Allen Vs. Webb On Meet The Press
Sen. George Allen is in the midst of a reelection bid for his Senate seat in Virginia. Today, he and his opponent, Jim Webb. Now, Dean Barnett, guest-blogging at Hugh's site claims that if this were a prize fight it should've been called at the first commercial break. With all due respect to Dean, yes, Sen. Allen didn't look to be at his best during this debate. However, in all fairness, it's not exactly fair when one guy is being beaten on by his opponent and the host of the show, Tim Russert. The live-blog of the debate is here.
The race in Virginia is going to come down to one topic, and one topic only. National Security. As Hugh points out in the follow-up to Dean's post, the allen campaign needs to show this campaign as a replay of Bush vs. Kerry. Jim Webb is no Democrat hawk, and he has proven it by standing beside the point that the Democrats are pushing this year. Iraq is a mess, and we need to leave.
And that should be the issue that Sen. Allen should be pressing to his constituents. We are in the middle of a war, and the Democrats want to call "no joy" and bring the troops home. For them it's too hard, and taking too long. I'll grant them that this war is taking some time, but it's a war, not a strip mall. You can't expect it to be done in a matter of months. Our enemy is not going to stand in a row so we can kill them.
Right now our enemy is utilizing the tactics that make them most effective. They are using terror in Iraq to control areas they move into. And they do it in the most heinous ways--by beheading those that oppose them. That is a very effective tool to control a populace. Al Qaeda and the Taliban used it for years in Afghanistan, and al Qaeda is using it now in Iraq. They are targeting civilians, using them as shields when they engage our foreces, and they are slaughtering as many recruits to the Iraqi security forces as they can.
Needless to say, they're not playing by any civilized rules of warfare. Because they aren't, the old playbook was chucked, and Sec. of Defense Rumsfeld brought in a new one. That one has turned our military into a force that is more comparable to spec-ops forces. They are quicker, lighter, and able to react much faster. In addition, they have become highly pro-active; utilizing intelligence they've obtained over there before CENTCOM even gives them the green light most times. The president has confidence in his commanders on the ground that they're doing the job correctly, and to the best of their abilities.
This is what Sen. Allen should be hammering Jim Webb on. The successes in Iraq, and the continuing fight to free it from the terrorists running rampant across the nation. Further, Sen. Allen needs to remind the voters that a vote for Jim Webb means a vote in favor of allowing Iraq's neighbors to invade her right after we leave. And if anyone doesn't think that such an act wouldn't occur, think again. Turkey is having problems with the Kurds in northern Iraq to the point where they are ready to invade Iraq to deal with them. Terrorists have been entering Iraq from Syria and from Iran, and he should remind his constituents that Iran is fully involved in Iraq.
They have sent terrorists in. They have sent weapons and IEDs to the terrorists there. And, of course, al-Sadr is still breathing over there of which there is no debate where his loyalties lie. But the answer to these problems is not America's withdrawal. The repercussions of such a folly will bring nothing but disaster down on a nation that is trying to stand up on its own two feet.
The Democrats may not like having to deal with the issues of the war and national security, but it should be the number one point brought up, and hammered home, by every Republican up for election this year. It should be the foremost point in any election. Failure in the war means surrendering to the terrorists. The terrorists are doing what the Soviets tried to do during the Cold War, by snatching up nations from which to strike from. They are working against the Pakistanis. They have grabbed Somalia. They are trying to work themselves into other nations in North Africa. And we'd be smart to remember the dhimmitude sweeping through Europe right now; Old Europe is more than willing to negotiate with these people, but these people have never done so in good faith. Like Hitler in his mad attempt to conquer Europe, they will not stop even if appeased.
Appeasement is not the answer. Retreat is not the answer. Sen. Allen needs to show his voters what the Republicans have done in the war effort, and what they have done here at home to protect America. Standing on that platform will win him Virginia. Half-hearted efforts, like the one on display today, will have the voters foricing him to relinquish his seat to someone who isn't even close to being half the man Sen. Allen is.
Publius II
Sen. George Allen is in the midst of a reelection bid for his Senate seat in Virginia. Today, he and his opponent, Jim Webb. Now, Dean Barnett, guest-blogging at Hugh's site claims that if this were a prize fight it should've been called at the first commercial break. With all due respect to Dean, yes, Sen. Allen didn't look to be at his best during this debate. However, in all fairness, it's not exactly fair when one guy is being beaten on by his opponent and the host of the show, Tim Russert. The live-blog of the debate is here.
The race in Virginia is going to come down to one topic, and one topic only. National Security. As Hugh points out in the follow-up to Dean's post, the allen campaign needs to show this campaign as a replay of Bush vs. Kerry. Jim Webb is no Democrat hawk, and he has proven it by standing beside the point that the Democrats are pushing this year. Iraq is a mess, and we need to leave.
And that should be the issue that Sen. Allen should be pressing to his constituents. We are in the middle of a war, and the Democrats want to call "no joy" and bring the troops home. For them it's too hard, and taking too long. I'll grant them that this war is taking some time, but it's a war, not a strip mall. You can't expect it to be done in a matter of months. Our enemy is not going to stand in a row so we can kill them.
Right now our enemy is utilizing the tactics that make them most effective. They are using terror in Iraq to control areas they move into. And they do it in the most heinous ways--by beheading those that oppose them. That is a very effective tool to control a populace. Al Qaeda and the Taliban used it for years in Afghanistan, and al Qaeda is using it now in Iraq. They are targeting civilians, using them as shields when they engage our foreces, and they are slaughtering as many recruits to the Iraqi security forces as they can.
Needless to say, they're not playing by any civilized rules of warfare. Because they aren't, the old playbook was chucked, and Sec. of Defense Rumsfeld brought in a new one. That one has turned our military into a force that is more comparable to spec-ops forces. They are quicker, lighter, and able to react much faster. In addition, they have become highly pro-active; utilizing intelligence they've obtained over there before CENTCOM even gives them the green light most times. The president has confidence in his commanders on the ground that they're doing the job correctly, and to the best of their abilities.
This is what Sen. Allen should be hammering Jim Webb on. The successes in Iraq, and the continuing fight to free it from the terrorists running rampant across the nation. Further, Sen. Allen needs to remind the voters that a vote for Jim Webb means a vote in favor of allowing Iraq's neighbors to invade her right after we leave. And if anyone doesn't think that such an act wouldn't occur, think again. Turkey is having problems with the Kurds in northern Iraq to the point where they are ready to invade Iraq to deal with them. Terrorists have been entering Iraq from Syria and from Iran, and he should remind his constituents that Iran is fully involved in Iraq.
They have sent terrorists in. They have sent weapons and IEDs to the terrorists there. And, of course, al-Sadr is still breathing over there of which there is no debate where his loyalties lie. But the answer to these problems is not America's withdrawal. The repercussions of such a folly will bring nothing but disaster down on a nation that is trying to stand up on its own two feet.
The Democrats may not like having to deal with the issues of the war and national security, but it should be the number one point brought up, and hammered home, by every Republican up for election this year. It should be the foremost point in any election. Failure in the war means surrendering to the terrorists. The terrorists are doing what the Soviets tried to do during the Cold War, by snatching up nations from which to strike from. They are working against the Pakistanis. They have grabbed Somalia. They are trying to work themselves into other nations in North Africa. And we'd be smart to remember the dhimmitude sweeping through Europe right now; Old Europe is more than willing to negotiate with these people, but these people have never done so in good faith. Like Hitler in his mad attempt to conquer Europe, they will not stop even if appeased.
Appeasement is not the answer. Retreat is not the answer. Sen. Allen needs to show his voters what the Republicans have done in the war effort, and what they have done here at home to protect America. Standing on that platform will win him Virginia. Half-hearted efforts, like the one on display today, will have the voters foricing him to relinquish his seat to someone who isn't even close to being half the man Sen. Allen is.
Publius II
posted by Syd And Vaughn | 1:14 PM
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