NPI brags as Cantwell blinks

NPI (Northwest Progressive Institute) has a piece up applauding Cantwell for her newly formed position on Iraq.

Maria, like Hillary Clinton and Joe Lieberman have long been criticized for their support of the war and the troops. Many northwest Liberals have been increasingly calling for hr head, politically speaking.

After seeing the treatment by Lieberman by the DNC, it seems Maria has suddenly realized that she is playing a big game of chicken with the party over her position, a stare down if you will against the rabid liberal Bush haters.

Monday, she blinked.

Oh, of course it is presented as a clarification, which is political speak for flipping, just as her statements on the minimum wage bill were not lies, they were nuanced.

Sen. Cantwell clarifies her position on Iraq

Senator Maria Cantwell yesterday clarified her position on the Iraq conflict, reaffirming her previous stance that 2006 must be a year of transition and that we need to begin the process of bringing American troops home.

Here's what the Senator said yesterday:

If the Congress knew then, what we know today, even the Republican leadership would not have brought it to a vote.

Irellevant. Of course no one would.

If the Bush Administration had done the hard work of building an international coalition to really contain Saddam, there would have been no vote.

If I knew then everything that I know today and the Republican leadership still brought it up for a vote, I would have voted no.

And most people would respect that, but again, that is irellevant.

While mistakes were made in the way Bush took us to war, the Republican led Congress has not done its job of providing aggressive oversight of the Iraq war. In the days ahead, the Congress must use the power of the purse to hold the Bush Administration accountable for more progress towards beginning to bring our troops home this year.

We will always make sure our troops have everything they need to do their jobs well, but we will look at other cost cutting measures.

I am for changing the course in Iraq , my opponent is for staying the course. I oppose permanent bases in Iraq , my opponent does not share that belief. We do have different views of where to go next in Iraq.

In other words, Maria has joined the cut and run crowd, in a move that sure looks like appeasement to the Move-on crowd.

The Iraqis must take over responsibility for their own security this year.

Translation: I want a timetable.

This part is revealing...

Some months ago I wrote here of our concern that the Senator was not taking a clearer position on Iraq, that it was hurting her campaign, and expressing the hope that her position would evolve. And indeed, it has evolved - bit by bit.

Translated: Change or go home.

With this latest statement, Cantwell's position on Iraq has improved over the last year or so from being murky and unknown to clear, sharp, and consistent with what the majority of the American people believe.

Translated: Now she agrees with us, so she is ok.

We applaud Senator Cantwell for reinforcing her position and making it absolutely crystal clear that she does not agree with the way the Bush administration is (mis)managing our incursion into Iraq.

Look, there is plenty of room for debate to determine improvement in the handling of Iraq. I have no problem looking forward and making sure we are moving in the right direction. No one is suggesting we should turn blind obediance to Bush on this. At least I am not.

But cut and run will not solve it. Running from the terrorists will not solve anything.

And refusing to stand on principles is never a good thing.

Maria....strike 2.

Reposted from Leaning Straight Up

Posted by guitarplayr at August 16, 2006 01:17 AM | Email This