Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Hardball: “What do you say? Why did they fall?”

An emotional Joe Biden discusses with Chris Matthews Petraeus's statement that he can't guarantee that US troops remaining in Iraq will make Americans safer.

If he can't guarantee that then one must ask, why are they there?



Hat Tip to Crooks and Liars.

8 comments:

Unknown said...

If you had listened to Petraeus' testimony, you would have seen that he clarified this. NewBusters talks about this specific clip.

Kel said...

I notice that Newsbusters claim that Petraeus clarified this later in his testimony without showing us where he was supposed to have done this. No quote, no link, nothing...

And Petraeus himself stated that he had not sorted this out in his own mind.

Unknown said...

I notice that Newsbusters claim that Petraeus clarified this later in his testimony without showing us where he was supposed to have done this. No quote, no link, nothing...

Yes, they did. Aside from that, it's not "Newsbusters' claim". It was there to see for anyone who watched it or listened to it, and also widely reported.

Kel said...

He said that Iraq had "very serious implications for our safety and for our security", implications that he only became aware of "immediately after" he answered the question. After all he had, seconds before this revelation occurred to him, admitted that he "had not sorted this out" in his head.

So, having "not sorted it out" in his head for the entire length of the surge, it finally sorted itself "imediately after" he answered the initial question.

And you find that credible do you?

theBhc said...

Look, Petreaus knew immediately that he had strayed off the reservation and backpedaled. It's really quite simple. The White House cannot have the Commander in Iraq "not sure" that the Iraq war is "making America safer." It has been their resounding meme for four years.

"Not sure!?" Fix that, Petraeus! Now!

Kel said...

Exactly, he's guilty of a rare moment of honesty. And the follow up question is telling him to get back to spouting the company line.

Unknown said...

So if he says something you agree with he's telling the truth (depite the fact that he clarified himself), yet when he says something you disagree with he's lying. I think I understand now why you constantly think everyone is lying, given that your barometer of truth is apparently whether or not you agree with what's being said.

Kel said...

No, Jason. The facts tell us that he is lying. How does the war in Iraq make Americans safer? Are you one of those bampots who believe that Sunnis and Shias will cross oceans to attack you?

The Iraq war does not make Americans safer. Indeed, by ignoring the regrouping of al Qaeda thanks to this drain on US resources I'd say the Iraq war makes the US less safe.