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Pols chime in on Iraq
With Thursday marking the official withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq, Pennsylvania’s political candidates were issuing the expected stream of statements.
“I think people will look back at this war as an unnecessary one,” Democrat Joe Sestak, the former Navy Admiral and current Senate candidate, said on MSNBC. “One that we unfortunately harmed our national security fabric as we have lost our focus where the real challenge was and that was in Afghanistan where we initially went to eradicate Al Qaeda who have found a safe haven in Pakistan. I hope now that we can restore our Army and our Marine Corps back to its readiness that has dropped precipitously in order to respond elsewhere.”
Sestak also said it was important for returning troops to be honored with the care and resources they need (video at bottom).
Another military veteran, Democrat Manan Trivedi, also voiced regret that the war was ever undertaken. Trivedi was a Navy doctor serving in Iraq, and is now running for Congress in the 6th District.
“This is a protracted war that has robbed other pressing foreign affairs, especially our efforts to combat terrorism in Afghanistan and around the globe, of our nation’s attention and resources,” he said in a statement. “Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11, posed no imminent threat to our nation, and Al-Qaeda did not enter Iraq until after our occupation. While I don’t agree with the faulty reasoning given for entering Iraq in the first place, I know that we must now be careful in our exit. Iraq still has a long road ahead of it before it reaches stability. We must do our best to support their efforts to regain control of their government while developing strong relationships through our civilian and diplomatic efforts, while shifting our focus and resources back to Afghanistan and other critical international affairs.
Trivedi’s opponent, Congressman Jim Gerlach (R-6), said it was a day to “honor the courageous service and immense sacrifices our troops have made to enhance the security of our country and to provide an opportunity for individual liberties and democratic principles to flourish in Iraq.
“We also pause to remember the more than 4,400 Americans who gave their lives for our nation and remind their family members that this ultimate sacrifice was not in vain,” Gerlach said. “While preserving the peace will be just as challenging as freeing Iraq after decades of oppression under a brutal dictator, no one can argue with the outstanding performance of our brave military.”
Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-8), the first Iraq War veteran elected to Congress, said it is “critical that we continue to refocus our efforts on dismantling terrorist networks in Afghanistan, Al Qaeda’s safe haven, and the border regions of Pakistan.
“The sacrifice of my fellow brothers and sisters-in-arms will never be forgotten,” Murphy said. “And we renew our commitment to care for the thousands returning home with the scars of war—both those that are visible and others unable to be seen. My thoughts and prayers are with the 50,000 troops who remain in Iraq, as well as those deployed in Afghanistan or serving on bases in the United States and throughout the world.”
August 20, 2010 at 9:20 am
Tags: Jim Gerlach, Joe Sestak, Manan Trivedi, PA-6, PA-8, Patrick Murphy
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Republicans4Sestak
Aug 20th, 2010
Glad to see that one US Senate candidate is willing to speak the truth on this issue.
Robert B. Sklaroff, M.D.
Aug 20th, 2010
Softball queries from MSNBC, as usual.
Why not ask him why he opposed the SURGE and, thus, whether the triumphal return would have transpired if his effort to choke-off Pentagon funding had been successful?
[hypocrite]
Robert B. Sklaroff, M.D.
Aug 20th, 2010
The same might be asked of Murphy who was aggressively anti-surge/war in ’06 and ’08.
Bob Guzzardi
Aug 20th, 2010
Allah Akhbar – Saddam Hussein and the US lost. Jihadists won.
Fortunately, the Big Government contractors are still there spending Zillions to win hearts and minds of Iraqis or, at least, some think to buy peace.
Republicans4Sestak
Aug 20th, 2010
At least Sestak has the political courage to admit that the Iraq War was detrimental to our nation, our security, and our future. I’m glad he was strong enough to stand up and oppose the surge, which just invested more American time, money, and lives in a place in which we never should have been.
Robert B. Sklaroff, M.D.
Aug 20th, 2010
Would all Sestak supporters wish for defeat to arise from the jaws of success?
Such blogging reveals all that is wrong with extreme leftists such as Sestak.
Fortunately, the polls suggest the electorate has taken note!
David Diano
Aug 20th, 2010
Robert-
Sestak didn’t oppose the Surge (and I’m not counting any non-binding BS resolutions). Sestak voted for all the funding Bush ever asked. May 2007 and then again in Dec 2007, Sestak voted for funding Iraq, without any preconditions like the “timetables” that he campaigned on.
Republicans4Sestak-
Because Sestak campaigned to opposed the Iraq War, many of his supporters (and apparently yourself included) don’t realize that Sestak supported Bush’s Iraq War efforts in contradiction to those very campaign promises.
Sestak’s trying to have it both ways.
Robert B. Sklaroff, M.D.
Aug 20th, 2010
DD: Listen-up! [from 2007]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oRRyGoBm00
Robert Beatty
Aug 20th, 2010
Patrick Murphy wants us to ignore his voting record in which he sided with Nancy Pelosi over 97% of the time. He hopes we don’t see through his taglines and talking points.
He refuses to answer a simple Yes or No Question about the war in Iraq:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzOqWRpg5ys&feature=channel
He dodges questions about funding:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK08bSjoeCA&feature=channel
While in the 8th he purports to be a Blue Dog while he tells those outside our district he’s a Proud Progressive:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9sTIhyTLj4&feature=channel
Congressman Patrick Murphy must think we are stupid. If we re-elect him, I would have to agree.
Nathan Shrader
Aug 20th, 2010
I was long under the impression that Sestak supported the Iraq troop surge, which I always counted as a mark against him. Had no idea he opposed it.
As a fiscal conservative, I find it reprehensible that all these self-described fiscal conservative Republicans and war hawk Democrats would sign over a blank check to any president–Democrat or Republican–that would bankrupt the country.
As of today, our “tab” in Iraq is $742.6 billion and $325.5 billion in Afghanistan. Nobody that voted to authorize Iraq and continue its funding over the years should be allowed to disgrace the halls of Congress with a new term.
David Diano
Aug 20th, 2010
Robert-
How did Sestak VOTE?
Ans: fully funded it.
In Jun 2007, after his vote, at a local gathering of Dems, he admitted that he was expecting the surge to fail with massive US losses, and that the Dems could use it as a political issue to beat the Republicans over the head with. A sad, cynical and disgusting bit of insight into how little Sestak really valued lives over politics.
Tom
Aug 20th, 2010
The more PA hears from Sestak, the more unelectable he becomes. Sestak must be trying to take over for Joe Hoeffel as the liberal idiot from SEPA.
David Diano
Aug 21st, 2010
Tom-
The problem is that Sestak isn’t really a liberal. He just plays one on TV.
I’ve known this pr*ck since 2006. He recites liberal talking points, but there is NO feeling behind them. No core. No chain of life experiences that led him to these ideas.
In the military, he was shielded from normal society. On board ship, there aren’t any homeless people. There isn’t a debate on school choice. There aren’t slums or greedy landlords. There are no problems with getting a loan to build a business. No one on board is in a union and picketing over working conditions or salary.
All he’s know is chain of command. The very first time I met him, he gave a speech about being captain of a ship and he actually referred to himself as “God” to his men. Scary, but true.
Joe’s potentially another Joe Lieberman or Ben Nelson if the political winds blow that way for him. He’s certainly demonstrated he has no loyalty to the Democratic party or the President.
Joe Hoeffel is unabashedly and un-apologetically liberal. During his ill-fated governor’s race, he was firm and direct on gay marriage rights and other liberal causes. No hemming and hawing or making some oblique military reference or story about George Washington. It’s an insult to a decent guy like Hoeffel to compare him to Sestak.
Demzng
Aug 21st, 2010
David,
You have become much more rational and reasonable. Robert B. Sklaroff, M.D. is now the crazy commenter on this site.
Robert,
You need to get off the foxnews talking points and get some reality back in your life. Until then it’s not even worth discussing an issue with you.
David Diano
Aug 21st, 2010
Demzng-
Umm…Thanks?
Robert’s set the bar for crazy to a record threshold. I could be blogging, while dressed in full clown make-up and still appear more sane.
Mystapitt
Aug 25th, 2010
Not sure why you guys are name calling Robert. He makes his points clearly and provided some interesting likes to back up the statements. While i disagree with Murphy on the major issues, what really gets my goat is his running away from his votes & positions. He isn’t honest about his views. He tries to cloak them in verbal gymnastics and cliches.