I'm filching this...

nzbobster — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 03:43:39 -0700

...to post in my favorite political forums. I am quoting you, though.

John Boehner and the Republican Party's hypocracy on "mandatory surrender dates"

modernesquire — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 16:45:16 -0700

Dave Harding over at Progress Ohio had a great blog post this week about how hypocritical John Boehner was in the House debate regarding the supplemental military funding bill. Here's what the House Majority Leader said this week:

"We can look it up and we can walk out. We can walk out on Iraq just like we did in Lebanon, just like we did in Vietnam, just like we did in Somalia and we will leave chaos in our wake." (emphasis added.)

As David pointed out, John Boehner apparently was in favor of "mandatory surrender dates" before he was against him as he voted multiple times to speed up the timetable to bring the troops home from Somalia (House Roll Call Vote #179, 5/22/93 and House Roll Call Vote #555, 11/9/93) and voted against funding the war effort there. (House Roll Call Vote #188, 5/26/93).

In other words the House Minority Leader, the Congressional leader of the Republican Party voted to force the President of the United States, the Commander-in-Chief, to withdraw troops from active combat earlier than the President thought was necessary on more than one occasion, and actually voted not to fund combat operations. ALL IN A MILITARY OPERATION WHERE ONLY 43 U.S. SERVICE PERSONNEL WERE KILLED IN COMBAT.

The day before, national bloggers and Eric at Plunderbund found CSPAN clips of Senator John McCain arguing to end the use of troops in Haiti. As Senator McCain said at the time about Haiti:

"Mr. President, our mission in Somali is over. It is time to come home. Our mission in Somali was to feed a million starving Somali who needed to be fed. It was not an open-ended commitment. It was not a commission of nation building, not warlord hunting, or any of the other extraneous activities which we
"In my view that does not mean as soon as order is restored to Haiti. It does not mean as soon as democracy is flourishing in Haiti. It does not mean as soon as we have established a viable nation in Haiti. As soon as possible means as soon we can get out of Haiti without losing any American lives.seem to have been engaged in."

Now that was to end U.S. military involvement where only four (yes, you read that right FOUR, U.S. military service personnel were killed in combat.)

So what else did Republicans say then that they are now calling treasonous now?

How about this quote from a Florida Congressman on Haiti?:

You Reap What You Sow (House of Representatives-October 13, 1993)

Mr. Speaker, the events unfolding in Haiti bear out the ancient truth that you reap what you sow. The Clinton Administration is reaping in Haiti and Somalia what it sowed by eschewing experienced advice and by failing to utilize appropriate intelligence mechanisms thatt have been previously available. President Clinton and his advisers did not do their homework well. The Clinton Administration needs to understand that the solution to Haiti lies with the Haitians in Haiti. It should not involve sending U.S. troops, especially inadequately armed troops, into the middle of a brutal ongoing civil war."

And just who was the Florida Congressman? Why none other that Porter Goss, former Bush II Director of the CIA who apparently never saw any parellels between what he said about Haiti and Iraq.

Buckeye State Blog - John Boehner and the Republican Party's hypocracy on "mandatory surrender dates" - Comments

I'm filching this...

John Boehner and the Republican Party's hypocracy on "mandatory surrender dates"