Petraeus/Crocker, Part II Update: Marred by protesters again
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing is underway. Sen. Joe Biden is lecturing the counterinsurgency experts about what needs to be done in Iraq.
Stand by. We’ll see if the infiltrators get away with their disruptive antics again.
Meanwhile, read this column by George Will, who will be the Left’s new hero by the end of the day.
Paul Mirengoff at Power Line does what George Will and Joe Biden fail to do: Put Iraq and Iran in context.
AllahPundit gets the headline of the morning on his post covering the hearing: “Petraeus versus the Democratic presidential field.”
9:51am Eastern. Ambassador Crocker testifies first on progress in Iraq: “The trajectory is upwards, although the slope of that line is not steep…a sober assessment, but not a disheartening one.”
10:10am Eastern. I said stand by for disruption. And there you have it. As commenter PBoilermaker notes: “Well, that didn’t take long…another Pinko getting air time.”
10:23am Eastern. Once again, a protester gets his 15 minutes of fame as Gen. Petraeus reviews cooperative efforts by Iraqi security forces.
10:30am Eastern. C-SPAN has cut away from the hearing.
10:41am Eastern. Weird. C-SPAN has resumed coverage. Grandstanding Joe Biden is haranguing Crocker and Petraeus.
10:51am Eastern. Dem presidential candidate Chris Dodd gets his turn to campaign at the mic. Funny how the microphones are always in great working order for the blowhard politicians…
11:06am Eastern. Chuck Hagel is lambasting the Bush administration for not looking at the larger geopolitical context of the Iraq war. Hagel cites the New York Times NCOs. Biden and Dodd are bobbing their heads vigorously.
11:18am Eastern. Oh, crikey. The Winter Soldier is lecturing Gen. Petraeus. The Winter Soldier is championing the same troops he thinks are stoopid.
11:54am Eastern. Sen. Russ Feingold complains that the hearing is focused only on Iraq. Guess he missed the discussion of Iran. Also: Congress wants an assessment of Iraq. Now, Feingold whines that Petraeus/Crocker are giving them assessments of Iraq. As opposed to what? Darfur?
Can’t win with these people.
12:30pm Eastern. The blowhards take a recess.
BTW. I agree with readers who are e-mailing me abou Biden’s annoying tactic: Allowing the blowhards to rant endlessly, then limiting Petraeus and Crocker’s responses because there’s not enough time. There was, however, enough time to single out a congressional staffer for applause before the break.
12:53pm Eastern. Wire coverage focuses in on GOP questioning of the witnesses:
Senate Republicans sharply challenged President Bush’s top military general and ambassador in Iraq on Tuesday in a sign that some within the GOP retain serious misgivings about the protracted war.
“Are we going to continue to invest blood and treasure at the same rate we’re doing now? For what?” asked Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., who supports legislation setting a deadline to bring troops home.
The deep-seated doubt expressed at the hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee reflected just how far Congress had come since the war began over four years ago. And Republican senators raised tough questions that rivaled those asked by Democratic presidential hopefuls on the panel.
The exchanges came just a day after the top U.S. war commander, Gen. David Petraeus, recommended keeping the bulk of U.S. forces in Iraq—some 130,000 troops—deployed there through next summer.
Whereas Republicans were once deferential to the thinking of officials running the war, particularly uniformed officers, Hagel and other GOP senators on the panel said they doubted that simply giving war commanders more time would necessarily yield results.
“In my judgment, some type of success in Iraq is possible, but as policymakers, we should acknowledge that we are facing extraordinarily narrow margins for achieving our goals,” said Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, the top Republican on the committee.
Sen. Norm Coleman said he appreciates plans to return troop levels to 130,000—down from the 168,000 currently in Iraq—but that he wants a longer-term vision other than suggestions that Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker will return to Capitol Hill in mid-March to give another assessment.
“Americans want to see light at the end of the tunnel,” said Coleman, R-Minn.
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Get you’re barf bags ready for round two everyone.
Imagine the flying spittle we will see when Kennedy has the mic.
I’d love Petraeus to answer a Kennedy question about when the Iraqi’s will be able to handle their own country with,
“Well, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
All that grey hair in the front row – is this a Senate hearing or the audience for an assisted-living holiday pageant?
These buffoons in Congress are snuffing out their last chance to reverse the tide that is flowing against them.
What is amazing is their arrogance as if they are winning this debate about the war. Last time I checked they are batting, uh let’s see, 0.000.
They remind me of a bunch of grinning jackals.
Barbara Boxer is the most vapid of the lot. She represents 1 per cent of the California electorate on the issues. Another carpetbagger from New York.
Absolutely clueless.
LOL Jr #103. We’ll jump off that bridge when we get to it.
Top 3 Responses to Ted Kennedy:
#3 – Senator, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.
#2 – Senator, let me clarify, when I said we’re raising the bar I didn’t mean…….
And the #1 answer to a Senator Kennedy question:
#1 – Senator, I’ll pull every troop out of theater tomorrow, just please don’t ever sing in public again!
I’m putting on a mask and snorkle before Kennedy starts spewing.
I wonder what these Congressional slugs/thugs thought when they read the following in the Petraeus Report:(excerpt courtesy of Powerlineblog.com)
“In the past six months we have also targeted Shia militia extremists, capturing a number of senior leaders and fighters, as well as the deputy commander of Lebanese Hezbollah Department 2800, the organization created to support the training, arming, funding, and, in some cases, direction of the militia extremists by the Iranian Republican Guard Corps’ Qods Force. These elements have assassinated and kidnapped Iraqi governmental leaders, killed and wounded our soldiers with advanced explosive devices provided by Iran, and indiscriminately rocketed civilians in the International Zone and elsewhere. It is increasingly apparent to both Coalition and Iraqi leaders that Iran, through the use of the Qods Force, seeks to turn the Iraqi Special Groups into a Hezbollah-like force to serve its interests and fight a proxy war against the Iraqi state and coalition forces in Iraq. ”
Did they even read the report?
Nice – nothing like cutting off Petreaus 10 seconds into his first statement to tell him he doesn’t have to talk so much.
Nope, this wasn’t one of the nine things the dems read this year.
Bear – has a REPUBLICAN congressman brought it up?
Petreaus won’t get the chance to – he’ll probably get cut off –
Republican Senators need to use their time and bring out these highlights that the Dems don’t want to hear.
According to my belief system, one should never disrespect a warrior or one who lives by a warrior code. Ever.
The Moon Loons have given themselves license to disrespect warriors. And they will perish because of it.
OT: When will Teddy’s liver give out? It has to be the size of a canoe by now, no?
I think if the Repubs don’t get air time to bring up the Iranian factor, the Dhimmicrats’ failure to even acknowledge this HUGE SECURITY RISK should become an election issue- how can they be trusted to lead in war time when they fail to demonstrate any comprehension of what Iran is doing on the ground in broad daylight in Iraq against American troops and the Iraqi government.
Another reference to non-military experts to counter Petraeus – this time he’s using New York Times reporters….
Un be lieveable
Bear – the Dems won’t bring it up because their netroots don’t think Iran is a serious threat…
And if they DID bring it up they’d be acknowledging that the problem is more than just the ‘Iraqi’s not taking responsibility’.
jrl … looks more like an audition for a Just For Men commercial to me …
LOL, more like st. elsewhere.
Wow, McCain shows you can ask a lot of questions if you don’t give 5 minute expositions…and way to take it to Schumer.
Nice to see a ‘give & take’ question session, Taylork…. I agree.
That’s why these dog-and-pony shows are just that…. they’re a sideshow for the Dems to get their talking points on the air and make it look, to their far-left supporters, as if they’re actually doing something about it.
As I said before, it’s sad when these two men are called before Congress, and then Congresspersons take more of the time asking questions and making speeches than getting answers ( if they even allow them time to answer in front of the public ).
Schumer wasn’t even listening.
McCain has asked for question than all the dems combined.
Should a US Ambassador have a habit of saying ‘Eh’ or ‘Um’ every 10 seconds?
Geez
Uh-oh…. it’s Teddy time
…maybe that has to do with none of the dems being qualified to have a seat on this committee. They don’t know what questions toask so they just give speechs.
Why is sir drinks a lot asking the same question that’s been asked 10 times alrady?
Taylor – I think it’s more of the fact that if they asked what they’re supposed to be asking – finding out the status of things – they wouldn’t get the answers that they want the public to hear.
Why dont we disclose our entire war-plan to the enemy? sheesh.
Byrd sounds like he’s about to keel over and die
He needs the golden parachute, please.
Thanks for the c-span link ajmontana, but this US Air Force computer won’t let me go there with their internet software. It won’t let me go to Hot Air or listen to talk radio on my computer either. I guess they don’t want me being informed on what my politicians are doing while working for the Government. I’m just glad I can come here and some of the other Conservative sites workload permitting.
yw,didnt realize u were on base.
It amazes me how many times Petraeus has to correct these guys. You’d think the dems would get their facts straight before asking questions.
Is it just me, or does Sen. Byrd remind you of the old Tim Conway character on the Carol Burnett show – white hair, mumbling, shuffling feet…. LOL.
That’s the point, Taylor….
the Dems DO have THEIR facts straight…. problem is THEIR facts aren’t facts. They’re talking points.
Boomer
if you can access http://www.foxnews.com the hearings are streamed there as well …
“facts?! facts?! we dont need no stinking facts!”
Not that I have a problem with what inhoffe is saying, but he’s being guilty of talky talky talky with no real questions.
I think Inhofe is just trying to deflect some of the Dems talking points where they didn’t give the opportunity to the Ambassador and General to answer …
leiberman looks exactly like the stuttering attorney one of the yoot’s got in my cousin vinny.
Thanks desert lover but, can’t get anything live streaming here except from some of the Air Force and other encrypted Government sites. Kind of a slow day on base today otherwise I would be lucky to keep up except for lunch time.
just in here.
Can California trade Boxer for Sessions? and we will throw in Feinstein.
Toss in San Fran Nan too AJ.
Rather toss her in San Fran bay.
why does it sound more and more like a “diplomatic surge” means give into the Iranians?
aj … I think you add in Pelosi the only “throwing” you’ll get to do is into the Pacific with them all …
Because having the Iranians come in and do what we all know they will do is exactly what the Democrats would love to happen.
A collapse of the Iraq and a subsequent fall into the ideological hands of Iran would be the political fodder for the Democratic Party for years to come.
They would conveniently neglect the fact that their policies were the mitigating factor in allowing it to happen, and pound on their interpretation of events which would be that George Bush and the Republicans invaded Iraq, destabilized the country and allowed Iran to move in and gain power, making more difficult to negotiate with them.
It has been said before, the Democrats are politically invested in the defeat of our military and the failure of our foreign policy.
It says a lot about them.
Newt just mentioned the Iran factor on Hannity’s radio show.
I guess Chris Dodd is too busy funding La Raza with millions of our tax dollars to bother informing himself about what’s happening in Iraq.
http://lonewacko.com/blog/archives/007033.html
http://www.ytedk.com/
HE HE HE. Just to remind those of what Teddy did.
He ran out on Mary Jo.
He wants to run out on Iraq.
Ted, your legacy awaits.
Glacier is making light of the fact that UBL has not been captured or taken care of. Aside from the inherent hypocrisy in that, she has no clue how easily one can be hidden in the tribal areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Yes, even in this day and age, there are plenty of places where Osama can safely hide and plenty of people who will ensure his secret is safe.
Everytime I watch Kennedy I cannot focus on anything else but how much the man loves to here himself talk.
Was there even a question in there for anyone?….and then he ran out of time and kept going. Everyone is too poilite to step on him….
#107 – Chortle! You funny.
I can already hear the responses in my head from the left/loons/Dems.
Can you imagine these Senators & Representatives, Dems or Republicans asking such questions as, “will your strategy make America safer?” or “when will you bring all the troops home?” to President Roosevelt or Gen Eisenhower, etc. during the Pacific or European theaters? Such pompus, audacious, ignorant, treasonous —and I can’t write what comes to mind as I don’t want to get kicked off here. It boggles the mind that these nerds (spelled with a T) are in positions of leadership. They don’t care a whit about making us safer from the worldwide jihad threat. These sorry butts need to be removed…they are the threat our forefathers saw when they wrote our constitution. And if they tamper with the ballot box–which they have and are still doing with a passion–we were given other amendments to the constitution to really make America safe!
#155 – That’ll work.
If General Patraeus can not say the efforts and sacrifices of our troops are making America safer, then most of the war mongers are absolutely advocating something that is making America less safe. That’s hard to accept when they’ve beating the war drums so long. I doubt Roosevelt or Eisenhower would have hesitated for a second to answer John Warner’s important question in the affirmative.
157 you are wrong. They couldn’t answer in the affirmative until the threat was neutralized which only came after the fall of Berlin, death of Hitler and the last Abomb on Nagasaki with a quick surrender. There was a whole lot of troop commitment, deaths and sorrow long before that occurred. I also remember blackouts on the coast in the 40’s–safer? Only a fool would ask such a question while the enemy was still there and determined to cut my throat and those of you and your family.
Osama-osis—Nope, I think its the “Stockholm Sydrome” and it was best displayed by madame pelosi when she did her dhimi pose overseas.