Transcript
SEN. JOSEPH BIDEN (D-Del.): . . .
I did not come away with the impression that the insurgency was, as the Vice President of United States suggested, in its last throes. And unlike the President of the United States, I am not, quote, "pleased with the progress," end of quote, we're making as I recently saw it and as how he recently put it.
These are just two in a long litany of rosy assessments, misleading statements, premature declarations of victory that we've heard from the administration on Iraq. The disconnect between the administration's rhetoric and the reality there on the ground has opened not just a credibility gap but a creditability chasm. Standing right in the middle of that chasm are 139,000 American troops, some of them, some of them on their third tour.
This disconnect, I believe, is fueling cynicism that is undermining the single most important weapon we need to give our troops to be able to do their job, and that is the unyielding support of the American people. That support is waning. One recent poll showed that 60 percent support withdrawing some or all of our troops from Iraq now. Another shows 52 percent of the public doesn't believe the war in Iraq has made them any safer. And listen to some of the ascertains made by some conservative Republican congressman. You'll hear that drumbeat grow.
And I believe we have a shot, a serious shot, we have still a chance to succeed in Iraq. And I also believe that the future, if it results in failure, will be a disaster.
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