In the comments to a recent post, Howie noted that the mainstream media is ignoring real issues in favor of covering an attempt by one of their number to sway a presidential election using obviously forged documents.
Like that's a big story or something...
He'd rather talk about really important issues, which echoes something Bubba pointed out the other day in this post, which comtrasts press coverage of the CBS forgery scandal with the non coverage of Kerry's 4 point plan for winning in Iraq.
Strangely, Bubba didn't discuss the Kerry plan, or even provide a link to it.
So, in an attempt to show the bipartisan spirit so sadly lacking in today's political discourse, I will talk about Kerry's plan, giving it the full attention it deserves. Never let it be said that I am a one dimensional blogger.
First, here's a link to Kerry's speech that laid out the 4 points. I don't want anyone accusing me of making stuff up.
First Point:
First, the president has to get the promised international support so our men and women in uniform don't have to go it alone.
Great. I'm all for that. After all, this is an international problem, and our allies in Europe and elsewhere have promised to send troops and money to help in the rebuilding of Iraq, as Kerry himself pointed out in the speech.
Except promises are worthless, and our so-called allies have failed to follow through.
Kerry's solution is to hold a summit and allow those "allies" to loot Iraq's oil. In short, he wants us to honor the contracts France and Germany made with Saddam Hussein. His plan is basically to buy the support of France and Germany.
He goes on:
After insulting allies and shredding alliances, this president may not have the trust and the confidence to bring others to our side in Iraq.
Now this is very interesting. According to Kerry, the reason our buddies in Europe are not helping out isn't because they don't believe it's the right thing to do, but because they don't like our choice in Presidents. He intimates that if we elect him, then France and Germany would be much more eager to help out in Iraq.
Now, call me crazy, but I find the idea of allowing foreign leaders the right to influence who we elect to lead our country a bit problematic to say the least.
And the fact that Kerry would seek to benefit from this diplomatic blackmail is certainly a problem for his candidacy.
Second Point:
Second, the president must get serious about training Iraqi security forces...The president should urgently expand the security forces' training program inside and outside of Iraq. He should strengthen the vetting of recruits, double the classroom training time, require the follow-on field training. He should recruit thousands of qualified trainers from our allies, especially those who have no troops in Iraq. He should press our NATO allies to open training centers in their countries.
Hmmm...is this the same guy who voted AGAINST the funding package that included money for training Iraqi security forces?
How odd.
But let's move past that and examine the point. It actually sounds pretty good to me. The more we can rely on Iraqi forces to provide their own security, the easier it will be for our forces to fall back into a less visible role, easing tensions all around. Recruiting the thousands of trainers sounds good, as long as A) they are qualified, and B) they are under US command. I do question the comment that they should come from countries with no military presence in Iraq. That seems like a nonsensical requirement designed to give France and Germany access to Iraq. As for the training centers outside of Iraq, that is complete nonsense. Take the Iraqi forces out of Iraq for several months and they will face almost as much suspicion as foriegn security forces do now. The point is to buid an Iraqi security force the Iraqi's themselves will trust.
But all in all, this isn't a bad plan, which isn't that surprising since it's simply the Bush plan, accelerated. I expect to see Senator Kerry present a bill before Congress detailing this plan within the next week or so. He doesn't have to be President to make the additional funding available. Let's see him put his money where his mouth is.
Third Point:
Third, the president must carry out a reconstruction plan that finally brings tangible benefits to the Iraqi people, all of which, may I say, should have been in the plan and immediately launched with such a ferocity that there was no doubt about America's commitment or capacity in the very first moments afterwards. But they didn't plan.
Oddly, he goes on in the next paragraph to say that the administration's plan failed. I thought they didn't have a plan?
It's so confusing sometimes. Does he read the speeches before he gives them?
As for the failed plan, Kerry exaggerates greatly the difficulties faced in Iraq. Much of Iraq, in fact, the majority of the country is better off today than when under Hussein. Oil exports are up; electrical generation is up; joblessness is falling; hope isn't on the way; it's already there. We heard Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi today tell us that things are improving in Iraq, even as he admitted that there are still struggles ahead. The plan hasn't failed; it's proceeding, and, by admitting that there are improvements that could be made to the plan, the Bush team is showing an adaptability that speaks well to the future.
Oddly, once again, Kerry's plan isn;t markedly different thant Bush's except to say that he would do more, and do it better.
OK. How? Specifics please.
Fourth Point
Fourth, the president must take immediate, urgent, essential steps to guarantee that the promised election can be held next year.
And just what are those "immediate, urgent, essential steps?"
The president needs to deal with reality, and he should recruit troops from our friends and allies for a U.N. protection force.Now, this is not going to be easy. I understand that.
Again, I repeat, every month that's gone by, every offer of help spurned, every alternative not taken for these past months has made this more difficult and those were this president's choices. But even countries that refused to put boots on the ground in Iraq ought to still be prepared to help the United Nations hold an election.
There he goes again.
We should allow a UN that has shirked it's responsibilities for decades,
We should allow that UN to take control of the Iraqi reconstruction.
Yeah, good plan.
So, in essence, Kerry's plan consists of doing what George Bush is already doing, but allowing the UN, Germany, and France to continue their rape of the Iraqi economy.
And this is what Democrats want us to talk about instead of the CBS forgery scandal?
OK by me.
Posted by Rich at September 23, 2004 3:35 PM | TrackBack