 The Quotes of 2006 By Bill Steigerwald December 31, 2006
IRAQ I don't think we're going to
make it for another three years there. I think there's going
to be a civil war in Iraq if the president doesn't change course.
The public won't stand for U.S. forces being caught in a civil
war. If all hell breaks loose in Iraq, those forces will be coming
home much, much sooner -- to the electoral peril of Republicans.
I don't think they have another three years to wait. We should keep the troops there,
in the desert, looking after the international boundaries, making
sure there are no atrocities, making sure oil and gas goes out,
otherwise leaving Iraq to the Iraqis. I don't see anytime soon that
we can depart, because we would take an insecure situation and
make it even more insecure. It's time to change direction.
The public knows this. Some people don't agree with me, but as
a whole most of the people believe it is time to either redirect
ourselves or redeploy our troops. I think 25,000 or 30,000 in
that region would be plenty. When was the last time you,
in a local newspaper, had given to you the press release on the
local citations for the Bronze Star, the Army Commendation Medal,
the Silver Star, the Distinguished Service Cross or the Navy
Cross?... Why should the American people be reminded, regularly,
about Haditha, instead of being reminded that we have real, live,
walking, talking war heroes living among us? What is a little surprising
to me here in the United States is that Afghanistan seems to
be very much the minor military preoccupation here. And yet I
believe that what is happening in Afghanistan is of greater strategic
importance than what is happening in Iraq. We really owe the Iraqi people,
having upset their apple cart; we owe it to them to not just
abandon them at their biggest moment of need as their country
descends into civil war. I would be a lot more sympathetic
with the Bush administration if they had said they had decided
to go into Iraq substantially because of oil. It would have made
sense. Years from now, I hope to be
meeting young Iraqis who don't really remember the war very well
but who can date their own emancipation from it. Terrorism I think ultimately (the war
on Islamic terrorism) is winnable. But it's going to be a long
time before there is a victory declared. There are different
bouts and rounds, but it's not going to be like it is in the
movies. The end is just not going to be that way. I think that debate on the
cost-benefit of security measures and on the balance between
security and freedom will just be a part of our lives now for
a good time to come.
North Korea We have defended the Republic
of Korea -- South Korea -- for over a half century. It's time
for them to step up to the plate and for our troops to leave
and get out of harm's way.
President Bush I have been very critical of
(President Bush) the past year - rather tough on him. But as
an individual, I think one can not argue with the fact that he
is reliable as to his word, he's brave and he has a quality of
going forward if he believes he is right and simply accepting
the slings and arrows of the world. And that is something to
be admired in a politician.
Immigration If you want to have large-scale
unskilled immigration, then you better get rid of the welfare
state first. There is no willingness on
the part of our government to implement the immigration laws
of our country or to enforce them in any way. Nor are they willing
to secure our border, even in a time of war.
The Republicans Both sides of the aisle are
enamored of pork and increased entitlement spending, which is
still where 65 or 58 percent of federal spending goes. But frankly,
one of our disappointments is the president. He's the only person
around who's been elected by the whole country. He's got to show
the kind of national leadership that says, "When I say I'm
going to veto" -- and he has said that now on 133 separate
measures - he means it. The growth of government has
gotten out of control. I blame the Congress more than I blame
even the administration. In that case they've become too entrenched
in their own power. They've become Democratic light. I think
they need to go back to the principles that got them into those
positions of power in the first place.
Media subjectivity The alarms are endless. Almost
all are wrong. And yet the failure of the previous alarms to
kill us does not make us less fearful when the press moves on
to the next alarm. I make it a point -- and a
point of pride -- to have people not know my politics. I don't
think they are relevant to a show that analyzes the news, so
I prefer to keep them to myself off the air, as I do on.
The Economy The American economy is very
strong. I call it the "Greatest Story Never Told."
I think that profits are strong. Productivity is strong. Job
creation is strong. Tax rates are low. I think the outlook for
the stock market and the economy is extremely positive. People
should be in the market. Stocks are undervalued. And this expansion
cycle will go on for I would say at least three or four more
years.
Fidel Fidel is not a socialist hero
if one thinks of the socialism in Sweden or Europe. If we are
talking about Soviet socialism, that's what he is. In that sense,
he's more like Stalin. I think Fidel has more followers outside
Cuban than inside Cuba.
Food Our food in this country is
very much determined by our government food policies. If we have
a crisis about obesity, which we do, it has to do with government
policy. If we have a diabetes crisis, which we do, it has a lot
to do with the fact that we have been subsidizing the wrong foods.
2006 Elections It's going to be a very good
Democratic year. The big thing that's happening
in this election is that independent voters who in the past two
elections have tended to act -- in terms of their voting behavior
-- more like Republicans than Democrats suddenly have shifted
hard to voting Democratic. ... I think (losing Congress) was
a cold slap on a cold face on a very cold morning that will hopefully
wake up the conservative movement within the Republican conference
within the House.
©Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, All Rights Reserved. Distributed exclusively by Cagle Cartoons, Inc. to subscribers for publication. E-mail Bill at bsteigerwald@tribweb.com
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