Surge Supporters Wrong Again

Glenn Greenwald has a must read article about The people who claim "the surge is working". Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) was with McCain on his trip to Iraq this week. He came out with statements like it was "like a normal outdoor market in Indiana in the summertime." and "The merchant almost refused to take my money. He kept touching his heart and shaking his head no. His eyes, like so many others, radiated with affection and appreciation."

Greenwald has collected many quotes from Pence from the last few years, including:

"Despite the national media's best efforts to minimize the news, I am here to report, as the United States military confirmed in Iraq on Monday, weapons of mass destruction have been found in Iraq." -May 20, 2004

"we are winning the war and winning the peace in Iraq." - Dec. 8, 2005

"On this June 30 that we commemorate this resolution, the U.S. will disengage, and the words of that Preamble [of the Iraqi Constitution] will begin to become the reality of a new free and democratic Iraq. And know this, Mr. Speaker, the people of Iraq are grateful." - June 24, 2004

Greenwald's point is that virtually all of the Republicans have quotes like the above. if you've been wrong for so many years, why should we listen to you now? "They have repeatedly proven themselves to be the most craven and dishonest propagandists, people completely unburdened by reality and truth. Virtually everything they have said about Iraq over the four years of our occupation (never mind prior to it) has been blatantly and knowingly false -- just look at what Pence has been saying."

But the best part is the update with quotes from an NPR interview with the rug salesman Pence spoke of. He said "I didn't accept the money. I said to myself, they must be guests, so I must give them a good impression of Iraqis. After all, we are occuped by these Americans, and they are accompanied by a lot of U.S. security." He went on to say: "We are not against the resistance. We are with them. However, the resistance must fight the occupiers, not the Iraqi people. A huge number of U.S. forces came yesterday. Why didn't they shoot at them, instead of harming us?"

Get us out of there.