September 10, 2008

Veteran Tells Biden 'You Called My Success Irrelevant' in Ad

@ 3:56 pm by Chris Good

An Iraq war veteran accuses Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) of disregarding success achieved by U.S. soldiers in a new web ad from Vets for Freedom, a veterans group that opposes withdrawal from Iraq and supports the so-called troop "surge."

"Senator Biden, I fought side by side with men who didn't return from Iraq. They laid down their lives for this country and for their mission. Don't tell me their service and sacrifice wasn't relevant," says Garrett Makovicka, a Marine Corps. infantryman in his mid twenties from College Station, Texas. Makovicka served in Iraq and is a member of the group.

Biden said on NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday that "whether or not the surge worked is almost irrelevant now," and that the real issue is Iraq policy from this point forward.

The group may run the new ad on TV, it says, as part of its $7 million campaign pressuring senators to vote for a resolution, introduced by Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), that recognizes the success of the surge.

Archived under: Campaigns, Foreign Policy, News, Presidential Campaigns
Tags: Joe Biden, Vets for Freedom

5 Comments »

1. Sorry people, in the first place trying to be cute, compulsive, compassionate, and 'tough' in her RNC acceptance speech, Palin made herself fair game with the lipstick on a Pitbull quip.

   Labeling herself a 'fanatic' in such brash Klondike way isn't exactly what I'd deem the voice of a conservative. Rather, it's obvious that like her stance on Iraq ("I haven't been following that(lol)), Palin is twirling a loaded revolver and liable to shoot herself on a lot of issues.

   Plus, anybody not ready to hold a press conference, without being first 'scripted' by McCain's cadre of self-interested politico lobbyists, shouldn't be consider White House material.

   Barack Obama was referring to how packaging and handling doesn't change reality. Besides in politics a lot of pigs wear lipstick, and many hold positions of power and responsibility in D.C.(camera ready, many are men), then he went on to put things in context saying we need to change because "Enough, is enough" as "American's aren't stupid."

   It's obvious you understand exactly what he was saying, so stop ignoring the obvious that its all just an attempt to "change" the subject.

   Lastly, no disrespect to our armed forces but isn't that what the surge was really about, 'a Bush/McCain ploy to change the subject.' After all, $$$ billions later, the Iraq government is nothing more than a pig with lipstick. Democratic(?), try 'even more corrupt than before the war.' What sort of "change" is that?

   Comment by Hank Raymond — September 10, 2008 @ 6:29 pm

2. Hank:

   At the height of voilence in Iraq over 100 soldiers were being killed each month. The surge has cut that number by over 90%. And while that 10% is still too much…it means that not only are american fighting men and women safer but so are ordinary everyday iraqis.

   Secondly, 75% of IED attacks are down and 15 of 18 benchmarks set forth by the Nancy Pelosi congress have been met. That certainly is quantifiable success that means people are safer and living better lives in Iraq today because of a successful and winning military, diplomatic and economic strategy.

   I know its unfortunate that you can't explain away success but facts are stubborn things for you aren't they?

   Comment by Surge Worked — September 10, 2008 @ 6:46 pm

3. Surge Worked:

   1) The purpose of the surge was not to reduce the number of Americans being killed in Iraq. That purpose would have been better served by pulling them out of their completely.

   2) How does it mean "ordinary everyday Iraqis" are safer?

   3) The surge probably wouldn't have accomplished anything, and in fact would have probably deepened the quagmire, if it hadn't been for the Mahdi Army ceasefire and the Sunni Awakening.

   4) Taking into consideration the countless ways in which Bush/Cheney blundered in the occupation of Iraq, not to mention the idiocy and dishonesty of the invasion itself, who in their right mind would trust them to send in even more troops to try and fix the mess they'd made?

   5) The Joint Chiefs, the Iraq Study Group, all of the commanders on the ground (according to Gen. Abizaid), and even Ollie North were all opposed to the surge.

   North "said that on his recent trip to Baghdad he learned that 'nearly all' U.S. troops opposed escalating the war in Iraq. They told North, 'We don’t need more American troops; we need more Iraqi troops.'" (http://thinkprogress.org/2007/01/09/north-troops-oppose-escalation/#more-9536)

   6. The actual purpose of the surge, to bring about a reconciliation of the warring factions, hasn't been achieved.

   "The surge has worked": like everything else McCain says these days, that's 100% pure crap.

   Comment by chimpeach — September 10, 2008 @ 10:56 pm

4. If Bill Clinton had not had sex with Monica Lewinsky, Al Gore would have been president and we NEVER would have gone into Iraq. This war was planned even before Bush/Cheney took office. Wake up America; I believe most informed soldiers and vets are voting for Obama because he really gives a damn, unlike McCain and the republican hierarchy.

   Comment by Joyce — September 10, 2008 @ 11:00 pm

5. 1) No, that was not the purpose of the surge, try again.

   2) He didn't include those figures specifically (though many IEDs hit civilian vehicles so that should give you a clue) but the civilian numbers have dropped astronomically as well. It has brought improved security for everyone, AND political progress (15 of 18 benchmarks a democratic initiative created).

   3) Just coincidence that flooding the zone with combat troops coincided with Madhi's men getting more scared and Anbar's moderates getting more brave, eh?

   4) Wars are generally a conundrum of transitioning from mostly mistakes to mostly success as quickly as possible. Though I'll agree with you that Rumsfeld, buckling to democratic whining, tried to do it with not enough troops from the beginning, despite what McCain has always said, more is faster and safer.

   5) Abizaid is fairly alone there, and I'd put more stock in the words of the more competent officer who now occupies his job.

   6) And see #2- "warring factions" are now sitting down at the table, ignoring their fringe elements, and drumming up solutions.

   Comment by Iraq+AfghanVET — September 18, 2008 @ 5:52 pm

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