SF Chronicle: Democrats warn Bush on Iraq funding: New majority will seek to influence war policy

[DeepModem Mom]

Dems warn Bush on Iraq funding
New majority in Congress will seek to influence policy on conduct of war
Edward Epstein, Chronicle Washington Bureau
Wednesday, December 6, 2006

Washington -- House Democrats sent a strong signal to President Bush on Tuesday that they will attach conditions he is likely to find unpalatable, perhaps even unacceptable, to his anticipated request early next year for another $100 billion or more to pay for the war in Iraq.

At the least, Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco and other leaders of the incoming Democratic majority said they will seek to enforce greater transparency for the billions of dollars in contracts that the Pentagon pays private firms to perform numerous functions in Iraq.

Amid reports of corruption and missing funds from government contracts, the Democrats also want to establish a special committee patterned after the World War II-era panel that Sen. Harry Truman chaired to root out waste and fraud in war contracting.

But some of the most outspoken anti-war voices in the House said they want to go much further and use the supplemental spending bill -- the special bill passed by Congress to pay for the expense of the war -- to force Bush to bring home the 140,000 U.S. military personnel in Iraq....

***

The ideas voiced by Pelosi and the other House Democratic leaders came after the caucus met Tuesday to discuss Iraq policy....Among those who spoke to the Democratic caucus was Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., a longtime military booster and former Iraq war supporter who turned against the war more than a year ago. Murtha, who will chair the military appropriations subcommittee when the Democrats take control Jan. 4, promised vigorous oversight of how money for Iraq is spent.

"Stay tuned," Pelosi said. "Democrats are now in the majority....There will be hearings. There will be oversight. We will not abdicate our responsibility."...

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/12/06/MNGQFMQAMH1.DTL

[madfloridian]

1. I love when our Dems fight.

Recommended.

[SmellsLikeDeanSpirit]

2. Music to all of our ears.

[Bluestar]

3. Woo Hoo--Whoopy Do!

I love it! I think when January rolls around, the Chimp is going to be VERY unhappy! I can't wait.

[sweetheart]

4. cut 'm bunz

Sliver by sliver,
on the cold cut slicer,
bush's lilly liver,
war'z a gettin' nicer.

cut by bleedin' cut,
texas bloody cower,
klu kluxian little hut,
demohuge the power.

What is that outside the curtain,
cannot be the old republican guard,
that they're blue we can be certain,
time to rollup all the cards.
Bush deals be rotten,
war weals forgotten.

[Hieronymus]

5. Only a month to go..

such anticipation.:woohoo:

[pinniped]

6. Finally, a damm warning issued to the repuke in chief.

He and his minions have had the monopoly on warnings for waaaaay too long.