March 24, 2005
OF COURSE, IN HER CASE A SPRITZ OR TWO WOULD BE AMPLE:
Senators encouraged by progress in Iraq (Albert Eisele, 3/23/05, The Hill)
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) led a bipartisan Senate delegation to Baghdad Tuesday and left little doubt that the Senate will soon approve an $81 billion supplemental appropriation passed by the House last week, most of which will go to pay for rebuilding Iraq's war-torn economy and countering insurgent violence. [...]Reid and his colleagues, who included four Democrats and two Republicans, all indicated they are encouraged by signs of progress in carrying out the three-pronged U.S. strategy of support for bolstering Iraq's security forces, economy and political system.
"One of the people we met with today called Iraq 'an infant democracy,' and we can't leave this infant alone," said Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.). "I believe what we are seeing here is good."
Sen. Robert Bennett (R-Utah) compared this visit with an earlier visit he made last year. "I find a quiet optimism instead of a cautious optimism," he said. He added, "I think that the elections and the strengthening of the Iraqi security forces have given us hope that the seed of democracy has been planted here. There's still a lot to do and we still have a lot to worry about, but the signs are more optimistic now than before."
Even Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), who has been a leading critic of the Bush administration's Iraq policy, seemed upbeat about the future of the new Iraq government.
At least no one will say she was brain-washed. Posted by Orrin Judd at March 24, 2005 12:00 AM
oj,
Regarding my state's Jr, Senator, how could you brainwash a brainless cretin.
Mike
It will be amusing to watch how many jump on that bandwagon.
Spouting that good ole' heartwarming, "Well clearly, Bush was wrong to embark on this illegal unethical war, without a doubt; but the Iraqis are resilient and seem to have been able to survive all of that bozo's mistakes; so that the situation---and one should be cautious here, you know, since anything could happen with that yahoo in the White House---is looking a bit more hopeful than it really has any right to be, no thanks to the administration. AND WE WILL SUPPORT WHAT APPEAR TO BE THESE POSITIVE DEVELOPMENTS, etc., etc."
It will also be amusing to watch the principled die-hards who harp on "The wrongness of it all, the ongoing and eternal quagmire, the creation of millions of bin Ladens, and all those chickens coming home to roost. Just you wait."
Posted by: Barry Meislin at March 24, 2005 3:38 AMIf Iraq is no longer going to be a topic of debate for all but the deranged of Right and Left, where are the Democrats going?
Posted by: bart at March 24, 2005 9:36 AMConsistent with other Democratic positions, they would have been happy to kill this "infant democracy" in the womb. But now that it has been born, it will be "for the children."
Posted by: Rick T. at March 24, 2005 10:10 AM