Scarborough: I agree with Democrats, 'surge has failed'  

Scarborough: I agree with Democrats, 'surge has failed'

"Sectarian violence leads to a religious bloodbath," reported Joe Scarborough on MSNBC Thursday, saying that the most recent attack on the Shi'ite Golden Mosque has been met by revenge attacks on three Sunni mosques, and that Democratic leaders in Congress "are now planning new legislative attempts to limit the US mission in Iraq and finally bring our troops home."

"I can tell you the moment that I realized this Iraq thing was going south ... when the Golden Mosque got blown up the first time," said Scarborough to guest Pat Buchanan. "What in the world can the United States government do to stop this? ... I don't think there's much we can do, Joe," answered Buchanan. "The numbers show the surge is not stopping the insurgency. ... I think some Republicans are going to be joining those Democrats in calling for deadlines."

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Scarborough then asked columnist Mike Barnicle about General Petraeus's claim that he sees "astonishing signs of normalcy" in Iraq, such as soccer stadiums and amusement parks. Barnicle replied that there are always isolated signs of vitality during wars, but "if you talk to returning majors, captains, colonels, returning from Iraq after second and third tours, they will tell you, speaking to the surge, that it will not work. And the rubber is going to hit the road in late summer. ... I think the war has failed, not just the surge."

Scarborough's final comment, addressed to White House correspondent Ryan Lizza, was, "At what point do Democrats in Congress and some moderate Republicans say 'Enough is enough, Mr. President, we're not following you off this cliff any more.'?"

David Edwards and Muriel Kane
Published: Friday June 15, 2007