Some of my favorite 2007 quotes from the left

Some of the more interesting things found in QandO posts from the left during a review of this year. First, let’s do a little comparing and contrasting:

Carl Levin in March, 1999:

“Whether we like it or not, the Balkans is an important crossroads. […] This is not the time to take risks in undermining those efforts. Those who insist on a debate at this particular moment should think again, or they bear the responsibility for the possible consequences of their actions.” — Democratic Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, Congressional record, March 11, 1999

Carl Levin in Feb, 2007:

“I don’t want to put a specific number on (how many troops we want to withdraw from Iraq) because that really should be left to the commanders who decide how many would be needed to carry out those limited functions. But we’ve got to–the issue we’re facing, the key issue is do we want American troops in the middle of a civil war. That’s the fundamental issue which we want to debate. We’ve been wanting to debate that for many, many weeks, but, of course, we were filibustered before.” — Carl Levin on Meet The Press, Feb 25, 2007

Steny Hoyer in Mar of 1999:

“The bill that is presently before us says that we shall not use elements… I do know and believe that our enemies will interpret that as a constriction on our maneuverability and ability to act. That is a dangerous policy. We should not be engaged in this conflict with that constriction on our troops. It is dangerous, in my opinion, for them. It gives to our enemy a false sense that he may act to the detriment of our people. We ought to reject this bill as not only premature, but as unwise policy. […]Let us be united with our President and with our fighting men and women in this important endeavor.[…]

It is absolutely unconscionable and irresponsible to be considering legislation which requires the arbitrary withdrawal of our forces participating in the NATO action against Serbia, as does House Concurrent Resolution 82. Such a course would hand Milosevic victory, confirm the genocide he has perpetrated against the Kosovar Albanians, and destroy NATO.[…]

America must lead, Mr. Speaker; we must not equivocate. Such a course would encourage the enemies of peace, the bullies of the world, and would surely endanger our men and women in uniform. As we enter the 21st century, America stands as the beacon of democracy, freedom, and human rights. People around the world look to our country’s strength in their struggle for democracy and basic human rights. We must not, Mr. Speaker, stand now in the shadow of weakness and isolationism.”

Steny Hoyer in January of 2007:

“We should begin the phased redeployment of our forces within the next six months.”

Jim Moran in March of 1999:

Mr . Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this resolution, which would prohibit funding for ground forces unless deployment is specifically authorized. The only narrow exception provided in this measure is for rescuing US service personnel.

This resolution would undermine our ability to achieve NATO objectives in Kosovo and, more importantly, would send the wrong signal to President Milosevic about our resolve in the Balkans.

I encourage my colleagues to consider the ramifications of this resolution, which limits our country’s military leaders. If we are to ensure a stable Europe and stop the atrocities, then we must destroy Milosevic’s ability to wage his campaigns of ethnic cleansing.

[The resolution in question was one which would have required Clinton to go to Congress for an authorization to use ground forces if the bombing campaign wasn’t successful.]

Jim Moran in March 2007 at HuffPo:

The stage was set when Defense Spending Chairman Jack Murtha described his plans to use the President’s Supplemental Iraq spending request for another hundred billion dollars as a vehicle to support our troops in a manner which would limit the President’s ability to broaden the war.

One of my favorites, Hillary Clinton on her Iraq vote. Here she is in February of 2007:

“I will let others speak for themselves,” she said in a telephone interview from Washington.

“I have taken responsibility for that vote. It was based on the best assessment that I could make at the time, and it was clearly intended to demonstrate support for going to the United Nations to put inspectors into Iraq.

“When I set forth my reasons for giving the President that authority, I said that it was not a vote for pre-emptive war,” the former first lady said.

She said the Bush administration forced an end to the final round of weapons inspections and invaded prematurely. The administration is responsible for the status of the war, she said, and for being “grossly misinformed” or for having “twisted the intelligence to satisfy a pre-conceived version of the facts.

“Either interpretation casts grave doubt on their judgment,” she said.

Hillary Clinton on her Iraq vote October 2002:

Mrs. Clinton addresses the Senate on the use-of-force resolution. “The facts that have brought us to this fateful vote are not in doubt,” she declares, citing Saddam’s record of using chemical weapons, the invasion of Kuwait, and his history of deceiving U.N. weapons inspectors. “As a result, President Clinton, with the British and others, ordered an intensive four-day air assault, Operation Desert Fox, on known and suspected weapons of mass destruction sites and other military targets,” she continues, adding that Saddam “has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including al Qaeda members.”

While she expresses her preference for working through the U.N. if possible, she adds, “I believe the authority to use force to enforce that mandate is inherent in the original 1991 U.N. resolution, as President Clinton recognized when he launched Operation Desert Fox in 1998.”

December 2003:

I was one who supported giving President Bush the authority, if necessary, to use force against Saddam Hussein. I believe that that was the right vote.”

Grossly misinformed?

Larry King Live, April 2004:

Asked whether she thinks she was “fooled,” she replies: “The consensus was the same, from the Clinton Administration to the Bush Administration. It was the same intelligence belief that our allies and friends around the world shared about the weapons of mass destruction.”

October 2004:

[Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York said] “The intelligence from Bush 1 to Clinton to Bush 2 was consistent” in concluding Saddam had chemical and biological weapons and was trying to develop a nuclear capability . The senator said she did her own “due diligence” by attending classified briefings on Capitol Hill and at the White House and Pentagon and also by consulting national security officials from the Clinton administration whom she trusts. “To a person, they all agreed with the consensus of the intelligence” that Saddam had WMD”.

And now some, just for fun.

Madam Speaker — Nancy Pelosi:

Job approval:

“All I can worry about is getting the job done,” Pelosi said. “Most of us here are at the mercy of hate radio every day of the week, and that takes its toll. And I can’t be concerned about that. Whatever our ratings are, my ratings are, they’re still way ahead of the president.”

Well, not any more.

Republicans:

“They like this war. They want this war to continue,”

Pelosi is all for increasing funding for Vets — Canadian vets

And politicizing Mother’s Day:

Women have always been the peacekeepers of our societies. When I became the first woman Speaker of the House this year, I was honored to assume this position and humbled by the responsibility it brought. Nothing in my life will ever compare to being a mother – not being a Member of Congress; not being Speaker of the House. But I am thankful that I have the opportunity to bring my experience as a mother to this position. When I traveled to the Middle East last month in search for diplomacy and peace, I was there as Speaker of the House. But I was also there as a mother, carrying Julia Ward Howe’s message. When I cast my vote yesterday for an end to the war in Iraq, I did so as a Member of Congress. But my vote was also taken as a mother of five and grandmother of six.

Pelosi is definitely an argument against seniority as the primary requisite for leadership.

John Murtha:

A key lawmaker said Tuesday that he expects the U.S. Central Command to propose in September an immediate 30,000-troop reduction in the number of U.S. forces in Iraq because of growing belief that the so-called “surge” strategy is working.

Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., the defense appropriations subcommittee chairman who made the prediction, said that does not mean that he believes the situation in Iraq is improving, but that an increasing number of White House and Pentagon officials and Republican lawmakers returning from visits to Iraq are all talking about success.

Harry Reid on those troop cuts:

Senate Democratic leaders on Wednesday rejected the call by the top U.S. general in Iraq for a reduction of up to 30,000 U.S. troops in Iraq by next summer, saying it does not go far enough.

“This is unacceptable to me, it’s unacceptable to the American people,” said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Harry Reid on Petraeus:

Sen. Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) charged that Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, who took command in Iraq four months ago, “isn’t in touch with what’s going on in Baghdad.”

Harry Reid on Iraq — Dec 3 2007

“The surge hasn’t accomplished its goals,” Harry Reid said. “… We’re involved, still, in an intractable civil war.”

John Kerry speaking of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth 3 years after the fact:

“We have put together a documented portfolio that frankly puts their lies in such a total light of absurdity and indecency, that should they ever rear their ugly heads again, we have every single ‘t’ crossed and ‘i’ dotted, and I welcome that in a sense,” Kerry said after addressing Boston’s South Shore Chamber of Commerce. “It’s a shame we weren’t able to produce all that at the time.”

Magic hats, Christmas in Cambodia and the like all “documented” now, I assume. Now if they could only find a fiction publisher willing to take the chance.

Johnny on the spot, as usual.

Al Sharpton, aka Mr. Tolerance and Harmony, talking about Gov. Mitt Romney’s candidacy during a debate with atheist author Christopher Hitchens in New York:

“As for the one Mormon running for office, those that really believe in God will defeat him anyway, so don’t worry about that. That’s a temporary situation.”

Joe Biden’s “unifying theory of all bad things since 1994” comment:

“I would argue, since 1994 with the Gingrich revolution, just take a look at Iraq, Venezuela, Katrina, what’s gone down at Virginia Tech, Darfur, Imus. Take a look. This didn’t happen accidentally, all these things.”

— Sen. Joe Biden blaming Republicans for everything during a speech to Al Sharpton’s National Action Network on Thursday.

Biden thereby redefines BDS.

Keith Ellison (D-MN) comparing 9/11 to the burning of the Reichstag:

“It’s almost like the Reichstag fire, kind of reminds me of that. After the Reichstag was burned, they blamed the Communists for it and it put the leader of that country [Hitler] in a position where he could basically have authority to do whatever he wanted. The fact is that I’m not saying [Sept. 11] was a [U.S.] plan, or anything like that because, you know, that’s how they put you in the nut-ball box — dismiss you.”

And finally, Cindy Sheehan figuring out why she doesn’t want to be a Democrat anymore:

I was a lifelong Democrat only because the choices were limited. The Democrats are the party of slavery and were the party that started every war in the 20th century, except the other Bush debacle. The Federal Reserve, permanent federal income taxes, not one but two World Wars, Japanese concentration camps, and not one but two atom bombs dropped on the innocent citizens of Japan — all brought to us via the Democrats.

Have a great 2008.

Share this!

Enjoy reading? Share it with your friends!