Rep Ron Paul: Gen Petraeus Iraq Surge Hearing

[Darius11 12]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWr5Wl-mev0&feature=bz301


Great questions as always.
I constantly am reminded that Ron Paul seems to be the only person who uses logic and The constitution for his arguments. I wish more or I should say ALL were like him.

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." - Kurt Cobain

[Andrewwhyte 1]

I was completely unimpressed with Ron Paul's performance.
Paul uses the correct constitutional division of power and thus responsibility as the centrepiece of most of his political efforts. I think it is very hypocritical of him to use a congressional hearing as a venue to stump. The venue was a hearing that is empowered by congress to question public servants for the purpose of gaining insight into the efficacy and appropriateness of their actions and of public policy. Mr. Paul disguised his speech as a series of questions that not only did he not expect any answers to, but that, like the one he did allow an answer to, were not appropriate for the particular public servants present to answer. I would argue that none of those questions were appropriate for any civil or military servant to answer. They were questions for the Congress and the Whitehouse (and perhaps the courts) to answer. It was a waste of the committee's time, a waste of the General's time, and a waste of the taxpayers' money.
A hellofalot more would get done in Washington if congressional leadership would reach across the isle and shut this sort of bullshit down. If Paul wants to make a speech he can do so on the lawn.

[Zarkon 0]

You don't think the other presidential candidates used this meeting as a platform to assert their own views on the war in hopes of swaying voters? I agree that Dr Paul was trying to make a statement more than an inquiry, but I don't think it was a waste of the committee's time.

[rushmc 23]

Quote

You don't think the other presidential candidates used this meeting as a platform to assert their own views on the war in hopes of swaying voters? I agree that Dr Paul was trying to make a statement more than an inquiry, but I don't think it was a waste of the committee's time.

I thnik that most anything Congress does today is a waste time
Theirs, ours and the countries....

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[jcd11235 0]

Quote

I was completely unimpressed with Ron Paul's performance.

Agreed. He listed many questions about Iraq without giving Gen. Petraeus the opportunity to answer, and then expected an answer to a question that was non-topical. No good non-retired general is going to tell the Congress that his commander in chief cannot legally do something. If that opinion needs to be expressed, it will be expressed via the chain of command, as is expected of all US military servicemen.

Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

[Darius11 12]

Quote

No good non-retired general is going to tell the Congress that his commander in chief cannot legally do something. If that opinion needs to be expressed, it will be expressed via the chain of command, as is expected of all US military servicemen.

That would be a valid statement if the oath he took was to the president, However I believe that the oath he took is to the constitution of the United States.

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." - Kurt Cobain

[jcd11235 0]

Quote

That would be a valid statement if the oath he took was to the president, However I believe that the oath he took is to the constitution of the United States.

I'm fairly certain that an active general is not expected to discuss the legality of policy he isn't involved in with Congress. His oath is to the Constitution, not the Congress. His chain of command goes through the executive branch, not the legislative branch.

If Congress want to question the legality of an Iran invasion (and I certainly hope they would) they need to question the President, or someone sent on his behalf who can speak authoritatively, not a general with only a tangently related command.

Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

[woodpecker 0]

I tried hard to watch this on TV but couldnt get past the horrible speaking. How does a guy get into a position where speaking is the front runner for the job but says um um um um um about 4000 times in the first sentence...and his hand movement was killing me too. The guy knows what he's talking about but I cant hear anything past the "ums". Im not talking about the general either.

SONIC WOODY #146

There is a fine line between cockiness and confidence -- which side of the line are you on?