October 16, 2006
Darcy Burner's muddled position on Iraq

Seattle Times: "Burner carefully balances her position on Iraq war". The sympathetic headline undermines the devastating article about Burner's position on Iraq, best summarized by a non-partisan analyst:

"a muddled message: It's time to end the status quo without offering a real solution."
Burner praises the troops for having "fulfilled every military objective we have given them", yet characterizes the war as a failure, without offering an alternative plan. And while she speaks of her Iraq veteran brother to bolster her credibility on the issue, we learn that her brother disagrees with her:
She aimed her message at people like her brother, Jason Gibbons, a Republican and recently retired Army military policeman who served in Iraq. He disputes the contention that the war has been mismanaged, and said the morale of his former unit, based at Fort Campbell, Ky., is high.

But he said his sister's empathy for the military is real. "That's one area I'm impressed with Darcy -- she's pro-military," he said.

When he talked to his sister earlier this summer, Gibbons said he reminded her of the good the U.S. has done in rebuilding Iraq. When Gibbons arrived near the ancient city of Babylon, south of Baghdad, just after the invasion, he worked with an Iraqi police force that had no radios, no training and few rifles.

The U.S., he said, needs to stay in Iraq until those forces can hold the country. "Iraq had a long way to go before it could secure itself because Saddam ruined Iraq," he said.

Jason Gibbons' informed view on Iraq more closely resembles Dave Reichert's.

tip of the hat to Orrin Johnson, one of Darcy's classmates from UW Law School, who hasn't been favorably impressed with her intellectual integrity

Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at October 16, 2006 03:24 PM | Email This
Comments
1. How about a DRAFT IN IRAQ OF IRAQIS TO PROTECT IRAQIS? Sorry but when your own country is a battlefield, service is not optional.

There are a hundred ways we could be winning Iraq, but the left brings obstacles, not solutions to the table.

Posted by: Andy on October 16, 2006 05:17 PM
2. I hope Reichert's folks, the RNC, and the RNCC runs with this little nugget Burner's brother just dropped in their lap.

Posted by: Mike H on October 16, 2006 05:36 PM
3. According to the SEATTLE TIMES in todays puff piece on Burner to make up for the endorsement of Reichert, maybe Darcy should be investigating her husband for unlawful interrogation techniques. "Her (Darcy's) military connections deepened on Campus when she married Michael Burner, a former COLD WAR ARMY intelligence interrogator." Waterboarding on the honeymoon?

Posted by: Huh? on October 16, 2006 05:42 PM
4. That's why I'm voting to re-elect Congressman Reichert.
Also, it would be a disaster for families and individuals to be represented by this woman--who wants to raise taxes on those of us in the 8th Distrct---as our representative. Reichert respects that we in the 8th already pay too much in taxes.

Posted by: Michele on October 16, 2006 06:42 PM
5. #1 I'm sure the insurgents would welcome a draft. Signed up and given weapons, and knowbody would know who they were. Maybe a draft here would be better? It's the only way to win.

Posted by: db on October 16, 2006 08:25 PM
6. So what is Reichert's plan to deal with Iraq. In early September, prior to Rove's strategy vist, he was parroting George Bush's "Stay the course" strategy while offering no explanation of the "course" we were staying.

All of the sudden, he is now saying that we can no longer "Stay the course" (I guess he must now love terrorists as that is what he used to say about anyone that questioned that slogan.) However, he has not articulated what the new course is other than having a bi-partisan commission. Which the Democrats and Darcy Burner have been calling as a first step for 4 years now.

So why should anyone trust someone that is so late coming to the party and obviously changing only because he wants to get elected on Nov 7, not because he has actually any belief that this President has no plan or that his plan is flawed.

Posted by: Michael Caine on October 16, 2006 08:30 PM
7. This article was a not-so-cleverly-disguised attempt by the writer to pre-empt an October surprise that might reveal Burner's association with Communists during her Harvard years. Insisting on wearing that silly Mao jacket in her pub photo doesn't help.

Posted by: Organization Man on October 16, 2006 09:22 PM
8. db-

You mean like they can already do with a volunteer army? Wow- you put a lot of thought into debunking that one.

Read up on your military history.

Posted by: Andy on October 16, 2006 10:08 PM
9. And, just like you, MC, ol' Darcy of the bogus military support lacks any credible alternative... except, of course, for that cut and run thing.

Posted by: Hinton on October 16, 2006 10:19 PM
10. I trust Darcy Burner's brother more because he's been in Iraq and seen the war first hand. And Darcy's brother is not trying to get elected to a party that has largely been bought by extremists who view the Iraq war as a political football.

Reichert by 5.

Posted by: Jeff B. on October 16, 2006 10:20 PM
11. My family is all voting for Reichert, He has a proven track record in defense.

Darcy has no depth, or nothing to offer that we need in this state.

Just another Hate Bush Tax raising liberal.

We have plenty of those in this state thank you!

Posted by: Gs on October 16, 2006 10:54 PM
12. Ignore the bad mother behind that curtain!

Posted by: Peaches Marie on October 17, 2006 12:03 AM
13. Stef,

I am not one to quible, and certainly care little about Reichert v Burner race, but a comment like she made does seem respectful given the GOALS layed out by Commander Chief to "find and destroy WMDs" The principle reason we were told for going to war.

Again I can care little about Reichert/Bruner Race. And being honest. Bruner does little to impress, but your (Stef) sugguestion that Bruner wants it both ways as if she does not truly appreciate the scarifice of the troops....appears a bit......SMALL.

U have better issues that matter to more people who appreciate your work, that you shouldn't waste time on such silly nick picking on a phoney democract.

Once At City

Posted by: OnceAt City on October 17, 2006 10:47 AM
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