TED KENNEDY-Still the Voice of Steady Reason
See- www.actblue.com
Senator Kennedy supports both the Levin and the Kerry-Feingold Amendments on Iraq withdrawal/redeployment. He noted today on the Senate floor that both make the unified statment that we need to disengage from Iraq soon and turn it over to the Iraqis. Ted Kennedy recited the litany of deception, bold lies, falsehood, fraud and error that got us there- and quoted his brother Robert in noting that past error is no excuse to perpetuate it.
We have fueled the insurgency, we are a crutch for the Iraqis. Its not getting better the longer we stay as is obvious from the progressions since we have been there.
Kennedy is a refreshing voice of steady reason from the rhetorical Republican windbags like Baily Hutchinson and Jeffers whose feeble sloganeering and absurdly nonsensical strategic foreign policy understanding makes us wonder how these people ever got elected and whether their constituencies have an average of a fifth grade education.
Kennedy understands well that the best hope for the Iraqis to succeed and divert their own civil war is now our disengagement.
The Iraqis must make their own decisions and compromises and take responsibility for Iraq's own future.
Kennedy noted that the total cost will exceed according to Steiglitz a Trillion dollars.
He forsees an unacceptable increase of casualties. He tips his hat to former generals and former military chiefs who noted that there never was a viable exit strategy.
This is a debate about real people risking their lives every day.
Kennedy urged support of both amendments.
Kennedy needs us to support other similar like minded Senators and those running for Senate. This debate is sure to continue. We need a majority Democratic Senate. These Republican windbags do not represent either the best thinking on strategic diplomacy or independent intellectually honest assessment of what "winning" there actually means. They simply have to be replaced in balance with Democrats (whose constituencies typically on average have greater than a fifth grade education.)
Here is what Ted Kennedy's office/campaign sent today which I urge the readers to take seriously:
They're at it again. As Election Day nears, races across the country are heating up, and the Republican political machine is gearing up to take down two extraordinary Democrats that America needs in the Senate.
I want our community to come to their defense.For over 40 years I've served in the Senate with Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia, and I've long admired his commitment to his constituents and his unyielding advocacy of American principles. We've seen those virtues recently in his vigorous defense of Social Security and brilliant stands for our constitutional freedoms -- and most of all in his staunch opposition to the President's fraudulent case for war in Iraq.
Bob Byrd is a beacon for the enduring American ideal of fairness for hard-working families. That makes it all the more important to prevent the GOP from silencing a strong voice that has rejected their power grabs at every turn.
It's no secret that national Republicans are about to dump millions of dollars into West Virginia in an attempt to defeat this Senate icon in November. I'm committed to doing everything I can to keep that from happening. This request to our community is one of the most powerful tools I have to provide the help he needs.
Join me in supporting Senator Byrd for his unwavering commitment to the causes we share. He needs your contribution:
http://www.tedkennedy.com/yourchoice
We need more senators like Bob Byrd here in Washington and we have an excellent chance to elect one in November in Tennessee who's now waging a vigorous campaign for the Senate seat being vacated by Bill Frist.
Harold Ford will fight hard in the Senate for the goals Democrats share. He'll be a leader on key issues in domestic and foreign policy, protect our national security, and give a genuine high priority to education, health care, an increase in the minimum wage, and other important national needs.
Harold Ford already has Republicans so petrified that earlier this month, the GOP even unleashed its attack dogs on a Tennessee teenager who wrote candidly -- on his personal website -- about Republican dirty tricks being used on the campaign. For speaking the truth, this nineteen year old bore the full brunt of Republican dirty tricks.
You and I can make a difference in this tight race. What it takes is commitment, and today I'm asking you to demonstrate your commitment by making a contribution to Harold Ford's campaign.
http://www.tedkennedy.com/yourchoice
We can daydream about waking up the day after Election Day with a Democratic Congress that will fight for all Americans. Or we can make that dream a reality by working hard to achieve it.
With your support, we'll re-elect Senator Bob Byrd to the US Senate in November, and we'll elect Harold Ford to the Senate too. Please join me in being an active supporter of Senator Byrd and Congressman Ford as we work for change in November.
The choice is yours! The time to act is now, and your support can make a major difference.
Yours for the election of a Democratic Senate in '06,
Senator Edward M. Kennedy
1 comment:
The plan I am sending you has been approved by many prominent thinkers and
activists in the field. Which includes: Benjamin Ferencz, Chief Prosecutor
at the Nuremburg Trials, Ken Livingstone-Mayor of London,
Bishop Thomas Gumbleton of Detroit, Tom Hayden, Matthew Rothschild, Anthony Arnove, Danny Schecter, Tony Benn- Former Member of the British parliament ,Reggie Rivers,
Robert Jensen, Andrew Bard Schmookler and others.
I formulated this plan in September 2004, based on a comprehensive
study of the issues. For my plan to be successful it must be implemented
with all seven points beginning to happen within a very short period of
time.
I have run up against a wall of doubt about my plan due to it's
rational nature ,and due to it's adherence to placing the blame on the
invaders, and then trying to formulate a process of extrication which would
put all entities in this conflict face to face, to begin to finally solve
the dilemmas that exist.
If you read my plan you will see that it is guided by a reasonable
and practical compromise that could end this war and alleviate the
internecine civil violence that is confronting Iraq at this juncture in it's
history.
I am making a plea for my plan to be put into action on a wide-scale.
I need you to circulate it and use all the persuasion you have to bring it
to the attention of those in power.
Just reading my plan and sending off an e-mail to me that you received
it will not be enough.
This war must end-we who oppose it can do this by using my plan.
We must fight the power and end the killing.
If you would like to view some comments and criticism about my plan
I direct you to my blog: sevenpointman
Thank you my dear friend,
Howard Roberts
A Seven-point plan for an Exit Strategy in Iraq
1) A timetable for the complete withdrawal of American and British forces
must be announced.
I envision the following procedure, but suitable fine-tuning can be
applied by all the people involved.
A) A ceasefire should be offered by the Occupying side to
representatives of both the Sunni insurgency and the Shiite community. These
representatives would be guaranteed safe passage, to any meetings. The
individual insurgency groups would designate who would attend.
At this meeting a written document declaring a one-month ceasefire,
witnessed by a United Nations authority, will be fashioned and eventually
signed. This document will be released in full, to all Iraqi newspapers, the
foreign press, and the Internet.
B) US and British command will make public its withdrawal, within
sixth-months of 80 % of their troops.
C) Every month, a team of United Nations observers will verify the
effectiveness of the ceasefire.
All incidences on both sides will be reported.
D) Combined representative armed forces of both the Occupying
nations and the insurgency organizations that agreed to the cease fire will
protect the Iraqi people from actions by terrorist cells.
E) Combined representative armed forces from both the Occupying
nations and the insurgency organizations will begin creating a new military
and police force. Those who served, without extenuating circumstances, in
the previous Iraqi military or police, will be given the first option to
serve.
F) After the second month of the ceasefire, and thereafter, in
increments of 10-20% ,a total of 80% will be withdrawn, to enclaves in Qatar
and Bahrain. The governments of these countries will work out a temporary
land-lease housing arrangement for these troops. During the time the troops
will be in these countries they will not stand down, and can be re-activated
in the theater, if the chain of the command still in Iraq, the newly
formed Iraqi military, the leaders of the insurgency, and two international
ombudsman (one from the Arab League, one from the United Nations), as a
majority, deem it necessary.
G) One-half of those troops in enclaves will leave three-months after they
arrive, for the United States or other locations, not including Iraq.
H) The other half of the troops in enclaves will leave after
six-months.
I) The remaining 20 % of the Occupying troops will, during this six
month interval, be used as peace-keepers, and will work with all the
designated organizations, to aid in reconstruction and nation-building.
J) After four months they will be moved to enclaves in the above
mentioned countries.
They will remain, still active, for two month, until their return to
the States, Britain and the other involved nations.
2) At the beginning of this period the United States will file a letter with
the Secretary General of the Security Council of the United Nations, making
null and void all written and proscribed orders by the CPA, under R. Paul
Bremer. This will be announced and duly noted.
3) At the beginning of this period all contracts signed by foreign countries
will be considered in abeyance until a system of fair bidding, by both
Iraqi and foreign countries, will be implemented ,by an interim Productivity
and Investment Board, chosen from pertinent sectors of the Iraqi economy.
Local representatives of the 18 provinces of Iraq will put this board
together, in local elections.
4) At the beginning of this period, the United Nations will declare that
Iraq is a sovereign state again, and will be forming a Union of 18
autonomous regions. Each region will, with the help of international
experts, and local bureaucrats, do a census as a first step toward the
creation of a municipal government for all 18 provinces. After the census, a
voting roll will be completed. Any group that gets a list of 15% of the
names on this census will be able to nominate a slate of representatives.
When all the parties have chosen their slates, a period of one-month will be
allowed for campaigning.
Then in a popular election the group with the most votes will represent that
province.
When the voters choose a slate, they will also be asked to choose five
individual members of any of the slates.
The individuals who have the five highest vote counts will represent a
National government.
This whole process, in every province, will be watched by international
observers as well as the local bureaucrats.
During this process of local elections, a central governing board, made up
of United Nations, election governing experts, insurgency organizations, US
and British peacekeepers, and Arab league representatives, will assume the
temporary duties of administering Baghdad, and the central duties of
governing.
When the ninety representatives are elected they will assume the legislative
duties of Iraq for two years.
Within three months the parties that have at least 15% of the
representatives will nominate candidates for President and Prime Minister.
A national wide election for these offices will be held within three months
from their nomination.
The President and the Vice President and the Prime Minister will choose
their cabinet, after the election.
5) All debts accrued by Iraq will be rescheduled to begin payment, on the
principal after one year, and on the interest after two years. If Iraq is
able to handle another loan during this period she should be given a grace
period of two years, from the taking of the loan, to comply with any
structural adjustments.
6) The United States and the United Kingdom shall pay Iraq reparations for
its invasion in the total of 120 billion dollars over a period of twenty
years for damages to its infrastructure. This money can be defrayed as
investment, if the return does not exceed 6.5 %.
7) During the beginning period Saddam Hussein and any other prisoners who
are deemed by a Council of Iraqi Judges, elected by the National
representative body, as having committed crimes will be put up for trial.
The trial of Saddam Hussein will be before seven judges, chosen from this
Council of Judges.
One judge, one jury, again chosen by this Council, will try all other
prisoners.
All defendants will have the right to present any evidence they want, and to
choose freely their own lawyers.
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