Flipper at it again - Or are we are too dumb to grasp foreign policy

[FishForLunch]

Kerry Backed Korea, Europe Troop Reductions Three Weeks Ago

Sen. John Kerry is blasting President Bush for his plan to withdraw 70,000 troops from South Korea and Germany. But less than three weeks ago the top Democrat said he thought such troop reductions were a good idea, specifically naming Europe and Korea.

"I will have significant, enormous reduction in the level of troops," Kerry told ABC's "This Week" on Aug. 1.

"I think we can significantly change the deployment of troops [in Iraq], not just there but elsewhere in the world. In the Korean peninsula perhaps, in Europe perhaps. There are great possibilities open to us. But this administration has very little imagination."
Addressing a VFW convention on Wednesday, however, Kerry bashed Bush for taking his advice, charging that cutting our forces in Korea "is clearly the wrong signal to send" at this time.

As noted by the Weekly Standard, which unearthed the Aug 1 Kerry quotes on its web site Thursday, "Who knows what Sen. Kerry believes? Does Sen. Kerry even know?"

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The world has drastically changed in 15 days though

Kerry rips Bush’s troop plan
President says he’s open to importing prescriptions

MSNBC News Services
Updated: 8:42 p.m. ET Aug. 18, 2004


Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry criticized President Bush’s proposal to recall up to 70,000 foreign troops Wednesday as a hastily announced plan that would raise more doubts about U.S. intentions than it answered.

Bush, meanwhile, sought to quell growing anger among senior citizens over the high cost of prescription drugs, conceding that it “makes sense” for Americans to be able to import cheaper medicines as long as they are safe.

Speaking in Cincinnati at the convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Kerry attacked Bush’s plan to bring home troops from Cold War-era bases in Europe and Asia.

“Nobody wants to bring troops home more than those of us who have fought in foreign wars,” Kerry said. “But it needs to be done at the right time and in a sensible way. This is not that time or that way.”

Bush announced his plan Monday at the same gathering. The president said the repositioning of forces would help save money on maintaining bases overseas.

Kerry singled out Bush’s plan to cut 12,000 of the 37,000 U.S. troops in South Korea for criticism.

“Why are we withdrawing unilaterally 12,000 troops from the Korean Peninsula at the very time we are negotiating with North Korea — a country that really has nuclear weapons?” Kerry asked.


Kerry quoted Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., as saying North Korea was probably more dangerous than at any other time since the end of the Korean War in 1953. “This is clearly the wrong signal to send at the wrong time,” Kerry said.

Kerry argued that Bush’s policy would dangerously reduce forces at a time when the nation was fighting the al-Qaida terrorist network in 60 countries.

“Let’s be clear — the president’s vaguely stated plan does not strengthen our hand in the war on terror,” he said. “It in no way relieves the strain on our overextended military personnel. It doesn’t even begin until 2006, and it takes 10 years to achieve. And this hastily announced plan raises more doubts about our intentions and our commitments than it provides real answers.”

Kerry’s campaign cited a three-month-old Congressional Budget Office report that said pulling back troops from overseas would produce at best only small improvements in the United States’ ability to respond to far-flung conflicts. The report also said a large reduction of the U.S. military presence overseas could cost $7 billion up front, although annual savings could be more than $1 billion.

Defense officials said this week on condition of anonymity that the study used different assumptions from the president’s redeployment plan. They said the savings for the Bush plan could not be calculated until officials determined precisely which units would return to the United States, what domestic bases they would use and what overseas installations would be closed.

Defense officials also say plans to trim U.S. troops in South Korea would not give North Korea an advantage. Military officials have said advances in U.S. military firepower and a stronger South Korean military mean there can be more military power in the south with fewer soldiers.

[LRB]

What's becoming increasingly clear to me is that Kerry only believes in 2 things, but he believes in these strongly and will never flip-flop. Voters can depend on Kerry to take a stand and not deviate from these principles.

1. Kerry believes in whatever position that his pollsters believe will give him the best chance to get elected. If the polls change so will Kerry. However this is not flip flopping as so many are wont to call it. Kerry is staying true to the polls. It's the polls that have changed, not Kerry.

2. Kerry believes in the opposite of Bush whenever it doesn't conflict with #1 about. Kerry will continue to believe in the opposite of Bush until it does conflict with #1 above. When Kerry does change positions, it's not because he's flip flopping, it's because he's adhering to a higher principle. Looking after his own ass.

[Drbio]

Kerry is such a dumbass. He needs to hire a guy to remind him of what he has already said. If he had an original thought....just one....I'd shit myself.