Yesterday, I confessed confusion about Iraq. We never belonged there in the first place, but I'm worried about what might happen if we suddenly withdraw. I'm therefore reluctant to criticize Congressional candidates for their views on this troubling quagmire. But I'd like to know they've at least given the matter some thought. After all, twenty-eight thousand American soldiers have been killed or wounded in our little oil war. No single issue is more important in the Lehigh Valley congressional race between our incumbent, Charlie Dent, and challenger Charles Dertinger. While Dertinger has faced this issue head on, Charlie Dent has cut and run.Dent has been polluting both airwaves and our postal service with nasty personal attacks aimed at Dertinger. His campaign philosophy? Throw enough mud, and some of it is bound to stick. But strangely, Dent has nothing to say about Iraq. This omission continues in both his congressional and reelection site. Not a word about Iraq. And now he's run from a local League of Women Voters debate, the only true debate scheduled. He obviously avoiding Iraq, and with good reason.
War profiteers enjoy windfall profits in Iraq while American soldiers die. Although fifty billion dollars has been paid to private contractors with little or no oversight, Dent actually complained there were too many auditors. "There seems to be inspectors general just about everywhere." And in Congress, Dent voted against oversight but was happy to take $3,000 from outfits like Haliburton and Titan.
Unlike Dent, Charles Dertinger has spoken out about Iraq at several different forums. A few weeks ago, it was with the Lehigh/Northampton Progressive Alliance. Today, it was at Allentown's Hamilton Family Diner. He demanded that Team Bush establish clear benchmarks for success in Iraq and joined a growing bipartisan chorus demanding Rumsfeld's immediate resignation.
He also wants our troops home as soon as that can be done "without contributing to an all-out civil war," and endorsed exit strategies already proposed by Congressman Murtha and Senator Biden. Some of you may not agree entirely with Dertinger's Iraq stance but at least you know what it is. And you know he's thinking about us instead of obscene war profiteers.
Speaking of Haliburton, the Lehigh/Northampton Progressive Alliance and Moravian College Democrats will present Iraq For Sale - The War Profiteers on Wednesday October 11, 2006 at 8pm and 10pm at the Bethlehem Brew Works. All are welcome, even Charlie Dent. Who knows? Maybe he has a bit part in the film!
A chickenhawk may have a legal right to be a warmonger but not a moral one:
ReplyDeleteSANTORUM
DENT
MIKE FITZPATRICK
PETER KING
PATAKI
ROVE
HASTERT
JEB BUSH
JOE LIEBERMAN
BILL O'REILLY
FLUSH LIMBAUGH
GUNTHER
HANNITY
SAVAGE-WEINER
MIKE GALLAGHER
MISTER NEWT
MARK STEYN and so many others who 'ducked and ran' when it was their turn to serve are a large %age of our worst citizens in terms of their virulent hypocrisy.
Why in the world would dent want to talk about Iraq? According to the polls five things are clear:
ReplyDelete1) It's the #1 issue on most people's mind, obviously an even bigger issue than the lousy economic situation most americans find themselves in.
2) Most people now believe we were mis-lead by the bushies in order to get us involved in this mess.
3) Most people see no link between the war and fighting terrorists.
4) Most people agree that this war has made us less safe and it is actually helping the terrorist more. This, of course, is backed up by the recently released NIE report.
5) Although differing on a "time frame," most people think we should be out of there.
Of course, bush thinks that the majority of american people are wrong for thinking what they think. And, while dent wasn't in D.C. for the initial votes, he's sided with bush on everything about this war since he was sent to Washington.
So why should dent want to talk about a record he cannot defend? He obviously thinks that the people that elected him are wrong and mis-guided. And he doesn't want to talk about that!
dg
There have NOT been 28,000 dead.
ReplyDelete2,800 is more accurate. Not to mention that this war has by far (exponentially) the least number of casualties.
Dr. Rick, I see them every day. I walk into a store and there he'll be - a younbg fellow w/ very short hair who's missing a leg or an arm. I pretend not to notice but it bothers me. I see them get in their carts w/ special license plates and drive off. Thery've given limbs to fight a ricj man's war. And I'm sorry to say my figures are right. Click on where I mention it and it will take you to the site that backs up what I say. You're forgetting about the wounded. There HACE been 28,000 American casulaties although only 1/10 that number are actually dead. The rest are just missing arms,legs, eyes, etc. Is it still less than other wars. Yes, but give GW time.
ReplyDeleteBernie, you need to order your official pair of Rose colored Blinders from the Rove Factory Outlet. Those aren't wounded soldiers with artificial limbs, those are budget liabilities draining the Vet affairs budgets, which has to be cut again.
ReplyDeleteHow dare they get blown up and come home to be a drain on our economy, we should ship them to Canada
This is not been portrayed as a war but as a video game! A few years ago, it was the rage to go online and see videos of Iraqis getting snuffed by choppers with infrared vision. Part of the Bush myth is that we need make no sacrifice other than saying the pledge of allegiance now and then and buying a yellow magnet.
ReplyDeleteBut there have been sacrifices. And as is the case in most wars, the ones who suffer most are those who can least afford it. And when we talk about the war dead, we're missing those who have been maimed. Unfortunately, the figure I gave is accurate. I wasn't aware myself that casualties are that high since we've been focused solely on the dead.
I can't fault Americans who mistakenly took the administration at its word. I don't even fault some members of the Bush administration. But if we want the killing and maiming of Americans to stop, the first thing we have to do is face reality.
Dent is a nice guy. I've met him. That's why I can't understand his vicious campaign. And I'm completely at a loss to understand his unwillingness to face Iraq head on. I don't think he owes that to us. He owes it to the people who are hobbling along without arms and legs, or who've been blinded or deafened. And he owes it to American soldiers who are still there.
He's been to Iraq. He knows things are not going well, no matter what Bush says. He has the power, as our elected representative, to make changes. But instead, he is running from this issue solely because it might cost him a few votes.
He's playing politics but what is going on in Iraq is not a game. Don't we deserve better?
You have no idea what your talking about.
ReplyDeleteDr Rick, I have to bow to that overpowering logic.
ReplyDeleteI may have struck gold with this sign seen at busy spots in Coopersburg, Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton: BUSH SLIME IS RUBBING OFF ON EXXON CHARLIE DENT. A lot of thumbs up, horns "right on" etc. With Charlie Dent's record of support for no relief for credit card indebtedness, torture, rape and murder throughout the world, rape of the ANWR, poisoning of our water, and the latest Bush slime, homoerotic rape with flashlights, broomsticks and psychopaths from Blackwater Security, giving Tom DeLay 93% of his votes in return for a lousy $10,000, Charlie Dent is covered in slime. That word is slime, I spell, Sierra Lima India Mike Echo, SLIME. Remember in November when you vote, Charlie Dent smiles good, like a crocodile should.
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