For sometime now I have been wondering where Bob Corker stands on Iraq and what ideas and proposals he has to better the situation.Corker blogger Nathan Moore has finally gave us the answer, and it is about what I suspected:
"Bob Corker has said many times where he stands - we will not leave until Iraq can function on its own and defend itself. That’s it. Period. End of story. Anything short of that or other than that is a modified version of “cut and run”.
Stay the course? That's all you have got, Bob? After spending trillions of dollars and losing over 2,000 men and women, all you can say is stay the course? How pathetic.
Our brave men and women along with the American people deserve better than that. They deserve real solutions and proposals to this problem, not three worded-cop out phrases.
I think we all agree, and I know Congressman Ford does, that we cannot leave Iraq right now. We must stay and do what we can to fix the problems that are there. However, it is time for some real leadership that will set back and finally be willing to put forth new ideas on the ground in Iraq. Maybe change the strategy up some--because it is clear, what is taking place in Iraq now and for the past three years is not working.
Congressman Ford has some very specific proposals when it comes to Iraq, that would put our effort on a path to success. They include:
- President Bush should ask for Secretary of Defense, Don Rumsfeld, to resign. His gross mismanagement of the Iraq War has weakened our chances of winning in Iraq and undermined our national security interests in the region.
- Because the sectarian violence is escalating inside Iraq, we need to consider implementing a three-state solution that will create separate and sovereign regions for the Sunnis, Shias and the Kurds. The policy and model that we used to bring the Bosnian conflict under control should be used as a guide to develop our approach in Iraq.
- We need to undertake a large-scale effort with our allies and moderate Arab regimes to rebuild Lebanon. This will require considerable resources and our active involvement. The best way to undermine Hezbollah’s influence in Lebanon and Iraq is to facilitate the restoration of a stable government. I applaud President Bush’s pledge of a total of $230 million to help rebuild Lebanon. That is a good first step. But we also need to do everything we can to see that the ceasefire holds and that the global community commits the troops and the resources necessary to disarm Hezbollah and enforce the peace.
- We need to move forward quickly and aggressively to break our dependence on foreign oil. We need to develop a Marshall Plan to invest in renewable and alternative energies, like wind, solar and nuclear and using Tennessee’s agricultural products for farm-based fuels. Unless and until we break our addiction to oil, we will always be the world’s oil cop. This needs to end.”
“If we leave, the Iranians win, al-Qaida has the best recruiting tool they could ever have, gas prices go out the roof, and Hamas is strengthened (in its struggle with Israel),” Ford said. “We have framed this debate in Iraq as either pull out or stay the course. I think there are a body of options between that we ought to pursue or at least discuss or debate. ... We need to make clear our presence is not indefinite. ... Our money is not infinite. Our resolve to just stay and die and spend money also is not infinite. ... If they want three separate (regions), which is what their behavior suggests, then I think we have to be willing to entertain that.”
Ford clearly understands the situation in Iraq, as he has visited the country four times already. And as pointed out above, he has the knowledge and willingness to put forth new proposals that will help improve the situation there, so we can get our troops home sooner.
Bob Corker on other hand, is right in line with George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and Don Rumsfeld in advocating staying the course, with the same failed policies.
I don't have to tell you that it is time for a change. Only one candidate in this race will actually provide that change.
And he isn't the candidate saying stay the course.
