Robert Wexler just asked the key question of the hearings

[DainBramaged]

On CSpan 3

"What would a victory look like".


"What has all of this been for."

He is PISSED OFF.

"What is winning?"

[lisa58]

1. did he get an answer?

[DainBramaged]

2. No, just doublespeak

[lisa58]

12. figures

[ChairmanAgnostic]

16. no shit. I could not

watch anymore of that spin+spin+spin crap that crocker and betrayus are pulling.

[L. Coyote]

19. Talk about the depressing, dreary drone of the Mighty Wurlitzer spewing propaganda.

Is this how the Germans discussed the people they killed?

[superkia]

21. Just the same spin bullshit they gave us last time! So as they play...

puppets to our governments agenda, people are still getting killed and yet almost every person that questions them starts off with, thank you for your service you honorable blah blah blah! What exactly have they done except spin and dodge questions? Not one of the senators or anyone else questioning these guys should move on until they answer a few direct questions, instead, they all just move on and let it continue and get nothing accomplished. Each one of them should ask the exact same questions that keep getting dodged until there is an answer or they admit they are just following a government policy decision.

Well it does accomplish the governments original agenda of continuing to occupy a country for its oil though.

[Nickster]

3. I'm surprised that question isn't asked more often. How do you win anything without clearly

defined goals? It shouldn't be a trick question to ask, What does winning look like? How do you define winning?

[napi21]

4. Same question Obama & some others asked yesterday. They didn't

get a direct answer either! I suspect those 2 witnesses are under a very heavy thumb regarding what they're allowed to say and NO MORE!

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

5. He also asked the question the parents of a dead service member asked him, "what for?"

Betrayus said national interests, and then said Al Qaeda.

[DainBramaged]

7. His five minutes was the BEST today

Over 5000 responses to his email. He is the best. National interests my ass, Halliburton profits. Even the Repugs are collapsing in on them both.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

8. Wexler is my Mom's Congressman and he is wonderful. I just wish that he could have

followed up. As to the Repugs, some of them are freaking out because how can they justify that Iraq is sitting on billions of dollars, and we're supposed to drain our treasury.

[DainBramaged]

9. Dana Whorebacker asked that question too

They can't go back home and spew "all is well" when the Iraqis are sitting on billions of dollars and we are paying for their security.

[ClayZ]

6. Bravo Wexler! He was brilliant!

P and C look like they are on the cat/bird seat!

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. It was asked yesterday too, repeteaadly

and both Patraeus and Crocker WERE pissed that somebody even dared ask it

[DainBramaged]

11. Because as there was no plan for the OCCUPATION

there is no plan for WINNING, only passing off the war to the next DEMOCRATIC president.

[hisownpetard]

13. Actually, Obama asked that first question yesterday

(http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5437514)

and Barbara Boxer asked that second question yesterday, as well.

However, I think Wexler's terrific and it certainly doesn't hurt to drive the points home. God knows how many times
the Rethugs have repeated their talking points over the last 7 years!

[DemReadingDU]

14. Here's text and video

from emptywheel's blog

Wexler:
General Petraeus, last week in anticipation of this hearing, I sent an urgent email asking my constituents and other Americans if they were serving on this committee, what is the one question they would pose to you. There was an extraordinary response, with more than 5000 questions submitted. These emails and phone calls expressed deeply held frustrations about the War in Iraq and reflect the feelings of millions of Americans who feel that their opinions and concerns are cast aside by the Bush Administration. I want to thank everyone who responded and submitted a question for today's hearing. While many of the respondents rightfully highlighted the bravery of our troops, a majority of the emails expressed a strong desire to see a withdrawal of American soldiers from Iraq and an end to this five-year war that has cost our nation so dearly.

Most of the questions boiled down to this: General, we often see President Bush and Senator McCain say we must win in Iraq. What is the definition of winning? What would a military victory look like that was sufficient enough to allow us to begin leaving?

Then, in a horrific turn of events, two of my constituents, Esther and Len Wolfer of Boca Raton, Florida, learned that this past Sunday their son had been killed for this war. Major Stuart Wolfer was a 36-year old Reservist on his second tour. He was married with three young children, ages 5, 3, and 20 months. His family was relieved that he was in the Green Zone, for they hoped he would be safe there. He was not. I spoke to Mr. Wolfer yesterday--last night--who asked me to ask you simply, "For what? For what had he lost his son?"

So allow me to combine if you will the questions of the people that responded to me and Mr. Wolfer. What has all this been for. And please, respectfully, don't tell us as you told Senator Warner yesterday, "to remove a brutal dictator." That's not good enough. There are many dictators in the world. For what did Stuart Wolfer and the other 4024 sons and daughters die for? And how will we define victory so we can bring this never-ending war to a close?

And if I will, when Mr. Burton asks for a definition of what is failure, we get a litany of items. But when Mr. Ackerman asks, "what's the defition of victory," we get little. Please tell us General, what is winning?

http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2008/04/09/for-what/

[elizfeelinggreat]

15. thanks for that

[alstephenson]

20. Thanks for posting!

[onethatcares]

23. and then betrayus has the temerity to say "we are withdrawing our surge forces"

all the while knowing it's a lie, that the troops buildup remains even after they pull 40,000 troops out of theater.

[Stinky The Clown]

17. Asking this of the two asswipes being questioned is a waste of time and effort.

There will be no answer **and** no one will care.

[DCKit]

18. You can't blame them for being unable to keep up...

it's impossible to cover for incompetence on such a grand scale. However, they can be blamed for being un-American and un-patriotic in their continued defense of a failed and tragic administration in light of the costs to the country and it's people.

[DainBramaged]

22. If nothing more (as Rachel Maddow said) it just shows Booshe to be a coward

by sending up these flunkies to perpetuate the war until a DEMOCRATIC president takes over, and it show the futility of their effort. Even the Rethugs were frustrated since they could show no real progress to their constituents. just "fragile and yadda yadda yadda" progress.