Video: Reid says Iraq is the worst U.S. foreign policy mistake evuh
posted at 8:33 pm on February 18, 2007 by Allahpundit
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It was a matter of time before “Iraq = Vietnam” became “Iraq > Vietnam”, and just coincidentally, we seem to have arrived there at the very moment Harry Reid’s trying to get his anti-surge resolution past the GOP filibuster. There’s no political downside to him saying this: debating which war is the “worst” is as stupid as debating which minority has been treated the worst, but it’s a useful way of locating an issue rhetorically on the far end of historical badness. The point isn’t to get people to agree that Iraq is as bad as Vietnam, or pre-WWII isolationism); the point is merely to get them thinking that it’s a reasonable comparison. (U.S. News & World Report is using the same tactic in another context this week.) The irony? If we pull out and the mass slaughter starts in earnest, it will be.
But of course, no one’s calling for a pullout. The word of the day is “redeployment,” as you’ll hear in Reid’s wormy non-response to the following quote from the NIE, which Blitzer read to him just before the clip picks up:
“[I]f such a rapid withdrawal were to take place, we judge the Iraqi security forces would be unlikely to survive as a non-sectarian institution. Neighboring countries invited by Iraqi factions, or unilaterally, might intervene openly in the conflict and massive civilian casualties and forced population displacement would be probable.”
Nice that someone’s asking this question of Democrats, even if he’s not insisting too hard on an actual answer.
FYI, Biden vowed today on “Face the Nation” to make the same grandstanding empty threat Hillary’s making re: repealing or revamping the AUMF. Lugar was on too and basically laughed at him.
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Right now, I’m thinking the worst was allowing Nevada into the Union (with apologies to all you honest Nevadans.)
TugboatPhil on February 18, 2007 at 8:42 PM
allah_p: Why didn’t you put the fresh meat picture on this one.
As a resident of Nevada I apologize on behalf of my nitwit senator whom I did not vote for. He’s not up for reelection until 2010 (I think) so he doesn’t care what he says.
As for the worst foreign policy decision; I’d say it was turning Europe and China over to the commies. Now THAT had some bad consequeces. (If the dems count 10’s of millions of innocents slaughtered.)
Mojave Mark on February 18, 2007 at 8:44 PM
A surge in diplomacy? WITH WHO?
Sven on February 18, 2007 at 8:45 PM
“We’re not calling for surrender, we’re calling for running away like little girls under the title ‘redeployment’.”
Diplomacy between us and whom, Senator LandDeal? Hmm? We’re conducting diplomacy with the legal Iraqi government. Who else ought we to be diplomatic with in Iraq? The insurgents? The terrorists? The militant opposition factions?
Reid was happy to have the chance to use that line, did you see the smile as he said it? It’s only purpose, since it’s stupidity nearly on a Murtha level, is to further denigrate the administration handling of ANYTHING regarding foreign policy.
Disgusting.
Freelancer on February 18, 2007 at 8:48 PM
Wasn’t dingy Harry a shoe salesman before he was elected?
warriorlawyer on February 18, 2007 at 8:51 PM
Too bad that you or I can’t ( and Wolfie didn’t ) ask this old fool that question, Sven.
Really, a “surge in diplomacy”? Dumb old coot……
Janos Hunyadi on February 18, 2007 at 8:54 PM
Mr. Blitzer {in a Dress}: “Worse than Viet Nam?”
Dingy, “Dusty” Harry Reid: “Yes…… he, he, he…..”
Laughing……
This is something to laugh about?
PinkyBigglesworth on February 18, 2007 at 9:05 PM
He says a redeployment, but not a pullout. Leave troops there to train Iraqis and counter-terrorism. Isn’t that exactly what we have been doing prior to the surge? Isn’t that exactly what they say hasn’t worked. I thought I saw him speaking out both sides of his mouth at the same time.
Sven on February 18, 2007 at 9:09 PM
Someone on one of the threads today said ‘don’t underestimate the American electorate’……
Ahhummmmmmmmmmm…….
Reid, Rangle, Pelosi, Jefferson, Hagel, Biden, Boxer, Specter, Murtha………yeah…I have a lot of faith in the American electorate all right.
Sorry folks. Y’all elected these folks, and sit around and absorb American Idol and 24, go to work, fill out the I-19 form on all your new hires, and sit around and jabber, jabber, jabber about what is wrong with America. There is only one way this is all going to end and we all know it but refuse to acknowledge it. Somewhere there is a man or a woman who will change things. Whoever that is isn’t on the radar yet. It damn sure isn’t anyone in either party that I have seen.
Limerick on February 18, 2007 at 9:18 PM
Limerick,
I agree, but if it wasn’t for all the people who hate President Bush because he “stole the election”, I think he would be that person. He has the character and is one of the very few politicians who sticks by his convictions. I think history will prove this true. I do miss President Reagan though.
Sven on February 18, 2007 at 9:24 PM
So it is a worse mistake than slavery? Slaughter of Native Americans . . proof he’s raaaaaaaaaacist!! :)
- The Cat
MirCat on February 18, 2007 at 9:25 PM
I “thought” the worst foreign policy mistake was NOT going in to Rwanda and helping out.
Eh, who cares, it was only hundred of thousands killed, no big deal!!!! It’s not like WE had an interest in it of course, they’re just human beings!!!
I re-read JFK’s inauguration speech the other day. It’s sad really…”
Maybe they should remind the Dem’s of those who REALLY have Bb*lls
HarryStar on February 18, 2007 at 9:33 PM
Oh Harry, they shoot horses don’t they?
heh, heh, heh
I repeat Mojave Mark’s sentiments about my fellow Nevadans putting this piece of work back in office. I didn’t vote for the bum, nor his worthless son.
Mark, you are correct, Reid is not up again until 2010.
TwinkietheKid on February 18, 2007 at 9:36 PM
I think if the President augments his troop surge with a complete policy shift he can at least secure all of Iraq and begin to ease the muslims gone wild mentality that exists at the moment. By trying to fight a politically correct war and trying to stand up a full fledged democracy in such a short time he is fighting with one arm tied behind hid back. The Muslim world was divided on Iraq with the Syrian influenced Sunni minority ruleing over the Iranian influenced Shia majority. The country had no soveriegnty, which President Bush is attempting to establish. These people only understand the rule of laws of Islam, and are conditioned to harsh ‘crack downs’ from Saddams old regime. I think we are passing the baton to the new Iraqi government much to quickly. The US military should take over the governing of Iraq under Marshal law and ‘crack down’ on the violence, and oversee a massive reeducation of the entire country for at least one generation first. The fighting going on there is just an exagerated form of turf wars which need to be dealt with regardless of what anyone thinks. C’mon George take off the gloves it’s your last chance.
sonnyspats1 on February 18, 2007 at 9:44 PM
Sonnypats1….
Isn’t it amazing that MacArthur was a Democrat. Who woulda thunk it? What you just described was occupied Japan. Worked out pretty damn well too.
Limerick on February 18, 2007 at 9:56 PM
Newsflash – Iraqi occupation can’t begin to compare with the Japanese occupation.
Comparitive Government & WWII History FTW.
Nonfactor on February 18, 2007 at 10:45 PM
Wow….I am sooooooooooo sorry. Seppuku for Lim!
I was talking about the heavy hand. So un PC of me to wish for that.
Limerick on February 18, 2007 at 10:52 PM
I thought he was a mortician.
Texyank on February 18, 2007 at 11:13 PM
What an amazing coincidence…Dinghy Harry is the worst Senate leader in our country’s history.
Mallard T. Drake on February 18, 2007 at 11:18 PM
As I look at that picture of Harry Reid, I wonder how a human being can sit up without a spinal cord. Maybe Hillary has her hand up his a**.
jaleach on February 18, 2007 at 11:20 PM
They are showing their colors, eh? Hopefully they’ll just keep floppin’ around in the bottom of the boat whilest our new general’s men kix sum but. That’s at least the best that can happen. The worst: we lose.
Griz on February 18, 2007 at 11:24 PM
Mojave Mark:
Nonsense. Never happened. We just don’t talk about it, never mind teach it to the populace, and it never happened. Who are the communists? Where? When? Who knows? Right down the memory hole.
jaleach on February 18, 2007 at 11:25 PM
After seeing “60 Minutes” tonight, I want Reid to tell it to any resident of Kurdistan.
Get the clip, HotAir. Hearing an Iraq go on and on about how beloved America is, about how we “liberated” his people, was pretty damn heart-warming.
And to CBS – well done.
Professor Blather on February 18, 2007 at 11:55 PM
Gotta defend Limerick here, he wasn’t comparing Iraq with Japan. He was responding to Sonntspats1’s description of how to clean everything up in Iraq, saying it was just how MacArthur handled Japan.
Freelancer on February 19, 2007 at 12:13 AM
These guys can’t get past their BSD. Its really disturbing that these guys think W’s more of a danger than the Jihadis. And what’s worse is the RINOs who enable them.
Iblis on February 19, 2007 at 12:21 AM
Good ‘ol Reid had a little giggle about Iraq being worse than Vietnam at the end of the clip. If it’s true that what comes around goes around then the dems will all be in he11.
Griz on February 19, 2007 at 12:46 AM
The worst U.S foreign policy “mistake” ever was made by a Democrat. At the close of World War II, Franklin Deleno Roosevelt gave away all of Eastern Europe to the fascist Joseph Stalin in the agreement at Yalta, after the Western Allies had successfully fought and won its freedom. As far as biggest “mistake” ever in U.S. foreign policy, this one easily wins the prize.
Perhaps the second worst U.S foreign policy “mistake” ever was also made by a Democrat. Soon after becoming President in 1977, Jimmy Carter launched a deliberate campaign to undermine the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlevi, a good friend and ally of the United States. The Shah of Iran fell from power as a direct result of Jimmy Carter’s withdrawal of support and Iran fell into the hands of the tyrannical and anti-American Ayatollah Khomeini. This was the key event in history that led to the terrorist supporting state of Iran today that now threatens to develop nuclear weapons to destroy both the United States and Israel. (Pretty big “mistake” hun?)
I am fairly sure the top one-hundred worst U.S. foreign policy “mistakes” ever made were all by Democrats, but I just don’t have time to run them all down.
Now for Harry Reid’s statement that Iraq is an even worse mistake than Vietnam, of course this implies, that in Reid’s opinion, Vietnam was the worst foreign policy mistake ever. So lets first remember who got us into Vietnam, none other than Lyndon Baines Johnson, another Democrat. But Ried’s comment that Iraq is worst than Vietnam is just more liberal claptrap. The U.S. fought for ten years in Vietnam and lost a total of 58,000 troops. Doing the math, that equates to an average loss of 5,800 troops per year. We have been in Iraq for almost four years (46 months to date), so if we were loosing troops in Iraq at the same rate we lost troops in Vietnam, we would have lost over 22,000 troops by now. But of course the actual loss of troops at this point is something on the order of 3,300. It is painful to loose any of our troops, but we cannot expect to fight a war against a vicious and barbaric enemy without losses. Freedom isn’t Free Mr. Reid, and American is worth fighting for.
Maxx on February 19, 2007 at 12:54 AM
Comparitive Government & WWII History FTW.
Nonfactor on February 18, 2007 at 10:45 PM
WTF?
sonnyspats1 on February 19, 2007 at 1:03 AM
Actually, LBJ didn’t get us into Vietnam. He escalated it. But you’re right, Democrats got us in there. Harry Truman backed the French and Eisenhower and JFK put in advisors after the frogs pulled out. So one Republican, Ike, threw a few stones into Vietnam compared to one, two, three Democrats.
jaleach on February 19, 2007 at 1:07 AM
Newsflash-Reading Comprehension 101-FTW.
hillbillyjim on February 19, 2007 at 1:25 AM
Maxx
Nice post!
Furthermore being a resident in Reid’s district, he is a never-was boxer and probably the reason i have to pay b/t $600-700 per year for registrering my 2004 Tacoma which gets 20 MPG as a 4X4 (that’s the best in its class for you green peace types). Reid preaches ignorance like most ofther Dems. Note: Nevada – one of the largest states – has only 2 quasi large cities so pollution (CO2) is not a problem.
“Ike” came up with the Dominoe Theory and how to stop it from happening, the democrats screwed it up. End of story.
Why isnt there a test mandated for every politician to pass before eligibility for election on American History and how the 3 branches of our Govt function? Because 99% would fail!
El Guapo on February 19, 2007 at 2:46 AM
Why doesn’t someone, anyone ask these dems WHERE they would fight the terrorists?
Capitalist Infidel on February 19, 2007 at 3:19 AM
Why doesn’t someone, anyone ask these dems WHERE they would fight the terrorists?
Capitalist Infidel on February 19, 2007 at 3:19 AM
They don’t want to fight to preserve, they want to appease to get re-elected.
El Guapo on February 19, 2007 at 4:41 AM
Tell you what, being an “armed citizen, end then some ((something fierce))” Jihadis have another thing coming if they think they can take America without internal conflict.
El Guapo on February 19, 2007 at 4:44 AM
Message to Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, and John Murtha:
According to an Investor’s Business Daily poll (see chart accompaning article)
70% of all Americans thing that winning in Iraq is important. (42% VERY Important, 24% somewhat important).
This is an INCREASE from 66% from December 2006.
By party, even the majority of DEMOCRATS believe winning in Iraq is important (53%). Among Republicans, 85%
The majority of Americans (58%) are either very hopeful or somewhat hopeful that America will succeed in Iraq. The percentage of Americans that are very hopeful increased from 29% to 35%. The percentage of people who are somewhat hopeful decreased from 31% to 23%.
Murtha and Pelosi and Reid, YOU ARE FLAT OUT LYING when you claim that these votes are simply expressing the will of the people.
The will of the people is NOT that America should cut and run, but that America should WIN in Iraq.
georgej on February 19, 2007 at 6:53 AM
I’m confused by the term “redeployment”. The way these politicians use it, it seems like they would be in reserve somewhere, ready to act if needed to quell disturbances. But don’t we already have the exact situation that would cause a re-redeployment. So why would we pull them out?
Also, if Iraq is a huge disaster, as Reid is saying, why are we “redeploying”? Why aren’t we just gettin’ the heck out of there? Good questions for such a “respected” journalist as Blitzer to come up with on his own.
cmay on February 19, 2007 at 9:15 AM
Redeployment = PC Quit Giveup Surrender Lose
Wade on February 19, 2007 at 9:57 AM
I thought he was a mortician.
Well. . .where do you think he got all those shoes to sell?
Gottafang on February 19, 2007 at 11:06 AM
Limeric, I guess you haven’t heard of Newt Gingrich.
Redeployment? But the Democrats told us that they would bring the troops home! I’m glad to see yet another liberal lie debunked.
DannoJyd on February 19, 2007 at 11:20 AM
Hmmm…I suppose the America haters (conservatives) HAVE to support this war. They probably have to support a war with Iran too. That’s the only way to stir up more s**t in the world so more people can hate us and try to destroy us. I gotta say, the conservatives are smart. They want America destroyed, but they know they can’t get away with attacking us directly, so they start illegitimate wars so more terrorists will come for us. Smart smart smart. At least the GOP isn’t in power anymore. We would all be screwed then!
shackler on February 19, 2007 at 12:55 PM
“mrs. smith, this is not a ‘hysterectomy.’ we are simply repurposing your womb.”
jummy on February 19, 2007 at 2:27 PM
Yes, a used shoe salesman
Wade on February 19, 2007 at 3:44 PM
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