"Support the troops"

[GenuineRisk]

I read the Washington Post article, which I think does a pretty decent job putting the quote in context- as usual, the full story is more complicated than a sound-bite (like Danzig, I didn't want to listen to the full speech- I get bored, too. ). Here's the link to the print article:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...001380_pf.html

From what I can tell, the "problem" Clayburn was referring to was that progress will make it more difficult for Democratic leaders to pass legislation setting a timetable for bringing the troops home, because there would be more moderate-to-conservative Dems in Congress who would then favor keeping the soldiers there longer. I don't think he was referring to the elections; I think he was referring to the direction of the US strategy in Iraq and passing legislation on it- as few Americans seem to grasp, you really need 60 votes to get anything done in Congress.

It was unfortunately worded, in that the right-wing media is always tickled pink by the opportunity to take something utterly out of context and now all sorts of conservative sites are yelling that Clayburn hates America but yes, positive progress in the war will continue to complicate legislative progress in bringing the troops home.

And yes, taking quotes out of context goes both ways; the right-wingers are just better at it- remember "I was for the troops before I was against them?" or whatever the Kerry flap was- also taken utterly out of context as the original quote addressed paying for the war by repealing Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy.