Hotline After Dark -- Iraq-naphobia
There were two main topics on TV last -- Iraq and Hillary Clinton:
Most of the Iraq talk focused on the GOP's differences with Pres. Bush:
MSNBC's Viqueira: "We haven't seen a lot of [House Min. Leader John] Boehner in public lately, but he's been bringing in Republican rank and file to try to find a middle ground between supporting the president 100 percent -- which many members do not want to do -- and pulling the rug out from under the president which obviously leadership does not want to do" ("Hardball," 1/17).
CNN's Koppel: "Senator McConnell had planned to meet with a number of members of the Republican caucus to try to work out some opposing views" ("Lou Dobbs Tonight," 1/17).
Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA): "I don't care what you call it, a surge, an increase -- what the Republican president is doing is sending reinforcements to Iraq to carry out his plan. And if the Democrats cut off the reinforcements, the American troops will never forgive them and I think the American people will never forgive them. I think the Republican senators should be loud and clear on that issue" ("Hardball," MSNBC, 1/17).
Pat Buchanan: "This is a not unreasonable step that the senators are taking, Chuck Hagel, in particular. All they're saying is, We do not believe the surge is in the national interests of the United States, and secondly, you cannot prosecute a war without the support of the American people. This is not a cut-off of funds" ("Scarborough Country," MSNBC, 1/17).
Hagel: "The killing is not going to stop because we put 20,000 more troops in Baghdad, put 50,000 more American troops in Baghdad. That's not going to solve the problem. Only a political settlement is going to solve that and that is going to have to come as the result of some political acceptance and accommodation resulting in a political resolution" ("Hardball," MSNBC, 1/17).
Hagel, asked about WH '08: "I've got to make a decision soon and I will make that decision" ("Situation Room," CNN, 1/17).
Newt Gingrich: "If we want to win in Iraq, that the president went about halfway there the other night. It's not about the number of troops, it's about the speed and intensity and aggressiveness of decision-making. It's about the relentlessness of being able to support our military. And we don't have it today" ("On the Record," FNC, 1/17).
Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT), on Bush's plan: "I'm very much opposed to it, and I think we ought to be coming up with a different strategy, one that can make some sense. There are some other alternates to what the president suggested" ("NewsHour," PBS, 1/17).
NAME YOUR PLAN
CNN's Bash: "The pressure, especially on potential Democratic candidates to come out and come out strong on specific positions. And that's exactly what we heard from Senator Clinton in a way that we haven't heard before" ("Situation Room," 1/17).
Bill Press, on HRC's media tour: "I think she is moving toward that announcement by clarifying her position on Iraq" ("Tucker," MSNBC, 1/17).
David Gergen: "She's trying to prevent the president from going through with the surge. And I think it's a very risky move politically" ("AC 360," CNN, 1/17). [EMILY GOODIN]
