Carl Levin

It appears to be a positive step toward denuclearization of the peninsula, and that would lead to stability and peace.

U.S. participants will not engage in combat in the Philippines, without prejudice, of course, to their right of self-defense.

So the question that I think they would ask you: Is it worth it to now send 21,000 more troops? Is it possible to succeed?

I wish that this was not just on C-SPAN 3, but on evening television, for the American people to see more broadly, because I do think, while your testimony is before this committee, you have answered today for members of the committee a…

The question is how do we succeed so you can come home.

I have been a critic going in, I have been a critic of the way this thing has been run, but, folks, you have the support of every Member of Congress.

Can we have a functioning democracy in Iraq without political leaders in Iraq making the compromises that they need to make?

The course that we have been on is a course towards failure.

The question is how best do we do that.

Reports do not constitute pressure by themselves.

I am very doubtful as one Senator that it is likely they are going to carry out the other commitments that they have made.

Who will have operational and tactical control of the nine Iraqi brigades themselves?

General, will U.S. forces have unfettered access and complete freedom of action in all neighborhoods, without Iraqi political interference?

We are bloody impatient. And the problem is Iraqis' political leadership.

I would like the president to tell the Iraqi leaders that we are going to begin a phased redeployment of our troops from Iraq in four to six months.

The president cannot, any longer, get away with the status quo and stay the course, stay the course, stay the course.

This is not a precipitous proposal. It's something which would allow for planning.

It's not as though chaos will result if we leave; it's that chaos is there right now.

Your acknowledgment that we're not winning in Iraq, frankly, is a necessary, refreshing breath of reality that is so needed.

They also, I think, saw in the nominee a person who is very, very willing to reach out across party lines to the Congress on a bipartisan basis, to get the -- the best advice that possibly the Congress can give.

I'm not going to vote no because I voted no 15 years ago.

The important thing with Mr. Gates is whether or not he is independent, whether or not he is going to speak truth to power.

It ignores the realities on the ground to say that absolutely we are winning in Iraq, everybody's losing in Iraq at the moment and until there's a political settlement, they're going to continue to lose in Iraq.

The president cannot any longer get away with the status quo and stay the course, stay the course, stay the course.

This is not a precipitous proposal. It's something which would allow for planning. And so it is not an accurate description.