Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Debbie Wasserman Schultz Smacks Chris Shays

OK, I admit it, I've had a crush on Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) for a long time and watching her deal with a wimpy Chris Shays (R-CT) on Hardball Tuesday night has made it worse.

After listening to Shays whine multiple times about how House Democrats aren't moving forward in a bipartisan way -- obviously forgetting how the Republicans did nothing but kick Democrats in the groin when the GOP held both houses of Congress -- Wasserman Schultz put the smackdown on Shays with this exchange:
Shays: But the point I'm just trying to make is, why aren't we using the Iraqi Study Group, that Democrats and Republicans both support…

Wasserman Shultz: Ask the president…

Shays: Debbie, you're interrupting me, let me just make this point…

Wasserman Shultz: Ask the president why we're not asking the Iraq Study Group, Chris.

Shays: What I'm asking the Democrats in Congress is why not bring a resolution that Republicans and Democrats can both agree on, we can support that, and there are three recommendations. Transfer the Iraqis to do the work that we're doing in the streets, have the Sunnis and the Shia sit down with consequence and finally engage Iran and Syria -- I could support a resolution like that and so could a lot of other Republicans.

Wasserman Shultz: What we need to make sure we do, Chris, is we need to make sure we have the armor and the protection and the funding and the training for our troops that we're sending over there. We should not be escalating this war, we should be making sure that we developing a plan and we press the president to develop a plan to eventually bring our troops home and make sure that the Iraqis can stand up on their own and move forward with the Democracy that we helped them create.

That is on the president. It's his responsibility. And Congress is finally, under Democratic leadership, pressing the president and putting the accountability where it belongs -- where you and your colleagues asked no questions and gave him a blank check for the last six years, which was absolutely inexcusable.

Shays: Well, you know, it's strong, fierce words, but, I've been to Iraq 15 times…

Wasserman Shultz: This is a strong and fierce situation, Chris.

Shays: Debbie, I've had…

Wasserman Shultz: And the American people on November 7 insisted and voted to make sure that we could address what's going on in Iraq -- they are deeply, deeply concerned.
You can see the rest of why we love Debbie Wasserman Shultz at Crooks and Liars.