Bzzz… on Biden
from WonkoKevin
Senator Joe Biden had 15% buzz share in Wonkosphere over the last 24 hours. Biden got everybody talking after his appearance on Meet The Press this weekend. I’ve noticed most of the postings discussing these statements–on both sides–have only clipped a sentence from or paraphrased Biden, so I’ve included the longer quotes here.
First, regarding Petraeus’ comments on the status of the Iraq war:
MR. RUSSERT: General Petraeus said in a letter to his troops that we have not had the political reconciliation we thought we would have at this time. It’s been much slower, but there is some hope. And then he added this: “My sense is that we have achieved tactical momentum and wrested the initiative from our enemies in a number areas of Iraq. We are, in short, a long way from the goal line, but we do have the ball and we are driving down the field.” Is that what you expect him to say tomorrow?
SEN. BIDEN: I expect him to say that. And I really respect him. And I think he’s dead flat wrong. The fact of the matter is that there is—that this idea of these security gains we’ve made have had no impact on the underlying sectarian dynamic. None. None whatsoever. And when I met in—I’ll tell you what I saw. I met with the two vice presidents—one Shia, one Sunni. Both agreed that the only way this is going to work is to give more local control. The only way it’s going to happen. The only way there’s any possibility of dealing with the sectarian violence is you’ve got to separate the parties, give them some breathing room, give them local control. If you don’t do that, Tim, you think we’re going to get there in any way with this present government? And can anybody envision a central government made up of Sunni, Shia and Kurds that’s going to gain the trust and respect of 27 million Iraqis? It’s not going to happen.
Next, Biden talked about funding for the war.
MR. RUSSERT: If, in fact, the president does not accept a firm withdrawal date, will you vote to cut off funding?
SEN. BIDEN: Look, I went to Iraq for two reasons. One, to see what was going on with these mine-resistant vehicles I’ve been pushing, and we funded in the last vote we had. I went into Ramadi. These kids—they’re kids, young soldiers, who were driving these up-armored humvees, gleefully took me over and showed me a new what they call Cougar, these mine-resistant vehicles. They showed me a photograph, Tim. I wish I’d brought it with me. And it showed one of these vehicles being exploded with 250 pounds of TNT in a roadside bomb. It took this vehicle that weighs tons all the way up higher than the telephone pole, knocked down the wires. Guess what happened? Every one of those kids survived. Every one of them inside that vehicle. They’d all be dead if they were in that mine—in, in that up-armored humvee. I will vote, as long as there’s a single troop in there that we are taking out or maintaining, either way I will vote for the money necessary to protect them, period.
