RUSH: General Petraeus has been testifying all morning today about the surge in Iraq, and it is most revealing. It is incredible, particularly when you listen to him and then look at the, it seems, rising tide of opposition from the Democrats on this committee and even some Republicans. We will go through that. Al-Qaeda and Ayman al-Zawahiri mocked President Bush’s plan to send 21,000 more troops to Iraq, and said, ?Just send the entire army. Why don’t you send the entire army? You’re going to lose whoever you send, so why don’t you send the whole army? We’ll beat you no matter how many you send.?
For the Democrats, probably another reason we should leave. ?Oh, no, they’re coming after us. Let’s get out!? It’s amazing. Let’s get to General Petraeus first. This is really interesting. I’m watching his testimony this morning. It was tough to find, it was on C-SPAN3, and the networks JIP?d it now and then. They didn’t go wall-to-wall with it. It was strong and compelling stuff that he said. He got a question from McCain and basically responded to the question by saying that a congressional resolution of disapproval will not have a beneficial effect on the troops. Then Lieberman pushed a similar line of questioning, this time on the effect a Senate resolution would have on our enemies. You just have to hear this. Here’s Lieberman’s question. ?I want to ask you, what effect would Senate passage of a resolution of disapproval of this new way ahead that you embrace, what effect would it have on our enemies in Iraq??
PETRAEUS: This is a test of wills at the end of the day, and in that regard, speaking purely as a military commander if confirmed, albeit, one who frankly does understand enormously and treasures the value of free and open debate, free speech, who has put himself in harm’s way to protect those great features of our democracy, nonetheless, having said that, a commander in such an endeavor would obviously like the enemy to feel that there’s no hope.
LIEBERMAN: And the resolution, Senate-passed resolution of disapproval for this new strategy in Iraq would give the enemy some encouragement, some feeling that — that — well, some clear expression that the American people were divided?
PETRAEUS: That’s correct, sir.
RUSH: Do you understand the impact of this, ladies and gentlemen? Lieberman basically asked a question to which Petraeus’ answer was, ?Yeah, you do this resolution — we love free speech here, and we defend it, open debate, and this sort of thing — but you do this resolution, and you are giving hope to the enemy. You’re extending hope to the enemy.? You know something, folks? As I listened to Lieberman today, I couldn’t help but compare him to these Republicans who are now wandering off the reservation, for whatever their reasons, I mean, we can discuss that, cowardice, fear, principle, whatever their reasoning is, but if these Republicans weren’t wandering off the reservation, I wonder — it’s probably a long shot. Lieberman wouldn’t change parties, but it would be a little bit easier for Lieberman to come full bored on our side of things here if there weren’t Republicans wandering all over the place.
By the way, Petraeus was being praised by everybody here, including Senator Kennedy. But you have to listen to what he said. He’s saying that he believes we can win, but he needs the additional troops with a new strategy to win. And he’s saying a congressional resolution of disapproval would send a harmful message to the troops and a hopeful message to our enemies. You know, McCain asked if we send Petraeus over there, ?If we send you over there, sir, but don’t send you any additional troops, can you get your job done?? He said, ?No, sir, I can’t. I need additional troops.? And so we’re going to have this resolution, we’re probably going to get this resolution, we’re going to get the troops, going to get this resolution sent, and it’s going to demoralize the troops, according to Petraeus, and give hope to the enemy. This is a guy who has unimpeachable integrity on both sides of the aisle. So to the left, we simply say here, ?Give Petraeus and give victory a chance. Are you so committed to American defeat here that you won’t even allow Petraeus the opportunity to win?? Look it, they are invested in defeat, and they’re really feeling their oats here.
By the way, Petraeus was being praised by everybody here, including Senator Kennedy. But you have to listen to what he said. He’s saying that he believes we can win, but he needs the additional troops with a new strategy to win. And he’s saying a congressional resolution of disapproval would send a harmful message to the troops and a hopeful message to our enemies. You know, McCain asked if we send Petraeus over there, ?If we send you over there, sir, but don’t send you any additional troops, can you get your job done?? He said, ?No, sir, I can’t. I need additional troops.? And so we’re going to have this resolution, we’re probably going to get this resolution, we’re going to get the troops, going to get this resolution sent, and it’s going to demoralize the troops, according to Petraeus, and give hope to the enemy. This is a guy who has unimpeachable integrity on both sides of the aisle. So to the left, we simply say here, ?Give Petraeus and give victory a chance. Are you so committed to American defeat here that you won’t even allow Petraeus the opportunity to win?? Look it, they are invested in defeat, and they’re really feeling their oats here.
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RUSH: At the General Petraeus hearing today, all of these pro-resolution senators, all these pro-resolution people are insisting that their resolution of disapproval will not demoralize the troops, nor will it encourage the enemy. No, of course not! No, no, no, ?That’s not the purpose of our resolution. Our resolution won’t do that. It won’t hurt the war effort. We still support the troops. We are, we are, we want to win, we want to win, and they do, but we’re not going to give the enemy any hope.? They’re protesting too much. They know what they’re doing is wrong. They know what they’re doing is ill-timed here for as we make one push for victory. I’ll tell you something else. The Lieberman line of questioning has really agitated them because it’s flushing them out. Lieberman, on the Democrat side especially, is the only guy who asked, ?Is this resolution going to hurt your effort?? You know that you’re not supposed question these people, and Lieberman’s doing it. I’ll tell you, he’s going to be savaged on these kook fringe blogs like you can’t believe.
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RUSH: We’ll start with Gregg in Wooster, Ohio. Gregg, thanks for waiting and welcome to the program.
RUSH: Hey never better, sir.
CALLER: Thank you. I want to say, Rush… I want to ask you a question here.
RUSH: Yeah.
CALLER: Why do you push so hard for this New World Order agenda when they send people to Iraq to die by the hundreds, seems like every day, all these Iraqis have suffered and lost their lives for this war that’s unjust, and will you stand with me and take a stance and join the Resistance Manifesto (a kook document) against this war?
RUSH: No. I won’t.
CALLER: You won’t?
RUSH: No. I am not going to join you in the defeat of the United States of America. I’m not going to join you in your distortion of what is happening in Iraq. If you’re so concerned about death, will you join me in banning the automobile? If you’re so concerned with death, will you join me in holding doctors accountable for poor writing? Faulty prescriptions lead to 7,000 deaths a year. If you are so concerned about death, will you join me and ban emergency rooms, where many, many people die every day. You, sir, are an embarrassment to me. You are an embarrassment to the country. You have a brain but you don’t even use it.
It’s a sponge for a bunch of anti-American garbage and guilt that you soak up and then you spew it back, making yourself feel important and big and better and smarter than everybody else, when the truth is, if people like you ever end up in control of the country, we are finished! You will give it away in order to make yourself feel good that you are against death. Three thousand Americans died in two hours on September the 11th. You have forgotten who did it. You have forgotten that they want to continue doing it or you don’t believe it or you think we are to blame for it or what have you. But I’m not going to join you in any move that would ensure the defeat of the United States military and this country.
RUSH: We have audio sound bites. Here’s more from General Petraeus talking to Vice President Lindsey Graham. Graham says, ?I just want to associate myself with Senator Lieberman here. No matter how well intentioned a resolution being opposed to this new strategy is a vote of no confidence in you. If you think it’s Vietnam, if you really believe we’re in Vietnam, you should cut off funding. Not one other person should die in this cause. Not one American should lose a limb. No one should get hurt. General, is this Vietnam??
PETRAEUS: Sir, Vietnam was Vietnam. As a student of lessons of history and someone who did a dissertation that focused on those, every case is unique, and Iraq is Iraq.
GRAHAM: Who’s the biggest winner? Name some winners of a failed state in Iraq.
PETRAEUS: Well, certainly Al-Qaeda, the greater Al-Qaeda network, those who want states that embrace extremist ideologies, those states who wish the United States and perhaps the western world ill.
RUSH: Well, that?s not surprising. Of course that’s what happens if we lose. The biggest winner if we fail in Iraq. Hillary didn’t take kindly, folks, to having her integrity questioned here.
HILLARY: Beyond my statement of joining in the comments with Senator Collins and rejecting those of our other friends on the panel who think that statements of disapproval are somehow going to undermine our effort when I think they will send the clearest message, we are going to do everything we can to send a message to our government and the Iraqi government that they had better change, because the enemy we are confronting is adaptable, it is intelligent, it learns, it got hold on of our military uniforms, went through those gates after having cleared all those police check points, killed five of our soldiers in a meeting talking about security in Iraq. I disapprove of the policy. I think it is a dead end.
RUSH: But don’t tell me I don’t support the troops and don’t tell me I’m invested in defeat. Well, I will, senator, because you are.