Washington Post: "Feingold Urges Troop Withdrawal by end of '06

[flpoljunkie]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/17/AR2005081701778_pf.html

Feingold Urges Troop Withdrawal by End of '06

By Peter Baker
Washington Post Staff Writer

Thursday, August 18, 2005; A03

Sen. Russell D. Feingold (D-Wis.) called on the White House yesterday to withdraw all U.S. forces from Iraq by the end of next year and criticized fellow Democrats for being too "timid" in challenging the Bush administration's war policy.

Feingold, who is among the Democrats considering a run for president in 2008, became the first senator to propose a specific deadline for pulling all 138,000 U.S. troops out of Iraq. His comments also laid bare the rising tension within his party about how to respond to President Bush on the war.

Although critical of the administration's handling of the war, many leading Democratic lawmakers have been reluctant to press for a concrete timetable for withdrawal, agreeing with Bush that it could harm the war effort. Many congressional Democrats voted in 2002 to grant Bush authority to invade Iraq, but their liberal base has grown increasingly vocal in opposition to the war, making it difficult to send a consensus message. But as Bush's poll numbers have fallen, some Democrats have grown increasingly outspoken.

In a telephone interview from Wisconsin, Feingold said he has heard a wave of public disenchantment at 15 town hall meetings so far during the August recess, leading him to propose a Dec. 31, 2006, deadline. "There's a deepening feeling of dismay in the country about the way things are going in Iraq," Feingold said. He rejected Bush's assertion that a deadline would make it easier for insurgents to simply hang on. "I think he's wrong. I think not talking about endgames is playing into our enemies' hand."

[Upfront]

1. Faster

Not soon enough!

[Hippo_Tron]

2. Realistically, December 2006 would be pretty good

Especially considering the fact that Shrub would have our troops there indefinately if he could so that he could keep the oil secure.

[welshTerrier2]

3. why so long?

While I applaud Feingold's call for COMPLETE WITHDRAWAL of all American troops from Iraq, i can't really make much sense from his somewhat slow timeline ... perhaps Feingold explained this position in greater detail and the article's author merely failed to provide a better explanation of Feingold's thoughts ... who knows ...

but the timeline seems kind of crazy to me ... does anyone honestly believe that "some good stuff" could be achieved if we hang in there for another 15 months? i surely don't ... does anyone believe things are "getting better" in Iraq? i surely don't ... does anyone think the huge costs in American lives and the outlay of billions of more dollars will be worth the investment? i surely don't ...

perhaps Feingold has sound justifications for setting the timeline as he did ... but without more explanation, it's hard to see how it makes much sense ...

[flpoljunkie]

4. AP: More on Feingold's proposal

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Iraq-Feingold.html

August 17, 2005
Senator Calling for Iraq Pullout in 2006

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 10:49 p.m. ET

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- The United States should set a target date of Dec. 31, 2006, to complete the military mission in Iraq and have all U.S. forces removed from the nation, U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold said Wednesday.

The Wisconsin Democrat, considered a possible candidate for president in 2008, said his proposal is based in part on what has happened when other timetables were set in Iraq, setting things in motion to transfer sovereignty, hold elections and prepare a constitution.
''I believe the same thing is true with the military mission,'' Feingold told The Associated Press. He said he planned to formally announce his proposal Thursday.

Setting a clear time frame could also undercut the insurgents, he said. ''Most importantly, it provides an answer to the terrorists' very effective argument when they say, `Come to Iraq and fight the American occupation','' Feingold said.

<>Feingold said he would release the specifics of his proposal at a town hall meetings Thursday in Marquette, in central Wisconsin. He said many people attending similar meetings had expressed concerns about the uncertain timing of the U.S. commitment in Iraq.

''I'm not proposing a hard deadline,'' he said. ''I'm proposing a target date, with flexibility.''