Tom Carper thinks that we are NOT going to bomb Iran
Feel better? I don’t.
I happened to meet with Carper today as a member of the Progressive Democrats for Delaware. It was very nice of the Senator to sit down with us. It was an honest and open exchange and I left with a renewed respect for him ….however….
You knew there was a however, right?
My main concern going into the meeting is that based on his record, Tom Carper still does not seem to “get” George Bush. How could he fall for the GOP’s games and still vote to give Bush more power knowing all that we know?
So I asked directly about the Lieberman Kyle amendment noting that his vote in favor of the resolution, which declares the Iranian government a terrorist organization, seems to give George Bush an unwarranted benefit of the doubt. It assumes Bush will act with restraint – while Bush has never demonstrated any willingness to be constrained by decency, reason, logic or common sense.
Senator Carper said that he and other Democrats meet with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates frequently and does not put Gates into the same category as a Don Rumsfeld or a Dick Cheney. Gates, according to Carper, knows that actions have downstream consequences and is aware of the fact that attacking Iran would consolidate the Iranians against the US.
Senator Carper has a small point there. In fact, Gates was quoted in the final version of the bill which eliminated some of the most wreck-less and belligerent language adding:
“Secretary of Defense Robert Gates stated on September 16, 2007 that “I think that the administration believes at this point that continuing to try and deal with the Iranian threat, the Iranian challenge, through diplomatic and economic means is by the preferable approach. That the one we are using. We always say all options are on the table, but clearly, the diplomatic and economic approach is the one that we are pursuing.”
I said something like, “So, you think Gates can fill the role of adult?” And Carper said, “Yes.”
Even so, I did not leave the meeting brimming confidence that Senator Carper really comprehends Bush’s uncanny ability to fuck things up.
UPDATE: Debra Cagan, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Coalition Affairs to Defence Secretary Robert Gates, hates all Iranians.
Where is your adult Senator? This women should have been fired yesterday.
Gates can be fired on a whim when the time comes. Carper is either faux naive or really naive.
I can see that maybe Lieberman-Kyl was necessary in order to enable certain kinds of economic sanctions to be applied. I didn’t hear that argument being made, though.
Some ballsy Senator should have stood up and insisted on an amendment that any large-scale attack on Iran requires the specific authorization of Congress, and clarifying that the Iraq AUMF does not cover Iran.
Apparently the “need for a separate authorization” is what triggered the Lieberman-Kyl amendment. Senator Clinton was strong about no more war without authorization and Senator Carper agrees. He feels that this law is sufficient to prevent another preemptive war without Congressional authorization. Let’s hope he’s right.
Well between Carper’s “feeling” and your “hope” maybe we can stay out of war with Iran.
OMG, that Cagan woman, is she Katherine Harris’s uglier sister?
What a piece of work! The red vinyl zip-up jacket… the chainmail choker… the hair gel… that Iron Cross pendant thingie… and the obvious attitude…
WHERE DO THEY FIND THESE PEOPLE!!!
I think you may want to examine the 6 September incident in Syria a bit for what the future may hold for Iran.
I had Katherine Harris on my plane from Atlanta to DC last year and I didn’t see the “war paint” (make up)everyone talks about. She looked fine to me.
She looked fine to me.
Must have been the beer goggles.
Jason, your account here reminds me of that scene in “It’s A Wonderful Life” when Col. Potter calls George Bailey into his office, seats him in a little chair, offers a cigar, and tries to buy him with a sweet deal…
It almost works, but in the end, with the parting handshake, George realizes who he is dealing with and calls the whole thing off.
No offense intended. The way your tone shifts from the top to the “update” just happened to remind me of that scene……
Thought I’d share
I don’t drink alcohol and I was the Captain on the flight. ‘She looked fine’ is accurate.
Umm . . . she looks like a man.
Don’t military recruiters know the Carper boys are available???? Give ’em the old razza matazz Daddy gives us…see if they are as dumb as the average deldem……
if they sign on Daddy will soon be singing a different tune. Torturing Tom gives me the creeps….he’d have the creeps if he thought his precious progeny were being tortured….
support the troops..bring them home!