Login HereThis afternoon the Bill Richardson presidential campaign is launching a website and video to send a message to DC and to the other candidates. While the candidates all say they will "end the war," the frontrunners have ducked the question of residual troops every time they are asked - and they have been asked often by Gov. Richardson in the debates and by several of us privately and in numerous posts.
Last week Matt Stoller and Chris Bowers of OpenLeft and I filmed an ad and interviews for the Richardson campaign video. The campaign will launch the TV ad tomorrow in New Hampshire. While none of us are endorsing a presidential candidate - and Firedoglake has a policy of non-endorsement - Chris, Matt and I all agreed that this question must be answered. We support Bill Richardson's plan to leave no troops behind - and we support his effort to get the other candidates to step up and answer. You can read Chris' great post on this effort at OpenLeft.
At the very least, our candidates owe us clear, transparent information on their Iraq plans. As voters and as party activists, we certainly have a right to know if they plan to leave tens of thousands of troops in Iraq.
You can help - at GetOurTroopsOutNow you can post your videos, photos or avatars making it clear that we want the troops out and we want answers.
It's time for all the campaigns to tell us: How many troops would you leave behind in Iraq?
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Hey Siun!
Yes, an excellent question.
Siun!
BADA BING!
3 zeds in a row today. I say enough. I’m a generous kinda guy…*g*
What defines a “mainstream” Democrat?
ZED?!
..ok, well I was close.
Adie @ 3
dang keyboard….
Adie @ 3
That’s a Chinese woman’s name, as in Xian, but pronounced with an “s.”…*g*
Oklahoma kiddo @ 5
Fingers in ears, saying LALALALALALA?
Will President Hillary Clinton lead us to peace?
Howdy gang - I really hope everyone will jump on this effort - we deserve answers.
Unfortunately, ain’t no way Bill Richardson will get the Dem nomination. Not even a VP nominee. Best he can hope for is a cabinet post if a Dem gets to be prez.
Anybody watching the Columbia speech? The university president just blasted the Iranian president before turning over the podium. Now, the Iranian president begins by noting that in his country, they trust the professors and students enough to discern the truth that they don’t have to vaccinate the student body before they hear the speech.
Biodun @ 13
No, agreed. But hopefully he can prod the rest to answer questions and such.
It’s almost unbelievable. But Bibi is back. What are the chances for peace in the Middle East? You tell me.
OT Columbia Univ. Pres Lee Bollinger gave an incredible speech by way of introducing Ahmadinejad. pulled no punches. wow.
Prez Ahmad.. coming right back with sharp reaction.
continuing…
It’s on C-Span 3.
http://www.c-span.org/watch/cs.....p;Code=CS3
Siun:
You mean FDL’s policy is not endorsing a Dem candidate in the primaries. But surely FDL will endorse a Dem nominee, whoever that might be…*g*
Whether Richardson can will the nomination or not is - to me - less important than his willingness to step up and push for answers we all deserve.
It’s time our candidates told us the truth about their Iraq plans.
Then we voters can make our choices on candidates - but how can we choose when they won’t even tell us how many troops get left behind?
NZ Expat, now in KS @ 14
Wow. This guy’s a charmer. Whatever else he is, he’s got a few brain cells. Verrrrrry interesting.
I cannot see valid reasons to leave any troops in Iraq.
I have strong preferences, but would certainly support any of the announced Dem. candidates over any repubba.
On the topic of Bill Richardson, his ties to the Clintons have had me a little concerned about his campaign, but I’m glad to see his stance on the
waroccupation.Coincidentally, my Father-in-law just asked me yesterday about Bill Richardson. I remember hearing some thing early in his campaign that turned me off, but I can’t remember specifically what those thing are, but the result is that I haven’t paid close attention to him.
My Father-in-law heard him interviewed recently, particularly about the war, and said he was very impressed.
I’d be curious what other people’s opinions are here. Maybe someone can remind me what turned me off initially, or maybe straighten me out for forming that opinion in the first place.
I still kind of favor Edwards, but his health plan gives me serious concerns. And his “tough talk” on Iran as well.
Could we start a net-roots surge to give Kucinich some credibility?
peanutbutter @ 20
A charmer giving a very Lysenkoesque view of what science is…Or maybe, a Fristesque view…
peanutbutter @ 20
As was pointed out in a previous post, this guy may be no saint, but that doesn’t mean he can’t hit the nail right on the head.
He makes a very good point. I wish some of Bushie’s Bible Thumpers would remind him of Jesus’ advice of getting the plank out of your own eye before you worry about the speck in your neighbor’s.
D Iranian President Ahmadinijad has talked twice today. He is at Columbia right now.
It was made incredibly obvious what this invite from Columbia was all about. This was the most disgusting display of arrogance I have ever witnessed. Lee Bollinger President of Columbia gave a speech about Iranian President Ahmadinijad. He used a great deal of time repeating A*P*C’s and the rest of the right wing Israeli lobby endlessly has repeated about Iran. Seriously the most disgusting display of arrogance and hitting below the belt before Iranian President Ahmadinejad even gave his speech. The crowd applauded President Bollinger…what a way to greet a speaker. What a fucking set-up. Columbia and President Lee Bollinger should be ashamed of themselves. Really really ashamed.
People should really watch this set up for themselves..when you are not discussing these other issues.
BOLLINGER’S SPEECH PROVES WHAT THIS COLUMBIA EVENT WAS ABOUT. IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE I-LOBBY TO USE THIS FORUM TO REPEAT THEIR LIES ABOUT IRAN.
What a clear and obnoxious set up!
I want the faceshooter out of office ASAP.
I’m brave enough to admit he terrifies me.
I don’t think he is thinking/acting rationally.
Even some of his closest former colleagues admit he’s not the person he used to be, and i don’t remember him being all that ‘luvable’ before.
Please tune in C-SPAN2 to hear Senator Byrd - he’s started off a speech on Iraq condemning the White House’s propaganda performance.
“Used car salesman” Bush’s “sales job,” etc…. “Past time to lift the hood and kick the tires.”
http://c-span.org/watch/cs_csp.....p;Code=CS2
Truth? From our candidates about Iraq. What a novel idea. I see it from Kucinich and Richardson at the top. And in descending order from the rest of the Democratic voluble and glib spielers, ending with Hillary Clinton. And as to the Republican candidates, these characters don’t even rate a comment.
pow wow @ 28
thanks for the tip
Off- subject—
If you can check out the speech at c-span2 Senate Floor Sen. Robert Byrd regarding Iraq, it’s just beautiful, this man can illuminate very eloquently and amusing too….
(Hi my fine feathered friends at the lake, hope you are having a tolerable Monday….)
Plus: Bill Richardson has been associated with sexual harassment incidents. All anyone has to do is go to Google.
sorry for the early OT, but i’ve got to leave and wanted to make sure you-all saw this - on the kyl/lieberman proposed amendment to the defense authorization bill, S.AMDT.3017. “To express the sense of the Senate regarding Iran.”
from pow wow it looks like this amendment will be debated today and may be voted on as early as tomorrow. (see c-span2 for events on the senate floor)
note - see page S11911 of the congressional record for the text of the proposed s.amdt.3017. here’s a bit:
anne @ 30
Watching right now, again, it is just beautiful…..
i’m watching the iranian president speak… trying to get a feel for what he’s saying - the intro was a stemwinder
ticktock @ 31
Even at Sen. Byrd’s advanced age, he still have 50 times more functioning brain cells than our current President.
Let the Siunshine! Strong direct video.. separates the killers from the peacemakers. I really like where I think this is going.. No more coddling war Dems, no more!
Adie @ 17
I have never witnessed a forum do this. Lee Bollingers hate speech was the most disgusting display of warmongering at a University that I have ever witnessed. Have you ever heard a speaker treated like this? Columbia and Lee Bollinger should be terribly ashamed of themselves for this obnoxious stunt.
I bet Micheal ledeen is in the audience. Hell he probably wrote Lee Bollingers diatribe. Absolutely disgusting.
Columbia’s reputation just took a dive into the darkness today.
SufiLizard @ 25
Columbia should be terribly ashamed…really ashamed..this was a disgusting set up. Columbia’s reputation took a dark dive today.
I think it’s crazy to start laying out complete plans for Iraq now when the situation in a year and half is going to be totally different. The Repugs would jump all over a plan that was devised a year before, then changed to deal with a change in Iraq and say that was wishy-washy, or some such bullshit.
I’m not sure why more of these candidates don’t simply say that it’s too early now to say what they’ll do in 2009. And then add, who knows what new crisis or screw up Bush and his Republican yes men will get us into next year.
Having said that, I would leave some troops to help deter foreign invaders and keep the borders safe and that’s it. I hate when people say it will take a year to get the troops out. That’s such bullshit. It took a week to get them there.
Kathleen 26.
I agree the Bollinger
introductionspeech was stunning. The whole event is being recorded, I’m sure. I’m sure it’d work to continue with our present thread, and deal with the other later, or people could set up split screen for themselves & “multi-task” tw’ Siun and C-Span.Being hyperactive, I’m used to multitasking - can’t operate in any other fashion. But both these subjects are too complicated to go back & forth. I’m gonna silence ole Mahmoud and revisit him later, heh. Whoosh!
Kathleen @ 38
Well, we certainly are acquitting ourselves well today, aren’t we? As I recall, having a guest in your “house” requires you to be the “gracious host” - which means that you don’t invite someone to your “house” to poke them in the eye with a sharp stick before you give them a chance to give their speech. Miss Manners would have something to say about this, I think.
Who is the peace candidate?
its amazing that people who claim to love freedom of speech tried mightily to deny it to others they disagree with..as i said earlier what has happened to america………..
Eureka - exactly. The candidates need to come clean and tell us their plans. Richardson has - but crickets from Clinton, Obama and Edwards.
Back in the early 60s I started my involvement with politics as a kid working for LBJs campaign since he promised to “bring the boys home” and then he didn’t. I won’t stand for that kind of nonsense again.
Byrd referring to the war as that of the president and his men: ‘their mission’, ‘their vision’. Pointing out how Buscho always asking for a little more time, just a little more, when they really have no solution.
bollinger delivered a CYA intro imo
Iranian President Ahmadinejad rips right through Columbia’s Lee Bollingers inappropriate and disgusting diatribe before the Iranian Presidents speech.
Adie @ 41
That’s a good idea. A lot of people are watching C-SPAN 3, because it is cutting in and out like it does when the server there is loaded up. Phil Weiss will probably have a good essay on the speech and Bollinger’s comments later today at mondoweiss.
Siun — I certainly would love to see some more honest discussion about this, among many other issues. The constant sound bite sloganeering this early in the race is grating — and it makes it nearly impossible to discern much difference among any of the candidates when there isn’t a lot of detailed honesty.
BTW, Siun @ 19:
I get your point. You’re right. Richardson’s transparent. But isn’t Kucinich also transparent?
This occupation of Iraq must end!=====
Wow!
Senator Byrd, is a hell of an orator…..
Glad he is on our side…..
“This Senator will support no more, no more, NO MORE BLANK CHECKS for this war.” - Senator Robert Byrd, 9/24/07
I’m gonna puke
After Byrd comes the man who flips his constituants the Bird…Joe Liarman
Lieberman now up on c-span 2. blech. praising Byrd’s ‘passion’ and ‘brainpower’
he’s raising to support an amendment of his and sen. kyl about Iran
Adie @ 41
People have been going OT a great deal on other threads can pull up many examples in the last week.
While I am daily amazed by the work that the FDLers do but I am also amazed that no one at FDL is focused on this today. When we hear that the Palestinian Israeli issue is one of the most critical in the middle east, when the Bush administration is marching towards Iran. Why not some focus on President Ahmadinijads speeches today?
so the war is comming home…it took a little longer then I thought it would but it’s here now, this quote is the lead right now on think progress;
does the president live in wonder land where the war costs nothing more then a promise and our own infrastructure has no meaning to him at all?
Oklahoma kiddo @ 43
Kucinich. But he ain’t got a chance in hell.
Anyone who uses a Mac & wants to watch C-Span without hiccups should try CocaoJT
ticktock @ 52
I’ve talked to several West Virginians over the years (and if this does not gibe with your feelings, Christy - sorry; I’m just reporting) and they were universally practically worshipping this man - I think they were trying to figure out how to keep him alive forever. When George Bush is a distant footnote, Robert Byrd will probably still be with us. *g*
Now we will be revealed with the line of questioning.
The moderator should ask if the Iranians think that Israel wants to destroy Iran?
pow wow @ 28
Senator Byrd is an absolute gift in these difficult times. Tip of the hat, Sir. Give im heQQ, Sir. Huzzah! ;->
[Ever wonder what Jr. will sound like at 90?
Gonna betcha Bob Dylan sounds crystal clear in contrast.]
Leiberman: Ahmadinejad is a ‘terrorist dictator’ with the ‘blood of americans on his hands’
SeamusD @ 59
I downloaded the software Friday, but haven’t installed it yet. I’m afraid it will open too many opportunities for me to lurk back into European TV archives.
Jim Clausen @ 54
Geesh….
I just muted my teevee….
Can’t handle what Joe is selling….
Does anyone have the link to Cspan3?
Was reading #43 Ed*ard Teller note here…
Is it not worth watching right now?…
Is the link to the comments later at—-
http://www.philipweiss.org/mon.....l#comments
I’d love for the Demo front-runners to come clean on Iraq, Iran and Palestine. Wouldn’t that be nice. Then perhaps we could formulate an informed opinion. And demonstrate to our kids that we practice what we preach. “Always tell the truth”. Of course that’s not going to happen. Is it?
i’m watching the q&a of the irani pres and he’s holding his own in extremely hostile territory…
Ahmadinejad is replying to Bollinger’s opening comments on C-SPAN 3, then he will take questions from students…
juslin @ 47
i kinda wondered about that too.
you think he was outvoted, and actually didn’t want the speech to take place?
or might it be he wanted the guy to come so he could grandstand/verbally punch him in the nose?
Biodun @ 13
The most pressing issue at this time. Iran…the Israeli Palestinian issue and we have President Ahamadinijad. Wonder if any other “progressive” blogs are focused on this issue today?
“The Iranian nation is a victim of terroism”
“We need to target the root causes of terroism”
I hope they ask the Iranian President if he supports middle east ” nuclear free zone”
I don’t care who gets the nomination. As long as I had trust in her or him.
adie@69
imo i think he wanted him to come but was unprepared for the beating he and columbia took… so much for open exchanges of ideas sheesh
Kathleen at 56
Because FDL is neither the daily newspaper nor a comprehensive attempt to be all things to all people. The hosts have repeatedly said FDL will focus on those issues where they have knowledge and experience.
This might not include the topics of greatest interest to you, but you always have the opportunity to write about them yourself on your own blog and invite us over there.
Adie @ 69
It might be something like THIS? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/.....65638.html
“In an interview with The New York Sun, the speaker of the Assembly, Sheldon Silver, said lawmakers, outraged over Columbia’s insistence on allowing the Iranian president to speak at its World Leaders Forum, would consider reducing capital aid and other financial assistance to the school.”
Sheldon Silver has long felt that he actually runs the New York State Legislature…he’s a big impediment to anything getting done.
Thanks, selise @ 33. And right on schedule, here’s Lieberman on the floor to pimp for more death and destruction…
As noted in selise’s links, Harry Reid and Carl Levin have already half-promised a vote on the specious and aggressively undiplomatic Lieberman/Kyl amendment sometime tomorrow - the order and timing will be formalized in a unanimous consent request at some point soon. Yet ONE SENATOR can still object to prevent that, before the UCRequest hits the floor or when it hits the floor, and thereby keep (at least for the time being) this hateful Sense of the Senate amendment off the floor, in spite of Levin’s and Reid’s apparent desire to bring the amendment up for a vote ASAP (possibly without even requiring a 60-vote margin for passage…).
juslin @ 67
Really holding his own. Columbia should be ashamed of themselves for that arrogant and disgusting display by Bollinger was outrageous and inappropriate. At Ohio University it is an absolute no no to boo a speaker, I guess they have higher standards at Columbia.
Lets see. Who do I trust more? The Israeli government, the U.S. government, the Iraqi government or the Iranian government. Gawd. What a choice.
Ed*ard Teller @ 64
There are a lot of European channels; Cocoa works so much better than Real Player or Quick Time, no frozen video especially, but also a slightly smoother and larger picture. It works for me.
ticktock @ 65 - Here’s a link to get to C-SPAN3:
http://c-span.org/watch/cs_csp.....p;Code=CS3
QuakerGirl @ 70
Oops! Hit the wrong key. Forgive me!
Comment: If the nomination and nation wide vote goes to Hillary, the most Richardson can hope for in a post is something benign and off the scene.
I’ll keep going through the motions and not let my hard working Nevada Democrats down, but in my heart of hearts I know the fix is in just as it was with Kerry. He was not beloved either but got the nomination. Liberman had more to do with Gore losing than any other single factor. That time the fix was in for the VP and Gore, by default. Had Gore not been VP, he would never have come on the radar political screen. Does this make me cynical? I think it makes me a realist.
pow wow @ 81
Thanks—Mucho gracias—Merci—-arigato—
egregious @ 75
give me a break! this is not just important to me. And you folks write about all sorts of things that some of you don’t know much about (but do the research).
You folks know this is one of the most critical issues facing our nation and the middle east.
IMO:
We should not be telling FDL proprietors what they should be writing about. As Christy once said: “This is Jane’s living room.” I agree. We’re all guests/visitors. I for one am grateful to be let in as one of the family.
Telling blog proprietors what they should focus on and/or write about reminds me of the movie The Man Who Came to Dinner.
The American Prez says we’re not going to war with Iran. The Iranian Prez says there will be no war with the U.S. I feel so much better.
Biodun @ 85
I love that film. What aspect of this reminds you of MWCTD?
Ahmadinijad: homosexuals? we don’t have homosexuals like in the US
*audience laughs*
If you can get C-SPAN3 it is good. Mahmoud just announced they don’t have homosexuals in Iran. The audience hooted and booed.
My understanding is that Sen. Byrd knows the rules of the Senate like the back of his hand. Is it possible that he could tie things up via the rules to actually force an end to the madness of Iraq?
Biodun @ 85
This is not Jane or Christy’s living room. They have created a forum for public discourse about critical issues. The issue of Iran is a critical issue.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 73
Interesting. We could elect the absolute *dream* candidate for prez tomorrow and I still would not trust him or her.
See, that’s *my* function. Watch…and vote…and never trust, or else I start thinking that things like term limits and other snooze alarms can take the place of my function…
Biodun @ 85
And I love her living room! What a wonderful place to visit!
Richardson is a fair second-string governor. He was a LOUSY DOE Secretary, helping along in the sliming not just of Wen Ho Lee, but of many programs, most notably diversion of remediation funds at toxic places like the Hanford works to questionable bonuses to giants like Westinghouse and Halliburton. The publicized examples of sexual harassment may be only the tip of the iceberg.
Kathleen, I live on a lillypad at FDL because of the great work of Siun and many, many others above and below. One day last week I counted over 64 comments by you in one day. Over 90 percent were off topic and rude injections of your topic du jour. As I have said I agree with most of your passionate concerns but you, imo, do more damage to those positions by the hammer-style you use to bring them forward here. Get your own blog, Kathleen. You have so much to say, you need to do it.
Siun @ 19
Siun. I agree, but surely the candidates are as concerned as we are, don’t you think?, over simply wondering what on earth will be left over and thrown at the next president. This is a fluid situation, if ever the was one. It could develop in any number of ways. No one has a crystal ball giving them the ability to make firm guaranteed correct choices. There are NO good options. And still Jr & shooter could easily make things even worse.
I honestly think jr. doesn’t care. He just wants out. By all descriptions, shooter is aggressively slicing and dicing the Constitution behind the scenes, and may not even be rational any more.
What a rotten situation on which to base predictions. We may find ourselves having to judge character, strength, stability, and basic values, past record, etc. without being privy to iron-clad plans for our future. That wouldn’t please me, but it might be more honest than how jr. got into office.
QuakerGirl @ 89
Better get an exact quote on that.
‘like’ in the US.
Maybe he means most of them are still closeted unlike the ‘coming out’ trend we’ve seen here in the US.
Given the choice between triangulation and not. I’ll take ‘not’. But I love trigonometry. Which remind me, I’ve got a trig class in 5 minutes.
Kathleen - please. As you know, I agree with you on many things and write about them but the constant repetition, etc does not help to open minds but to close them.
It looks like lots of folks are watching the speech, others are following the Senate play HoJoe’s game and some are discussing the post. That’s great … so let’s stop badgering people.
The issue of Iran is too important to turn people off with the manner of discussion.
Kathleen @ 91
This most certainly is their living room and invited guests should not put their feet on the furniture.
Don’t forget: “No Troops” means no mercenaries, either.
Kathleen @ 91
No, Kathleen, I believe you are mistaken. If this were truly a “public forum” then we would have to put up with all of the spam, and right wing trolls and trash that shows up on public forums. Jane, Christy, the other front pagers, and the mods go to a lot of effort to see that we DON’T have to put up with a lot of cr*pol* so I think they are allowed to set a few unofficial rules for how things operate.
kdh22 @ 97
Very true. Good point. Or, he may have said yet something else. How elusive is reality!
Eureka Springs @ 95