The "Just Stay And Let American Kids Die" Plan

Media Matters reports that NBC alone noted the Democratic response to the President's September 28th attack on the Democrats as "the party of cut and run."

ABC, CBS and CNN all aired the president's remarks with no reference to the response of Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid.

As recounted on Slate.com, one Republican congressman who chose to remain anonymous in talking to a group of reporters, called President Bush's strategy in Iraq the "just stay and let American kids die" plan. The anonymous source said he and other GOP congressmen have expressed to the President their misgivings about the current state of affairs in Iraq, and have suggested a new course of action there. They are not speaking out publicly at this time because "they don't want to hurt the GOP's election chances by appearing to criticize the president."

Below you can read Senator Reid's response and link to the Democrat's Real Security Act of 2006.

Press Release of Senator Reid

REID: GEORGE BUSH HAS NO CREDIBILITY ON NATIONAL SECURITY

Thursday, September 28, 2006

Washington, DC — Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid issued the following statement on comments today by President Bush. A fact sheet on President Bush’s failed Iraq strategy is below.

“If George Bush is so confident that his national security policies are working, he should release the entire National Intelligence Estimate on terrorism and let the American people decide for themselves. The fact that he won't speaks volumes about how the failure of his policies has made the American people less safe.

“George Bush has no credibility left on national security. No matter how many stump speeches he gives on the campaign trail, the American people can see the damage his tough talk has done to America's safety. It's time to be tough and smart so we can change course and give Americans the real security they deserve.”
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Bush Is Alone In Clinging to a Failed Iraq Strategy

DEMOCRATS’ NATIONAL SECURITY PLAN WOULD MAKE AMERICA MORE SECURE
Democrats’ Real Security Act of 2006 Offers Vision for Changing Course from Bush’s Failed Iraq Policies. The Real Security Act would:
Change course to a strategy for success in Iraq and refocus our resources on destroying Al Qaeda and tracking, hunting and killing terrorists like Osama bin Laden.
Increase the size of the military, double the Special Forces and properly fund equipment.
Screen 100% of containers and cargo bound for the U.S. in ships or airplanes at the point of origin and safeguard America's nuclear and chemical plants, and food and water supplies.
By 2010, secure loose nuclear materials that terrorists could use to build nuclear weapons or "dirty bombs."
Implement all the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.

EXPERTS ARE REJECTING BUSH REPUBLICAN NATIONAL SECURITY POLICIES AS FAILURES

A Congressional Analysis Tallies the Cost of Bush’s Failed Policies. U.S Taxpayers Pay $2 Billion per Week. “A new congressional analysis shows the Iraq war is now costing taxpayers almost $2 billion a week -- nearly twice as much as in the first year of the conflict three years ago and 20 percent more than last year -- as the Pentagon spends more on establishing regional bases to support the extended deployment and scrambles to fix or replace equipment damaged in combat.” [Boston Globe, 9/28/06]

The Intelligence Community Rejects Bush’s Failed Iraq Policy. N.I.E. Concludes Iraq is the “Cause Celebre” for Jihadists. “The Iraq conflict has become the ‘cause celebre’ for jihadists, breeding a deep resentment of US involvement in the Muslim world and cultivating supporters for the global jihadist movement.” [National Intelligence Estimate, 4/2006]

Military Experts Reject Bush’s Failed Iraq Policy. Major General John Batiste Says the U.S. Is Less Safe Now than It Was on 9/11. Batiste: “I believe that Rumsfeld and others in the administration did not tell the American people the truth for fear of losing support for the war in Iraq. Rumsfeld failed to address the full range of requirements for this effort and the result is one percent of the population shouldering the burdens, continued hemorrhaging of our national treasure in terms of blood and dollars, an Army and Marine Corps which will require tens of billions of dollars to reset after we withdraw from Iraq, the majority of our National Guard brigades no longer combat ready, a Veterans Administration which is under funded by over $3 billion, and America arguably less safe now than it was on 9/11. If we had seriously laid out and considered the full range of requirements for the war in Iraq, we would likely have taken a different course of action which would have maintained a clear focus on our main effort in Afghanistan, not fueled Islamic fundamentalism across the globe, and not created more enemies than there were insurgents.” [Democratic Policy Committee Testimony, 9/25/06]
Anonymous Republicans Reject Bush’s Failed Iraq Policy. When granted anonymity, Republican Congressman Calls Bush’s Iraq policy the “Just Stay and Let American Kids Die” Strategy. “Yesterday, I was one of a small group of reporters who ate lunch with a Republican congressman. He was thoughtful and blunt about the problems that face his party in the coming election—which is why I can't name him. He has criticized the conduct of the war in Iraq in public and to the president in private. He believes that if there is not a change in strategy soon, Americans will not support a war strategy that he characterized as "just stay and let American kids die." This member says many of his GOP colleagues have a similar view and privately articulate sharp criticisms and suggestions for new action. But they're not going to say anything in public now. Why? They don't want to hurt the GOP's election chances by appearing to criticize the president. "Reality has been suspended for a moment," says the member. "Republicans cannot speak out publicly on this issue right now." [Slate, 9/21/06]

Iraqis Resent Bush’s Failed Iraq Policy. Disturbingly, Iraqis Approve of Attacks on U.S. Troops. “A majority of Iraqis -- 61 percent -- say they approve of attacks on U.S. forces and 71 percent want their government to ask U.S. troops to leave within a year, according to a University of Maryland poll.” [Baltimore Sun, 9/27/06]