Ron Paul congratulates Steele for his leadership against the Afghanistan war

[sailingaway]

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/107139-ron-paul-backs-steele-congratulates-rnc-chairman

" Ron Paul backs Steele, 'congratulates' RNC chairman
By J. Taylor Rushing - 07/04/10 11:09 AM ET

Former GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul is lining up behind embattled Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, praising the chairman for his controversial recent remarks about the U.S. war in Afghanistan.

Paul, a Texas congressman and father of Kentucky Senate candidate Rand Paul, issued a statement to CNN that applauded Steele for suggesting the war was unwinnable and "of Obama's choosing." Some Republicans have called for Steele's resignation over the comments, but Paul said Steele showed "leadership."

"He is absolutely right: Afghanistan is now Obama's war," Paul said. "Michael Steele should not resign. Smart policies make smart politics. He is guiding the party in the right direction and we are on the verge of victory this fall. Chairman Steele should not back off. He is giving the country, especially young people, hope as he speaks truth about this war."

Paul's full statement to CNN:

Ron Paul Congratulates Michael Steele

Congressman Ron Paul today issued the following statement on Michael Steele’s recent comments that Afghanistan is a war of President Obama’s choosing:

“I would like to congratulate Michael Steele for his leadership on one of the most important issues of today. He is absolutely right: Afghanistan is now Obama’s war. During the 2008 campaign, Obama was out in front in insisting that more troops be sent to Afghanistan. Obama called for expanding the war even as he pretended to be a peace candidate.

“Michael Steele should not resign. Smart policies make smart politics. He is guiding the party in the right direction and we are on the verge of victory this fall. Chairman Steele should not back off. He is giving the country, especially young people, hope as he speaks truth about this war.

“I have to ask myself, what is the agenda of the harsh critics demanding this resignation? Why do they support Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama’s war?

“The American people are sick and tired spending hundreds of billions of dollars a year, draining our economy and straining our military. Michael Steele has it right and Republicans should stick by him.”

FUN FACT: The loons on the left have once again mixed Ron with Rand and are tweeting and blogging that Rand said this, and thus puts himself opposite Palin, who apparently came out the other way.

Video add from CNN: YouTube - Ron Paul on CNN 07/04/10: RNC Chair Michael Steele War Comments (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px0iuJJD7zs)

Note to CNN - get better skype technology so your guests don't look like washed out turnip heads...

http://joeythedog.wordpress.com/2010/07/04/happy-4th-everybody/joey-the-patriot/

[Dreamofunity]

This is awesome.

[jmdrake]

If Michael Steele hangs in there this bodes well for 2012. Ron Paul (or whoever he endorses if he doesn't run) will have to once again attempt to convince GOP primary voters that being against stupid wars is not anti American or anti Republican. If Steele hangs in there, even if he doesn't stick to this principle, it will be great fodder for Ron to bring up in the debates. It will be great fodder regardless.

[catdd]

If Michael Steele hangs in there this bodes well for 2012. Ron Paul (or whoever he endorses if he doesn't run) will have to once again attempt to convince GOP primary voters that being against stupid wars is not anti American or anti Republican. If Steele hangs in there, even if he doesn't stick to this principle, it will be great fodder for Ron to bring up in the debates. It will be great fodder regardless.

The GOP knows that and they will want Steele's head on a stick.

[dr. hfn]

hang in there buddy! lolz

[thehunter]

Hi everyone, I'm just a newb here but wanted to join in the discussions here after finding out about this site last week. (I'll have to take some time later to give a better intro)

Onto the topic, I've been watching the recent Afghan mission play out over the past year or so and sadly see a parallel between what the west is doing in the country currently and what the Soviets/British/etc. did during their own stints in the country. It'll likely get buried in whatever fallout this story has, but Steele wasn't speaking out of some far-reaching principle, but was simply stating the facts. If you're going to go up against an enemy in a place like Afghanistan, you'll need to abandon traditional warfare tactics if you have any hope if victory.

Kudos to Rep. Paul for backing Steele on this. Let's hope that despite the reaction from the official GOP so far, having another voice call out for some second thoughts within the party will cause some grassroots members to reconsider where this mission is going nine years in...

[specsaregood]

Hi everyone, I'm just a newb here but wanted to join in the discussions here after finding out about this site last week. (I'll have to take some time later to give a better intro)

Welcome to the site!




Kudos to Rep. Paul for backing Steele on this. Let's hope that despite the reaction from the official GOP so far, having another voice call out for some second thoughts within the party will cause some grassroots members to reconsider where this mission is going nine years in...
Indeed, this is a golden opportunity for the GOP to shed the image of Bush they got saddled with and become the party of peace again. And the "peace candidate" always wins. Will they take the opportunity? That remains to be seen.

[someperson]

I just posted a massive, disorganized rant in the comments. It'll probably never see the light of day on their site, but I'll paste it here:


Stop rationalizing these wars. No really, stop.

Reading some of what the individuals here have posted utterly disappoints me.

Can you please try to understand that not everyone in the world is "the other side" if they seem to not be on "your side." Please, I entreat you; focus on issues, and leave the labels, parties, and personalities in the past.

When will the individuals in this world let the primitive, childish, left/right, Bush/Obama, blue/red, conservative/liberal, good guys/bad guys, team-sport, home-team/away-team, my-side/the-other-side garbage die, already. Let the false dichotomies die and open your mind to raw, unencumbered ideas, and not group labels.

These wars are an abomination; a blight on humanity. That anyone would rationalize their continuation makes me three seconds short of physically ill. You are promoting the deaths of millions of innocent indivi-----I mean collateral damage, along with thousands of soldiers. For what? To save face? To impose a puppet dictatorship that eventually coerces the population of Afghanistan to submit or die?

Oh, and by the way, the soldiers who are over there fighting these insane wars are Americans, too. Some people don't seem to realize that, so I'll spell it out. Fighting "them" (you know, the people who are defending their land from foreign occupation) over there, so we don't have to fight "them" over here implies that you don't want Americans here to die. Well, that or you care more about our buildings than the lives, but I'll assume it's the former...

Now, it's wonderful, and all, that you value the lives of Americans who don't wear uniforms more than those who do wear uniforms. It's great that you value the lives of individuals who carry the label, "soldier" less than those with the label, "civilian." </SARCASM IF YOU DIDN'T REALIZE (can't be too sure on the internet)>

However, this country is bankrupt, in more ways than one. Those individuals in control of this government for decades, which includes both of your precious political parties (WHICH, IN THE END, ARE NO MORE THAN TWO WINGS OF ONE DECREPIT, OLD VULTURE), have run this country into the ground in debt. How can these same individuals create a utopian "democracy" in Afghanistan.

Study history and you'll learn what's about to come to pass. Please don't respond with some pavlovian reflex response about what a media personality told you. Please, I implore you... spend some time in introspection about what you truly believe. Don't force your ideas to align with any group, party, or label.

The only minority of consequence is the smallest minority: the minority of one, the individual.

It's a "little" bitter, but, oh well lol

[sailingaway]

Onto the topic, I've been watching the recent Afghan mission play out over the past year or so and sadly see a parallel between what the west is doing in the country currently and what the Soviets/British/etc. did during their own stints in the country. It'll likely get buried in whatever fallout this story has, but Steele wasn't speaking out of some far-reaching principle, but was simply stating the facts. If you're going to go up against an enemy in a place like Afghanistan, you'll need to abandon traditional warfare tactics if you have any hope if victory.

Kudos to Rep. Paul for backing Steele on this. Let's hope that despite the reaction from the official GOP so far, having another voice call out for some second thoughts within the party will cause some grassroots members to reconsider where this mission is going nine years in...

Welcome!

Ron initially recommended issuing letters of marque to small mobile units to get bin Laden etc, rather than commit a conventional force, and it would have gotten there while bin Laden was actually still there, too. Since the 9/11 attack was actually planned there and the leaders were not being turned over, he did vote to go in, but didn't want war, and never wanted nation building. He says exactly what you do about the Soviet being brought down financially by Afghanistan, and that we are on the same road.

[messana]

Is McCain and DeMint trying to take credit on a war that nobody now likes?

[dean.engelhardt]

McCain: What does the war have to do with being a Reagan Republican?

DeMint: You should apologize to the war widows and orphan first.

This is a real RINO uncovering. You cannot be for limited government if you support empire building. It is talking out both side of the mouth.

[catdd]

Is McCain and DeMint trying to take credit on a war that nobody now likes?

That's part of the reason so many neo republicans are pisst, they claim that it is their own war.
Afghanistan went very well in the beginning and Bush is a hero to them. What seems to be anti war rhetoric is simply a way of insulting the liberals for doing so poorly. I know this because I sometimes participate in the FOX forum and I have see their comments.

[Romulus]

DeMint is discrediting himself here... oh yeah and McCain is for Freedom so he says. LOL!

[Matt Collins]

http://r3publican.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/ron-paul-steele.jpg

[Aratus]

the "talking heads" i saw on this weekend PBS do not think MICHAEL STEELE is going to step down in any hurry...

[Matt Collins]

I lost some respect for Senator DeMint here.

[Matt Collins]

YouTube - Ron Paul: Current Afghanistan Policy is Unsustainable (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ij8x2issnpA&feature=player_embedded)

[Sola_Fide]

Blimp