Kerry: 'Let Iraqis Stand Up for Iraq'

Nov. 19, 2005 â?? Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., says U.S. troops do not necessarily need to be pulled out of Iraq right away, as a senior Democrat suggested this week, but they need more leadership from the Bush administration.

"What we need is a little more commander-in-chief, and a little less campaigner-in-chief," Kerry said in an exclusive interview on "Good Morning America Weekend Edition."

Members of the House of Representatives debated late into Friday night and voted down a resolution to pull the troops out of Iraq by 403-3. Although most Democrats did not support Murtha's call, Kerry, who lost the 2004 presidential election to Bush, said Murtha did not deserve to be called names like "coward" by allies of the administration.

"It's just the attack politics, and people are sick and tired of it," Kerry said. "You don't call John Murtha a coward. â?¦ I mean, Dick Cheney had five deferments in a row in Vietnam, when John Murtha went to serve."

Murtha, Kerry said, has simply added to the debate. Kerry said the Bush administration needs to outline a clear plan about what benchmarks must be reached in order to bring the troops home.

"You can differ on the policies, and we should talk about the policy," Kerry said. "We need to have the debate and figure out how we bring our troops home in a responsible way. John Murtha is really just adding to the debate in a personal way."

Kerry said the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. George Casey, sent a plan to the Pentagon that outlined a timetable for withdrawal. The president of Iraq also said he had a plan to bring home 50,000 troops by Christmas â?? something Kerry said Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld also had previously mentioned.

Kerry added that the Bush administration was wrong to suggest that calling for a plan to bring the troops home will endanger the troops.

"Let me tell you what is endangering our troops: Sending our troops to war with inadequate armor is endangering our troops," Kerry said. "Not guarding the ammo dumps is endangering our troops. What endangers our troops is sending them to war without adequate numbers to do the job."

Kerry said he has a plan to bring 20,000 troops home by Christmas.

"They deserve leadership that is equal to their sacrifice," he said. "The president doesn't have a real plan."

Although he may have sounded as if he were campaigning, Kerry said he's leaving the door open when it comes to running for president in 2008.

He said the more immediate question is how the troops will be protected. It's time, he said, to hand over some responsibility.

"Let Iraqis stand up for Iraq," Kerry said.

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Politics/story?id=1328704

403-3 vote against pulling the troops out! And here's Kerry, still acting like he's on the campaign trail stating "AGAIN" about a plan...a very fine plan I'll bet...but a definate plan on how to have 20,000 troops home by x-mas. Didn't both Bush and the President of Iraq already state about a month ago that this was their plan? Another original thinker!!! And people wonder why this coward was defeated in the Presidential elections??? :smokin:

Kerry should realize we are now trapped in Iraq forever, a suicide bomber was born today who will kill my grandchildren, or yours.

thank you king george II for giving us this BEAUTIFUL gift of everlasting terror.

Yipper, blame the current administration....this shit NEVER happened before Bush....OOOPS, I guess it did!