Iraq is Bush's 'Vietnam,' says Kennedy
Thursday, January 13, 2005
BY JO-ANN MORIARTY
jo-ann.moriarty@newhouse.com

WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., is calling Iraq "George Bush's Vietnam," and is asking Americans to tell the president that his foreign policy is misguided.

Kennedy made his remarks in his annual keynote address at the National Press Club yesterday, laying out a legislative agenda and defining tasks that he believes Democrats should tackle this year in Congress and before the next presidential election.

In last year's address, Kennedy, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, endorsed the candidacy of U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry, D-Mass., for president. Kerry lost to President Bush in the November election.

Yesterday, Kennedy defended Kerry's candidacy, and said that his Bay State colleague's election to the White House would have changed the face of U.S. involvement in Iraq.

"I'm convinced John Kerry could have worked with the international community to end that war and bring our troops home with honor," Kennedy said. "Our challenge now is to convince George Bush that there is a better way ahead in Iraq, instead of continuing to sink deeper into the quagmire."

Ken Lisaius, a White House spokesman, responded after the speech that the senator's remarks were "an unfortunate characterization, given the fact that we are in a historic and hopeful time in the broader Middle East."

He said, "We've seen elections in Afghanistan. We have a unique opportunity to achieve peace between Israel and Palestine. And at the end of this month, for the first time, the people of Iraq will have the opportunity to freely choose a transitional government with follow-up elections during the year."

In broad strokes, Kennedy outlined how Congress and the Bush administration, through the federal budget, will shape the fate of a nation at a time when wages are dropping, health care is declining, and educational institutions are failing to produce mathematicians and scientists.

In specific terms, Kennedy called upon his Democratic colleagues to do a better job at defining the values and principles of their party.

"Unlike the Republican Party, we believe our values unite us as Americans, instead of dividing us," Kennedy said. "If the White House's idea of bipartisanship is that we have to buy whatever partisan ideas they send us, we're not interested. In the face of their tactics, we cannot move our party or our nation forward under pale colors and timid voices.

"We cannot become Republican clones. If we do, we will lose again and deserve to lose. As I have said on other occasions, the last thing this country needs is two Republican parties."

Echoing the Democratic Party's frustration over the fact that Republicans have taken over the values issue, Kennedy said that while he believes in abortion rights personally, national policy should strive to reduce unwanted pregnancies.

"But there is a way America can find common ground on this issue," he said. "Surely, we can all agree that abortion should be rare, and that we should do all we can to help women avoid the need to face that decision."

I was very impressed with Kennedy last nite!

And have to admit I was impressed with Matthews for having Kennedy and Clark on in the same program. Matthews asked good questions. And I was proud of Kennedy and Clark for being representatives of the democrats on national tv.

Well, actually, Iraq is worse than Vietnam - We had the South Vietnamese working with us - and they were an established military force - in Iraq we have a bunch of green recruits that get picked off coming from training.

People are afraid to leave their homes - do you think they'll honestly come out and vote if they'll get picked off on the way to vote?

We don't have the hearts and minds of the people of Iraq following us - if we did - we wouldn't even be questioning whether or not elections could be held.

And as far as Israel and Palestine, Arafat's death has more to do with it than anything we've done. They mention opportunity - which we won't take advantage of - Bush has done nothing in this area.