"I think ..."From Meet the Press
today: (emp add)
MR. RUSSERT: The Iraqi prime minister today, Senator, unveiled a national reconciliation plan. He calls on the Iraqi legislature to set a timeline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops, but also urges the granting of amnesty for some insurgents. What’s your reaction?
SEN. FEINGOLD: Well, first, on the timeline, it appears to me that the American people understand it’s time for a timeline to withdraw the troops from Iraq. The Iraqi people and the Iraqi government understand it. It seems like it’s only here in Washington that people don’t understand it’s time to end this mistake, to end our military involvement there. And the votes in Washington don’t show it, but the people in this country and the people of Iraq want us to stop it.
As to the amnesty, I’m very troubled by it. The idea of amnesty for people that have either attacked or even killed American troops, I think that’s unacceptable and something that we have to make very clear to the Iraqis that we can’t accept.
Democrats would be far more effective if they didn't express themselves in terms of their own thinking. It's better to say, "The idea of amnesty for people that have killed American troops
is unacceptable."
posted by Quiddity at 6/25/2006 05:48:00 PM
On the topic of amnesty I think that a distinction has to be made.
Attacks on combat troops are acts of armed resistance against an occupation of doubtful legitimacy. Attacks on noncombattants are something completely different and should not be pardoned.
HB
Al Gore was awful that way in 2000 - "I think...", "In my opinion...", "I believe...".
He wouldn't have needed Florida if he'd been more forceful.
Feingold's not the best example of this kind of thing -- he at least has the balls to state his positions on the issues clearly and firmly.
