by David Lightman
As Republican leaders stood up today to support the president's war strategy, Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut stood with them.
Lieberman declared at a GOP-led press conference in the Capitol that any congressional effort to mandate Iraq troop withdrawals would amount to "an attempt to force a retreat" on American troops.
"It is high time," he said, "some of our colleagues remove their blinders and acknowledge reality," that the American effort in Iraq is succeeding.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) echoed those views. "We're seeing significant progress in Iraq," he said.
The remarks by Lieberman, an independent who caucuses with Senate Democrats, came as members of both parties are inching closer to a compromise on troop reductions.
That effort is expected to become the subject of debate after Gen. David Petraeus, the top U. S. commander in Iraq, and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker deliver a war status report to congressional committees Monday and Tuesday.
One popular compromise being discussed by members of Congress would require a withdrawal to begin before the end of this year, but set no firm deadlines for removing all American troops.
GOP leaders, as well as Lieberman, objected.
Flanked by members of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and Gold Star Mothers, Lieberman today insisted that the U.S. effort in Iraq is at a "critical crossroads." Will the United States, he asked, choose '' safety and strength or defeat and weakness."
Progress is being made in Iraq, he and the others insisted, yet war opponents refuse to concede that point.
"Some of our colleagues stubbornly refuse to acknowledge the achievements of our troops," Lieberman said. And, he added, "Iraqi security forces are making real progress. Whatever the shortcomings, there are no excuses to surrender to our enemies in Iraq."
The message of the day from war backers was that all is not going well, but there have been enough signs of progress that the effort deserves strong support.
They noted that earlier this year, when the U.S. troop surge began, President Bush urged waiting until this month to assess its worth.
"Eight months ago, the Bush administration looked hard at the evidence and changed course in Iraq," Liebeman recalled. "It's time for opponents of the war to do the same."





Comments
As Republican leaders stood up today to support the president's war strategy, Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut stood with them.
No surprise here. Joe's a slave to a horrible mess. I guess he's hoping to get invited to clear brush in Crawford Texas.
Posted by: Logic Prisoner | September 6, 2007 12:36 PM
Some see progress, some don't. We should know by the end of the Bush presidency if Iraq is ever going to fly on its own. I agree that pulling out would be a disaster. The question is would it be more or less of a disaster than staying the course. Too bad we will never know. Whichever choice we make, we will never know what the outcome would have been had we done it differently. As for Lieberman, he has let everyone know what his stance on the area is. The American voters have the right to accept or reject his stance. The cost of making a wrong choice, as we have seen over the past few years, is great.
Posted by: San Miguel | September 6, 2007 12:46 PM
"ISRAELI PLANES DROP NEW SUPPLIES TO....." LIEBERMAN, ALLIES, GEORGE BUSHES ALLIES,DICK CHENEYS ALLIES IN THE REGION BUT NO SUPPLIES FOR OUR TROOPS IN THE REGION JUST RHETORIC.
OH AND YES YOU WILL BE HERE AFTER I LEAVE.
LIEBERMAN IS TRAITOR TO BOTH PARTIES BUT NOT TO ISRAEL.
Posted by: Roger Morris | September 6, 2007 12:59 PM
What Pro War Joe LIEberman thinks after 08 won't matter because the Dems will have a bigger majority in Congress.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mbrownerhamlin/199043324/
Posted by: John E | September 6, 2007 1:14 PM
You're right Roger, we should abandon our the only country in the Mid-East that has consistently supported us. While, I don't agree with Lieberman's views, taking pop shots at Israel is disrespectful of a true ally.
Posted by: batksi | September 6, 2007 1:19 PM
ROGER MORRIS,
TURN OFF THE CAP KEY! NOONE IS READING YOUR STUFF. YOU MAY HAVE THE ANSWER TO WORLD PEACE BUT UNTIL YOU TURN OFF THAT CAP KEY NO ONE IS READING YOUR STUFF.
Posted by: DOUG ZOOK | September 6, 2007 1:25 PM
Roger Morris,
Are you stupid beyond belief?
Can you not afford a keyboard that doesn't have the cap key locked? Are you a giddish child who gets some kind of peverse pleasure in pissing people off?
I'll give you the $$$ to buy a new keyboard if for the love of God you will quit posting in CAPS!
Or do you have a pathological case of pre-adolescent little brother?
Posted by: Doug Zook | September 6, 2007 1:39 PM
Well ROGER MORRIS, while Lieberman may be a traitor to the Demoncrats, he IS NOT a traitor to this country and the men and women fighting for it.
While Son of Chuckie Schumer may say the U.S. troops are too incompetent to get the job done in Iraq, Lieberman knows the U.S. troops are the best in the world -- and ARE GETTING the job done.
Lieberman is invested in WINNING, not defeat like the f-in Demoncratic party.
If there are any traitors in this country it is the Demoncratic party, the liberal media and the Demented Loons on the Left.
Posted by: John D | September 6, 2007 2:04 PM
The reason Lieberman was not elected (selected) in the ‘06 primary by his party (and the voters) was because of his war stance, so he petulantly ran as an independent and split the ticket. Plain and simple, Lieberman is an irrational chicken hawk with an inferiority complex. Or put even more simply, he’s a jerk.
And John D.
"While Son of Chuckie Schumer may say the U.S. troops are too incompetent to get the job done in Iraq."......What a crock!
Posted by: Tim | September 6, 2007 2:37 PM
Lieberman is invested in WINNING, not defeat like the f-in Demoncratic party.
If there are any traitors in this country it is the Demoncratic party, the liberal media and the Demented Loons on the Left.
Posted by: John D | September 6, 2007 2:04 PM
Lil Johnny Wonderboy,
Lieberman is invested in winning what?
Whose side are we on in Iraq anyway?
The Sunnies?
The Shiites?
The Kurds?
We already won the war, remember "mission accomplished"?
Liberman cares more about Israel than the USA.
Posted by: John E | September 6, 2007 2:37 PM
John D
Yeah, the Republicans are the only sane ones in the world, with any hope of saving the world.
Don't you get tired of posting this nonsense day after day?
Did your radio break so that you can no longer listen to Rush? TV broke? Can't see Bill?
Democrats traitors? Please try to keep up. According to your heroes, your supposed to refer to us as progressives.
Posted by: dogjudge | September 6, 2007 2:40 PM
More verbal grenades lobbed by our own Johnny D. What else would you expect from a lonely cyber bully? Would you mind citing the quote where Sen. Schumer called US soldiers "too incompetent to get the job done in Iraq" or will that be impossible because you made it up? Good night, Johnny D.
Posted by: janet | September 6, 2007 2:48 PM
Lieberman is invested in WINNING, not defeat like the f-in Demoncratic party.
If there are any traitors in this country it is the Demoncratic party, the liberal media and the Demented Loons on the Left.
Posted by: John D | September 6, 2007 2:04 PM
John D your a brainwashed turd!!! Your the worst kind of traitor. A sheep who blindly follows republicans into the abyss.
Roger Morris with all due respect please lose the caps lock. People including me tend not to read all caps comments.
Posted by: Logic Prisoner | September 6, 2007 3:14 PM
Why do the Dems caucuse with LIEberman?. A more productive caucuse for LIEberman would be with Craig at an airport.
Posted by: Bill Jacobs | September 6, 2007 3:25 PM
Interesting how so many people who
supported Joe Lieberman when he ran for vice president with "what's his name" have become so vicious in their attacks on him now. The thing is, Joe Lieberman is the same man now as then and his positions have not varied.
Posted by: Jeffery C. | September 6, 2007 4:23 PM
Good old Joe Loserman. Lying his way to another term in Congress by hiding his true intentions. Thanks a lot Connecticut voters.
You also have to love the Limpbaugh clone parroting some talking point about Israel our 'true friend'. Please. Who cares about Israel anyway? They don't have any oil.
Posted by: weinerdog43 | September 6, 2007 4:47 PM
Loony Lefties: 12
John D the Drooling
Dunce: -10
ROGER MORRIS: ZERO
Posted by: Swamp Scoreboard | September 6, 2007 5:11 PM
Oh Dumb Dumb Janet, here you go:
From the mouth that roared, Son of Chuckie Schumer:
"Let me be clear. The violence in Anbar has gone down despite the surge, not because of the surge. The inability of American soldiers to protect these tribes from al-Qaeda said to these tribes, "We have to fight al-Qaeda ourselves."
The INABILITY of American soldiers to protect these tribes????
And, of course, the Demoncraps are already dismissing Gen. Patreaus's report. Like I've said, your folks have everything invested in losing Iraq, not winning. You folks want the U.S. to lose, you want the U.S. to fail, you want American troops to be killed, you want more Iraqi deaths, you want the terrorists to kill as many people as possible and to kill as many American troops as possible. You folks are for the terrorists, not against them. Why don't you folks come out of the bathroom stall and just admit all of this is true. From the 1960s the Left has been anti-military, hates the military and hates the U.S. Just admit it, OK??
Posted by: John D | September 6, 2007 5:11 PM
You folks want the U.S. to lose, you want the U.S. to fail, you want American troops to be killed, you want more Iraqi deaths, you want the terrorists to kill as many people as possible and to kill as many American troops as possible. You folks are for the terrorists, not against them.
Posted by: John D | September 6, 2007 5:11 PM
John D, bringing the crazy back to insane. Dude you've lost it. Freak!
Posted by: Force of Darkness | September 6, 2007 5:41 PM
We all have to remember that this John D. thing overdoses on Rush Limp-baugh, Billy O'Reilly and Fox Lies. His posting rants here are pathetic and untruthful. He's a hypocrite.
You want to talk about traitors John D. how about Oliver North or Karl Rove.
Question regarding Iraq- what's the end game/ exit strategy?? I wonder if Joe Lieberman knows.
Lieberman supports this misadventure because it's a proxy war for Israel. Lieberman is the one who could care less how many American troops or Iraqi's are killed.
I recall Mr. Bush telling us all the mission in Iraq has been accomplished and that democracy is well established in Iraq and the Iraqi's are capable of defending themselves.
DOD reports 8 U.S. soldiers killed in the last 24 hours.
Posted by: Doug R. | September 6, 2007 5:49 PM
Johnny, please stop projecting your anger, hate and fear onto everyone else.
You are consumed by irrational hate, but not everyone else is.
Posted by: Tony | September 6, 2007 5:50 PM
At this point, why would you abandon ship?
The surge is keeping the wolves at bay; but the wolves aren't going to go away anytime in the next decade.
Mark my words: Iraq will implode without a dictator to replace our last dictator there.
Posted by: Bud McFarlin | September 6, 2007 5:58 PM
JohnnyDingbat,
Last time we checked, its republipukes who are "coming out" of the bathroom. And your Patraus report, its already been written by the White House, i.e. its dead on arrival trade rag hack. This braindead administration has zero credibility left on Iraq, its just the deadenders like you and little Brucie (Jerry White and Paulo are just traitors to this nation) who fall for the "listen to the Generals" crap. You fail to acknowledge that all Generals who disagreed with the worst POTUS have already been fired.
Posted by: Neal | September 6, 2007 6:12 PM
Neal, nice history revisionism and current events revisionism.
And, yes, Neal, the Demoncratic leaders already have dismissed Petreaus, which is interesting considering most, including Son of Chuckie Schumer, confirmed earler this year.
So, let the Demoncraps attack him, call him a shill and basically undermine. It will just show the American people that the Demoncratic party has invested its success on loss and failure and show the military that the Demoncratic party has complete and utter disdain for them.
IN the end, it will help the Republicans win in 08.
Posted by: John D | September 7, 2007 8:58 AM