Reuters notes that Congress is back this week. U.S. lawmakers returning from a weeklong break on Monday will take up a long list of unfinished -- and possibly insurmountable -- tasks that could help decide whether voters will re-elect them...
Senior intelligence analysts said that "little if any" consideration was given to intelligence assessments that the war would "increase sympathy for terrorist objectives and make Iraq a magnet for extremists from elsewhere in the Middle East," while former White House advisors called the White House's lack of Middle East experience, "a major impediment to sound policymaking."
While the American people are losing faith in his failed leadership, President Bush continues to engage in divisive partisan rhetoric, instead of offering a real plan for success in Iraq and smart and tough policies to fight the war on terror. Specifically, the latest Bloomberg News/Los Angeles Times Poll shows that President Bush no longer commands the trust of the American people on a host of issues. [Bloomberg News, 6/29/06]
It is time for the President to provide these brave soldiers and the American people with a plan for success in Iraq that offers benchmarks for success so we can determine progress on the ground and begin to redeploy our troops.
Today, President Bush met with representatives from U.S. Military Support Organizations who are working hard to help our troops fighting bravely in harm’s way. At the same time, Republicans in Washington continue to divide the American people on the issue of Iraq and refuse to hold President Bush accountable for his failed policies.
An article in today's
New York Times details the GOP's politicization of the debate over a responsible withdrawal and deployment of troops from Iraq. Instead of offering a real plan, Republicans in Washington continue to engage in nasty partisan politics that only serve to divide Americans.
Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean delivers the Democratic Radio Address this week, where he calls on the Bush Administration to end its commitment to a failed strategy in Iraq and talks about Democratic efforts to implement an Iraq policy that's both tough and smart.
President Bush's permanent commitment to a failed strategy in Iraq not only isn't working, its irresponsible. Republicans in Washington have failed to hold President Bush accountable, with deadly consequences. Democrats believe that it's time for a new direction in Iraq and a plan for success that is both tough and smart.
In an editorial, the
New York Times notes that the unfiltered news from Iraq paints a dramatically different picture than President Bush did during his six-hour press opportunity from within the Green Zone last week.
While President Bush is calling on Americans to "stay the course," op-ed articles in the
New York Times and the
Washington Post discuss President Bush's open-ended commitment to his failed strategy in Iraq.
Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean issued the following statement on the House Republicans’ politically-motivated, non-binding resolution on Iraq.
The situation in Iraq is getting worse, according to the latest numbers from researchers at the Brookings Institution. Democrats remain united that 2006 must be a year of significant transition in Iraq.
Democratic National Committee Press Secretary Stacie Paxton issued the following release on the House Republicans' playing political games with the Iraq War.
Today during a press conference at the White House, President Bush said, “I sense something different happening in Iraq.” His upbeat assessment also included the assurance that “progress would be steady” going forward. He also repeated his assertion that he would “listen to commanders on the ground” when making decisions about American troop levels in Iraq. But, President Bush remains steadfast in his refusal to provide any sort of timetable for the American presence in Iraq nor did he provide a measure for success. [President Bush, Press Conference, 6/14/06]
Almost five years after 9/11, Osama bin Laden is still at large. The President has allowed North Korea to become more dangerous. Iran is threatening to become a nuclear power. And the reality is that there is no strategy from this President to get the job done in Iraq and get them home. Americans simply can't trust Republicans to keep our country safe.
Once again, the Bush White House has failed to give straight answers on the question of when American troops can come home from Iraq, and have consistently contradicted the statements of Iraqi leaders and their own Administration officials.
This week, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada delivered the Democratic Radio Address.
This week, even as Republicans in the Senate are forcing votes on divisive wedge issues to distract Americans from the real issues confronting our nation, including efforts to write discrimination into the constitution, address the non-existent threat of flag burning, and eliminate the estate tax, the GOP-controlled Congress is continuing to ignore crucial issues like the problems in Iraq. Instead of focusing on helping our troops and pressuring the Bush Administration to develop a strategy for success in Iraq that brings our troops home safely, Republicans in Congress are are choosing to forge ahead with an agenda built on divisive politics.
This week, State Senator Peter Welch from Vermont delivered the Democratic Radio Address.
On Sunday, the
New York Times editorial board wrote that no matter how long or how many American troops are in Iraq, it is up to the Iraqi government to rid its forces of the brutal and lawless elements if it is to be any better then the former dictatorship.
President Bush has once again failed to offer a real strategy for victory in Iraq and argued that there was no way to have predicted many of the problems that currently plague Iraq. As Memorial Day approaches, the President owes our troops and the American people more than regrets.
Facing a drop in public support for his failed Iraq policies, President Bush addressed the National Restaurant Association in Chicago, where he continued his tired PR campaign.
While Bush Administration officials continue to claim progress in Iraq, an article in today’s
New York Times reveals that three years later the Iraqi police is a “battered and dysfunctional force” and has contributed to placing Iraq on the verge of civil war.
On May 1, 2003, President Bush dramatically landed atop an aircraft carrier to proclaim major combat operations over in Iraq. He gave his speech in front of a banner reading "Mission Accomplished."
Today is the anniversary of the "Mission Accomplished" banner.
Last week, President Bush declared that he was decisive, that he was, in fact, the “Decider-in-Chief.” Yet, on issue after issue, he has ignored or pushed off big decisions or argued that there was nothing he could do.
Today, President Bush will visit and talk with Marines in Twentynine Palms, CA. Over the past two weeks, six former Generals, some of whom have combat experience in Iraq, called for a change of direction in Iraq and the firing of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
Former high-ranking intellgience official: "The policy was set. The war in Iraq was coming and they were looking for intelligence to fit into the policy. ... people will look back on this and see this is going to be one of the great, I think, policy mistakes of all time."
President Bush continues to play defense for Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. Seven former Generals have now called for Rumsfeld to resign because of his incompetence and his unwillingness to listen to the advice of our military experts and commanders, some of whom have direct experience in Iraq.
An article in today's USA Today notes that despite giving numerous speeches, President Bush has been unable to increase public support for his failed Iraq policies.
When was the last time we heard the President say, you're doing a heck of a job? The last time, President Bush heaped praise on former FEMA head Michael Brown, who resigned only a few weeks later in the wake of enormous public outcry over the incompetent federal response to Hurricane Katrina. But, in the latest example of the Bush Administration's appetite for incompetence, despite twice offering his resignation and despite the news of six former Generals calling for him to step down, President Bush beleives that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is doing a "fine job" and "a heck of a good job."
Today, the New York Daily News reports that a fourth former General, this time Maj. Gen. John Batiste, who led an Army Division in Iraq until last November, has publicly called for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's resignation.
Yesterday, White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan dusted off the Bush Administration's most trusted stonewalling strategies. When confronted with uncomfortable facts and legitimate questions they attack the messenger and deflect attention away from the issues and refuse to answer questions.
The Washington Post reported today that President Bush detailed the alleged existence of mobile biological weapons laboratories and claimed that “We have found the weapons of mass destruction,” two days after a “Pentagon-sponsored mission transmitted their unanimous findings to Washington” in a May 27, 2003 field report that directly contradicted the President’s statements. The final version of that report remains classified to this day.
Today, during a speech in Washington, DC, President Bush confirmed that he declassified important intelligence to bolster his case for the war in Iraq amidst growing criticism.
President Bush detailed the alleged existence of mobile biological weapons laboratories and claimed that "We have found the weapons of mass destruction," two days after a "Pentagon-sponsored mission transmitted their unanimous findings to Washington" in a field report that directly contradicted the President’s statements. The final version of that report remains classified.
The Bush Administration's incompetence and lack of a coherent plan in Iraq is matched only by their incoherence when it comes to their analysis of the situation on the ground. During her recent trip to England, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that the United States had made "thousands" of "tactical errors" in handling the war in Iraq.
As part of the Democratic National Committee's commitment to reaching out to and supporting America's veterans and military families, DNC Chairman Howard Dean yesterday announced the appointment of regional members of the Democratic National Veterans and Military Families Council and unveiled the Council's new website highlighting the campaigns of more than two dozen Democratic veterans running for Congress.
Today, Derrick Jackson, in a Chicago Tribune op-ed, details President Bush's pursuit of the War in Iraq even after "no conventional weapons" were found, even outlining a scheme to provoke Hussein with U.S planes disguised as U.N. planes.
As part of the Democratic National Committee’s commitment to reaching out to and supporting America's veterans and military families, DNC Chairman Howard Dean today announced the appointment of regional members of the Democratic National Veterans and Military Families Council and unveiled the Council’s new website highlighting the campaigns of more than two dozen Democratic veterans running for Congress.
Today, Democratic leaders across the country will join House and Senate Democrats in unveiling a comprehensive plan for providing the American people with real security.
According to a memo written by a top British official from a meeting between President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair in late January 2003, President Bush told Blair that he was determined to invade Iraq without a second resolution from the United Nations, or even if international arms inspectors failed to find unconventional weapons.
Democratic leaders across the country joined House and Senate Democrats in unveiling a comprehensive plan for providing the American people with real security. The agenda stands in stark contrast to the dangerous incompetence of the Republican leadership.
Democratic National Committee spokesman Luis Miranda issued the following statement on Vice President Cheney's unpatriotic, false, and divisive tactics during his speech today.
This week, the Democratic National Committee's Podcast features an interview with U.S. Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. During the podcast, Senator Reed criticized the Bush Administration for offering a public relations campaign rather than real leadership and a strategy for victory in Iraq.
Today, President Bush held a press conference where he unpatriotically attacked Democrats, continued to paint an unrealistically rosy picture in Iraq, and renewed support for his failed domestic agenda.
After years of ignoring the facts, cherry picking information and misleading the American people, the Bush Administration clarified their strategy yesterday: pass the buck. Former RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie led the Republican Party's misleading, divisive and unpatriotic attacks on Democrats this morning in hopes of distracting the American people from noticing that the new strategy looks a lot like the old one.
Vice President Cheney marked the third anniversary of the war in Iraq by using cherry-picked facts to paint a rosy picture that simply doesn’t match the reality on the ground. Echoing his claim our troops would "be greeted as liberators" and that the Iraqi insurgency was "in its last throes," Vice President Cheney said insurgents had "reached a stage of desperation."
This week, Senator Dianne Feinstein from California delivered the Democratic Radio Address. To listen to the audio, click here. Good morning. I'm Senator Dianne Feinstein This week is the third anniversary of the invasion of Iraq - a country that...
Three years after Vice President Cheney said that American troops would be greeted as liberators, the American military today is engaging in the largest air strikes since the war began.
Today, in what has become a hackneyed strategy, President Bush tried to kick-start another PR campaign aimed at deflecting attention away from his failed strategy in Iraq.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Peter Pace, on Meet the Press with Tim Russert yesterday: MR. RUSSERT: If you were to be asked whether things in Iraq are going well or badly, what would you say? How...
For the second time in a week, the Bush Administration will deliver a major address to the nation’s largest veterans’ group the day after the Associated Press revealed drastic cuts to veterans’ benefits in the President’s budget.
Most of us saw the news yesterday morning; bombers wearing uniforms entered one of the most sacred Shi'ite sites -- the "Golden Mosque" -- and detonated explosives that blew the top off of the site's signature dome. Dozens died, and...
The Boston Globe reports on a common-sense plan Democrats are putting together for Iraq. Unlike what Republicans have done so far, the Democratic ideas reject crossing our fingers and hoping for the best while glossing over reality with an over-the-top public relations campaign.
This will probably make your blood boil ... absolutely shameful. The Charleston, West Virginia Gazette: The last time 1st Lt. William "Eddie" Rebrook IV saw his body armor, he was lying on a stretcher in Iraq, his arm shattered and...
Ali Allawi, Iraq's finance minister, estimated that insurgents reap 40 percent to 50 percent of all oil-smuggling profits in the country.
The New York Times this weekend published a report on a secret Pentagon study showing that approximately 300 hundred American soldiers killed in combat in Iraq could have survived if the Pentagon had provided them with sufficient body armor.
In his remarks to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, President Bush talked about the continuing need to ensure the protection of Iraqi civilians. President Bush should be making a similar effort to protect American troops who are fighting to keep us safe.
Army General Wesley Clark and Lt. Colonel Andrew Horne, a Marine who served two tours in Iraq, today held a conference call with reporters to discuss the President's speech in Louisville.
The DNC hosted a conference call with General Wesley Clark and Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Horne, a candidate for U.S. Congress in KY-3 against Republican incumbent Anne Northup. The call starts with a discussion of the NY Times revelation that 80%...
Harris Poll. 12/18/05 to 12/14/05. 1,961 adults. MoE +/- 2% - Feb 2005 Reults in parentheses. "Do you believe that the following statements are true or not true?" Saddam Hussein had strong links with Al Qaeda True: 41% (64) False:...
November 14, 2005 - President Bush on Iraq: Leaders in my administration and members of the United States Congress from both political parties looked at the same intelligence on Iraq, and reached the same conclusion December 19, 2005 - President...
Last night, the President spoke to the nation about his vision for Iraq. Unfortunately, the President offered the same selective information and rhetoric that Americans have become use to hearing.
Despite repeated claims by President Bush that “leaders in my administration and members of the United States Congress from both political parties looked at the same intelligence on Iraq” in the lead-up to the war, a new Congressional report indicates that the Bush Administration did in fact have access to more intelligence than members of Congress. [President Bush, 11/14/05]
The DNC today released a video today highlighting a new report by the non-partisan Congressional Research Service confirming that despite repeated false claims by the President and Vice President, Congress in fact did not have access to the same pre-war intelligence as the Bush White House.
A new, independent report concludes that repeated assertions by administration officials that Congress saw "the same intelligence" on Iraqi WMD are false. Watch our new video showing of the claims they made and the evidence disproving them.
Lie first to get out of the difficult debate and worry about it later--seems like a pattern to me. From a President Bush speech on November 11, 2005: While it's perfectly legitimate to criticize my decision or the conduct of...
This week, Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island delivered the Democratic Radio Address. To listen to the audio, click here. This is Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island. While visiting with U.S. troops in Iraq in July 2003 on my...
From Senator Harry Reid's office: The elections in Iraq are an historic moment and another important milestone. Americans salute the courage and dedication of our troops who made the elections possible and the brave Iraqis who cast their ballots. By...
Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean issued the following statement on the occasion of the 1000th day of the Iraq War.
Walking around D.C. this past weekend, I half expected confetti to come streaming out of RNC headquarters and a spontaneous parade to break out down First Street. You probably heard the good news trumpeted on every cable news channel and...
Republicans in Washington are not singing from the same hymnal on Iraq. While President Bush lambastes his critics, calling them "pessimists" and questioning their patriotism, some of the strongest opponents of his commitment to a failed policy in Iraq are Republicans.
Democratic National Committee Communications Director Karen Finney issued the following release on President Bush's latest speech on Iraq today and his failed, stay-the-course strategy.
Sen. Lindsey Graham: "Did we make mistakes? Yes. Did we poorly plan the fall of Baghdad? You'd better believe it. Shinseki was right. We should have had more troops."
After 7,000 Americans came together to send Jean Schmidt a message, Lamar Advertising decided to reject the "Shame on You" billboard that was to go up outside of her Portsmouth office. So we're going to purchase full-page ads in many of the newspapers in Schmidt's district, and a mobile billboard will hit the streets of Ohio's 2nd very soon.
In a new CBS/New York Times poll, numbers show an American public deeply skeptical of the President's "Plan for Victory in Iraq." In fact, it would seem that the vast majority of Americans believe the president has absolutely no plan at all for victory.
The RNC got it wrong. Today, they falsely claimed that President Bush has always predicted victory in the War on Terror, and argued in a release that “President Bush Never Said We Couldn't Win.” In fact, last summer, on the first day of his convention, President Bush told Matt Lauer on NBC’s “Today Show” that he didn’t think “we can win it.”
Governor Dean: "We can only win the war -- which we have to win -- if we change our strategy dramatically. ...if we want to win the war on terror we cannot pursue the failed strategy we've pursued..."
Democratic National Committee Communications Director Karen Finney issued the following statement on President Bush’s speech today and his commitment to a failed policy in Iraq.
I haven't seen this much feigned outrage since Bill O'Reilly's imaginary "War on Christmas" (as he simultaneously sold apparently dangerous "holiday ornaments" on the "Factor" website). But that was yesterday, and today brings a new attempt by the Republican Party to muddy the discussion about their failed leadership in Iraq. GOP Chairman Ken Mehlman's latest target: Governor Howard Dean.
Democratic National Committee Communications Director Karen Finney issued the following statement on Governor Dean’s remarks on President Bush’s failed Iraq policy.
In essence, the military was laundering the information through a firm to "mask any connection with the U.S. military." Sounds logical, but was that the only reason? The Project on Government Oversight has this, which makes you wonder if masking connections was the only reason.
Editorial pages across the country are weighing in on President Bush's speech at the Naval Academy yesterday, criticizing his empty sloganeering and his continued failure to provide a real plan for victory in Iraq.
Apparently, President Bush's sloganeering and tired rhetoric is not limited to the American public, but extends to the Iraqi people as well.
Nearly three years after the war in Iraq began and two years after the capture of Saddam Hussein, President Bush finally promised that today he would put forward a plan for success.
Despite a signed contract, Lamar Advertising has decided to reject the billboards that were to be placed outside of Rep. Jean Schmidt's office in Portsmouth, Ohio. By rejecting these ads, Lamar has limited millions of Democrats' right to be heard. You can put pressure on Lamar to support free speech by signing on to the letter from the DNC's General Counsel, Joe Sandler.
The Washington Post: When President Bush confidently predicts victory in Iraq and admits no mistakes, admirers see steely resolve and critics see exasperating stubbornness. But the president's full-speed-ahead message articulated in this week's prime-time address also reflects a purposeful strategy...
The Boston Globe reports on the growing number of Veterans returning from Iraq to pursue another kind of service.
The Associated Press (Link): The White House for the first time has claimed possession of an Iraq withdrawal plan, arguing that a troop pullout blueprint unveiled this past week by a Democratic senator was "remarkably similar" to its own. Senate...
By now, most everyone has either read the transcript or seen the video of Congresswoman Jean Schmidt calling Congressman John Murtha's courage into question through a surrogate -- Colonel Danny Bubp. Schmidt's attacks on the integrity of one Marine after another for political gain is a pattern that raises serious questions about the priorities and values of Republican leaders.
In less than 72 hours, over 100,000 Americans responded to Republican attacks on decorated veteran and Democratic Congressman Jack Murtha, sending notes of support and encouragement as he sought a new way on the Republicans' failed Iraq policy. Here is a small sample from the notes submitted this weekend.
In the last 90 minutes, over 7,000 Americans have sent letters of encouragement to Congressman John Murtha as he is being attacked by the right-wing smear machine. Here are a few of the notes sent so far.
Governor Howard Dean sent a note to Democrats across the country on the swift-boat style attacks against Congressman John Murtha. You can write a letter to Congressman Murtha, encouraging him to stand strong and thanking him for his courage. The...
"Stay the course" is not a plan, it's a slogan.
And in the absence of any plan to secure Iraq other than "stay the course," it shouldn't surprise anyone to see the public and Members of Congress begin to question that course.
Some, like Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, lead on Iraq. Others, like Sen. Bill Frist and Sen. John Warner, follow.
Here's a transcript of CNN's report on the tough questions White House spokesman Scott McClellan refused to answer at today's briefing.
"The political ambitions of a few should never come ahead of doing what's right. In the days to come, President Bush has the opportunity to show us all that he understands this lesson."
Governor Howard Dean emailed Democrats across the country asking them to support Sen. Reid's bold move on the Senate floor to demand answers on the manipulated intelligence leading up to the war in Iraq.
Democrats forced the Republican-controlled Senate into an unusual closed session Tuesday, questioning intelligence that President Bush used in the run-up to the war in Iraq and accusing Republicans of ignoring the issue.
