Durbin's Response

Tom Blumer of BizzyBlog sent over this link to the transcript of Dick "The Turban" Durbin's official Democrat response (and the following Q&A) to the President's address last night.

FNC carried the response but cut away when the Q&A started...the response was sickening enough. If this is how Democrats really feel, we're in trouble:

The Iraqis must understand that they alone can lead their nation to freedom. They alone must meet the challenges that lie ahead. And they must know that every time they call 911, we are not going to send 20,000 more American soldiers.

As Congress considers our future course in Iraq, we remain committed on a bipartisan basis to providing our soldiers every resource they need to fight effectively and come home safely.

But it's time to begin the orderly redeployment of our troops so that they can begin coming home soon.

Durbin's strategy is to surrender first and ask questions later...

That is NOT a strategy for victory. (That's for the liberals who didn't know that before I told them...)

That middle paragraph is probably the best thing Durbin had said all night...too bad he doesn't mean it. Pelosi and Reid are both making noises about not funding the troops and I don't have any reason not believe that is what they intend to do.

Then there is this bit from the Q&A:

Q In addition to -- the Iraq Study Group had said that the U.S. should talk to Iran and Syria, you know, bring them into the fold with Iraq, and President Bush said -- he basically refused that recommendation as well.

Any response to that?

Durbin: I think that's a mistake. If there's any surge that we need, it's a surge in diplomacy. We need to have countries in that region, in the Middle East, who are interested in the stability, ultimate stability of Iraq, to get involved in its future. We can't do this alone.

The Iraqis, as I said in this statement, have to really resolve that they're going to make their own nation strong and defend it. But for its long-term future and the stability of its borders, we really need to engage other countries. I don't know how we can boycott countries in that region. We need to at least sit at a table and find out if there is some common ground. That's the only way that I think we're going to find any long-term stability.

So, Iraq has to take care of their situation by themselves...but somehow Iran and Syria are supposed to help out. How does that work? It sure looks like Durbin wants to outsource our influence in the middle East to Syria and Iran...and that isn't wise foreign policy.

Doesn't Durbin know that Iran is fueling the insurgency? Iran isn't interested in a stable democracy in Iraq...and the fact that Durbin doesn't know that is appalling.

Horrible performance by Durbin...though I imagine the Kossacks loved it......