Say Anything Blog

On their Saturday radio address today the Democrats had Retired Lt. General Ricardo Sanchez (who has been a thorn in the side of the Bush administration since he was blamed for certain failures in Iraq) deliver a message endorsing their withdrawal plans for Iraq.  Which is typical of Democrats.  They like their mouthpieces to have “absolute authority” on the subjects they talk about, and since Lt. General Sanchez is a former Iraq commander, he’ll do.

Though why his opinion matters more than the 800+ active duty general officers we have, up to and including General David Petraeus who has been able to accomplish in Iraq what Sanchez couldn’t, is beyond me.

Regardless, Sanchez is an Iraq-experienced commander and he is backing the Democrats’ plan for Iraq.  But the funny thing is that he isn’t doing it for the same reasons they are.  The General appears to be supporting their plan because we’ve achieved our goals in Iraq and can come home, whereas the Democrats are pushing their plan because they feel Iraq is a lost cause.

WASHINGTON (AP) The Army lieutenant general who was the top commander in Iraq shortly after the fall of Baghdad says he supports legislation calling for most U.S. troops to come home within a year.

Delivering the Democrats’ weekly radio address, Ricardo Sanchez supported a House bill put forward by Democrats, one that would pay for combat operations while setting a goal of ending combat by December of next year. The White House is threatening a veto, and Republicans in the Senate have kept it from passing.

Sanchez says Iraqi leaders have been willing to “make the hard choices necessary to bring peace to their country.” He says the “courage and blood” of U.S. troops has brought about improvements in security.

Those last comments don’t sound like anything that has or would come out of Harry Reid or Nancy Pelosi’s mouth.  Again, the Democrats are calling Iraq a lost cause.  Sanchez is calling it a completed mission.

But I guess the Democrats are so desperate for anyone of a credible military background to support their plans that Sanchez, essentially a disgruntled ex-employee of the Bush administration, will do even with the rhetorical conflicts.