadist World, I’m Raising Our Profile, And It’s An Invitation For Them To Come In And Take On That Target.” (Fox News’ “Fox News Live,” 01/11/07)
Joe Biden Then:
“There’s Not Enough Force On The Ground Now To Mount A Real Counterinsurgency.” (Nedra Pickler, “Bush Critics Call For More Troops In Iraq,” The Associated Press, 06/29/05)
"They’re Going To Need A Surge Of Forces.”
MSNBC’s ANDREA MITCHELL: “You said, first of all, that we may need some more forces. How many? …”
SEN. BIDEN: “Well, I predict you're going to hear our commanders say publicly what some are saying privately over there, that they're going to need a surge of forces between now and January [2005], probably in the order of 25,000 or 30,000. By surge, I mean they're going to -- those troops coming home will be overlapped with those troops that are going, so that you bump up the number temporarily as we approach the elections.” (MSNBC’s “Hardball,” 07/15/04)
Joe Biden Now:
“The President And Others Who Support The Surge Have It Exactly Backwards.” (“Reid: Brief Troop Increase OK In Iraq,” The Associated Press, 12/17/07)
“Biden… Said He Would Oppose Any Effort … To Increase U.S. Troops In Iraq.” “Incoming Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Joseph Biden, a potential Democratic presidential candidate, said he would oppose any effort by President George W. Bush to increase U.S troops in Iraq as part of a new war strategy.” (Anne Flaherty, “Senate Democrats With Eye On White House Vows To Fight Troops Surge In Iraq,” The Associated Press, 12/27/06)
... Any questions?
Join the conversation as a VIP Member