The Associated Press has this story about Stephanie Herseth Sandlin declaring that, contrary to Harry Reid, the "war is not lost." Excerpt:
Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, who voted with fellow Democrats Wednesday in passing a measure that would require the start of troop withdrawals from Iraq by Oct. 1, says South Dakotans generally are realistic about Iraq.
The Senate on Thursday voted 51-46 for the legislation that the House passed 218-208 Wednesday night. The president has vowed to veto it.
The votes in both houses were largely along party lines and were far short of the two-thirds override margin.
The Iraq war has become a partisan debate in Washington, but South Dakotans generally aren't strident, Herseth Sandlin told South Dakota reporters Thursday.
''The comments I get from constituents don't seem to be marked with the same partisan divide,'' she said, adding that South Dakotans take more of a ''realist and centrist approach.''
Herseth Sandlin said they realize ''we need to get beyond the partisan rhetoric and to recognize the war is not lost, in my opinion.''
A week ago, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada declared the war is lost, sparking an angry backlash by Republicans. Vice President Cheney accused Reid of ''defeatism'' and political opportunism in trying to set a troop withdrawal timetable in the war spending bill.
The war is not lost, but she voted in favor of pulling out our troops in October? Representative Herseth Sandlin is trying to have it both ways, and that just doesn't work. Though, just for the record, here's a trip down memory lane:
04/26/07: "We need . . . to recognize the war is not lost, in my opinion." "Herseth Sandlin: The War is not Lost," AP
04/25/07: Herseth Sandlin voted with fellow Democrats Wednesday in passing a measure that would require the start of troop withdrawals from Iraq by Oct. 1
3/28/07: "I have always rejected arbitrary or irresponsible timelines that would tie the hands of our military leaders, and I will continue to do so." SHS, Press Release
12/06/06: "I do not support an artificial timetable for withdrawal of American troops.” SHS, Press Release
June 2006: Herseth Sandlin joined 41 House Democrats saying they supported completing the mission in order to "create a sovereign, free, secure and united Iraq."
12/14/05: "We owe it to the troops overseas to craft a practical strategy for Iraq that enjoys bipartisan support," SHS, Press Release
12/14/05: "We will watch this progress closely as we continue to implement a policy that finishes the job, gets our troops home, and returns control of Iraq to the Iraqi people." SHS, Press Release
12/14/05: "I think the president reached out to Democrats that are committed to victory in Iraq and have not been supportive of immediate withdrawal," "Herseth meets with Bush, Cabinet officials on Iraq," AP
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