SEN. DICK DURBIN: There were two important parts of this story, the military type as Senator Casey said the men and women were doing their best and making real progress. We found that today as we went to a forward base. The fifth year of the war, it's the first time we're putting troops on the ground to intercept al Qaeda. There's another side to this story the Brookings institution shouldn't miss. As we are seeing military progress, any political scene is discouraging. We are seeing the al Maliki government once branded the government of unity coming apart. We are seeing Sunnis and others leaving and not becoming the stability of this country.
(Emphasis mine because I want you to remember those two statements as we point out how Casey then contradicts them, while acknowledging that progress is being made on the security front, which everyone has maintained is necessary before progress on the political front can be made.)
In that one statement, they have admitted that progress is being made and they have stated, quite clearly, that this is the first time we're putting troops on the ground to intercept al-Qaeda.
SEN. CASEY: Sure, there are, John. We have said in the beginning, our troops are doing their job.
ummmmmmm, nope, Senator Casey, the Democratic Senators, you included have been saying for quite a while that there has been NO PROGRESS made......LIAR.
Now for the kicker, the completely contradictory statement from the one above:
SEN. CASEY: [continuing] The problem here is the president of the United States continues to insist on a stay the course policy, no change in direction, no sense the American people can determine there's a light at the end of the tunnel. That's why i think there's a bipartisan agreement right now to change the course. I think the president should listen to the will of the American people
Stay the course policy, no change in direction and no sense that Americans can see the light at the end of the tunnel?
Once again, these two men prove that the Democratic politicians are very good at ignoring any and all news that has been coming out as well as contradicting their own words in the same interview.
They JUST admitted that one of the "new directions" was putting troops on the ground to "intercept" al-Qaeda... NEW direction right there as well as part of the new policy since General Petraeus took over control of operations.
Better yet, the completely have ignored the NYT/CBS poll that was done TWICE showing Americans ARE beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and the most recent USA Today/Gallup poll that reinforces those numbers as well as showing the President's numbers rising,slowly but surely.
They also do not even acknowledge that Keith Ellison and Jerry McNerney, both Democrats came back from Iraq reporting progress.
Ellison, a vocal critic of the Iraq war, said he still believes it was a mistake for the U.S. to invade Iraq.
"But there are 150,000 American soldiers there now, and I care very deeply about them," said Ellison, one of six members on the all-freshman trip led by Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Calif. "I also care about the Iraqi people. I don't want to see them suffer."
The group met with Iraqi and U.S. military officials, including Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq.
Ellison said that local leaders in Ramadi told him of how they partnered with U.S. and Iraqi military officials to virtually rid al-Qaeda from the city. Although the lawmakers had to travel in flak vests and helmets, "we did see people walking around the streets of Ramadi, going back and forth to the market."
There have been fewer anti-U.S. sermons as the violence has been reduced, Ellison said, and religious leaders meet regularly with U.S. military officials.
"The success in Ramadi is not just because of bombs and bullets, but because the U.S. and Iraqi military and the Iraqi police are partnering with the tribal leadership and the religious leadership," he said. "So they're not trying to just bomb people into submission. What they're doing is respecting the people, giving the people some control over their own lives."
Ellison said he was particularly impressed watching Maj. Gen. Walter Gaskin, U.S. commander in the Anbar province, greeting people with "as-salama aleikum," meaning peace be upon you.
"And they would respond back with smiles and waves," Ellison said. "I don't want to overplay it. There were no flowers. There was no clapping. There was no parade. But there was a general level of respect and calm that I thought was good."
McNerney, the California congressman, also said he saw signs of progress in Ramadi and was impressed by Petraeus, who argued in favor of giving President Bush's troop surge strategy time to work.
The ability, of Durbin and Casey, to look right into the camera and lie to the American public is stunning, but not surprising.
Like Rep. Nancy Boyda, they show once again they haven't the ability nor the desire to see or hear anything at all about progress in Iraq because it does not match their own political agenda.
Their politics trump any and all success that America sees because they are so heavily invested in failure, they would willingly sacrifice America to achieve that failure.
Is it any wonder at all that Zogby has shown that the Democrats on have 3% approval for how the Democrats are handling the war?
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