Archive for October 24th, 2007
Congressman Stark, uhhh, uh, Apologizes
Pete Stark (D-Ca) – October 18, 2007
“Where are you going to get that money? Are you going to tell us lies like you’re telling us today? Is that how you’re going to fund the war? You don’t have money to fund the war or children. But you’re going to spend it to blow up innocent people if we can get enough kids to grow old, enough for you to send to Iraq to get their heads blown off for the president’s amusement,”
Pete Stark (D-Ca) – October 23, 2007 – 5 days later
“I want to apologize to my-first of all, all my colleagues, many of whom I’ve offended, uhhh, to the president, his family, to, uhhh, the troops that may have found in my remarks, as were suggested in, uh, the motion that we just voted on, uh, and I do apologize.”
Earlier this week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was forced by public pressure into apologizing for Stark’s remarks. Pelosi said, “What Congressman Stark said during the debate was inappropriate and distracted from the seriousness of the subject at hand – providing health care for the children.”
I wonder if Speaker Pelosi had to take Pete Stark to the proverbial woodshed for a good tongue lashing to get him to apologize?
Deaths in Iraq Show a Decline
The U.S. troop increase and Iraqis’ rejection of insurgents are cited by the military.
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published October 24, 2007
“BAGHDAD – October is on course to record the second consecutive decline in U.S. military and Iraqi civilian deaths, and Americans commanders say they know why: the U.S. troop increase and an Iraqi groundswell against al-Qaida and Shiite militia extremists.
Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, who commands the 3rd Infantry Division, points to what the military calls “concerned citizens” – both Shiites and Sunnis who have joined the American fight. He says he has signed up 20,000 of them in the past four months.
“I’ve never been more optimistic than I am right now with the progress we’ve made in Iraq,” Lynch said in a recent interview at a U.S. base deep in hostile territory south of Baghdad.”
This report warrants even more merit in light of Osama bin Laden’s audio tape two days ago in which he cajoles his mujahedeen to “unite and avoid extremism”, apparently intended to win over Sunnis opposed to al-Qaeda in Iraq.
