Congessional Democrats relent to Bush on Iraq spending bill

[Purveyor]

Source: Associated Press

Bowing to President Bush, the Democratic-controlled House reluctantly approved fresh billions for the Iraq war today, minus the troop withdrawal timeline that drew his earlier veto.

The 280-142 vote sent the bill to the Senate for final passage, expected later Thursday night.



Read more: http://www.pennlive.com/lehighvalley/index.ssf/2007/05/congessional_democrats_relent.html

[Purveyor]

1. More from AP:

In a highly unusual maneuver, House Democratic leaders crafted a procedure that allowed their rank and file to oppose money for the war then step aside so Republicans could provide the bulk of votes needed to send it to the Senate for final approval.

---
Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, alone among the Senate's Democratic White House hopefuls, pledged in advance to oppose the bill. Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware said he supported it.

That left Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois publicly uncommitted in the hours leading to the vote, two leading White House rivals tugged in one direction by the needs of 165,000 U.S. troops — and in another by party activists demanding rejection of the legislation.

---eoe---

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/05/24/national/w155705D70.DTL

[nc_gadfly]

2. We should rename the Democratic party...

...the Invertebrate Party

[Danger Mouse]

4. This is what the Dems have in place of backbones...

As Teddy Roosevelt once said of McKinley...I now say of the Dems.

[Danger Mouse]

3. Fucking cowards.

Fucking chickenshits.
Thanks for nothing, you wusses.
Might as well bend over and take it up the ass, right?

'I WIN! I WIN!'

[MGKrebs]

5. self delete.

That was the wrong bill. Still looking for the correct bill number.

[Dover]

6. It's all theatre for the masses. Apparently they love the whole illusion of 2 parties.n/t

[Gopens]

8. Nothing new here

Why on earth do they keep giving victories to a man with the worst approval ratings uh... EVER?????

[rodeodance]

7. Bowing to President Bush,

[Meeker Morgan]

9. Congress OKs Billions for the Iraq War

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - Bowing to President Bush, the Democratic-controlled Congress grudgingly approved fresh billions for the Iraq war Thursday night, minus the troop withdrawal timeline that drew his earlier veto.

"The Iraqi government needs to show real progress in return for America's continued support and sacrifice," said the commander in chief, and he warned that August could prove to be a bloody month for U.S. troops in Baghdad's murderous neighborhoods.

The Senate's 80-14 vote to send the legislation to the president came less than two hours after the House gave its approval on a margin of 280-142. In both cases, Republicans supplied the bulk of the support, an oddity in an era of Democratic control.

--- snip ---

Democratic presidential politics played a role, as Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, then Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, cast votes against the legislation, which was strongly opposed by anti-war activists.

--- snip ---

Read more: http://apnews.myway.com//article/20070525/D8PB59DG0.html

---

80-14

Not even close.

[Dhalgren]

10. " Bowing to President Bush?"

More like bending over for him. But I am sure he and Karl have had a good laugh at the groveling Dems. Remember not long ago we were talking about the "fighting Democrats"? Well, here come the "Groveling Democrats"! YAY...

[fshrink]

11. So, what is the difference between

a "Democratic-controlled Congress" and a Republican-controlled Congress? In that matter, which is far from trivial, the answer is "None". Might as well have only one party.

[Bigmack]

12. I don't deal much in "morality"...

.... whatever that is... but I believe the blood of Iraqis and Americans is on their heads.

At the beginning of this clusterfuck, some of us said "Not in our name". It doesn't absolve us completely, but nothing will ever wash the blood off the hands of the Repubs and Dems that vote to continue this thing one day longer.

[Demonaut]

13. try and look at the bright side

and when you find it let me know

[Erika]

14. Pelosi and Reid should resign.

I've never been more disappointed in leaders than I have with them. Don't they know or care that our kids are dying without cause in Iraq? At www.icasualties.org

It will be a cold day in hell before I ever give $ to the dems again.

[RBInMaine]

15. Once Again, LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE HERE.

It is obviously disappointing, but many of you folks must take a deep breath and look at the big picture here. The majority of the country wants the troops funded even if they are in a place where they also would prefer them not to be. As commander in chief, sadly Bush in the this case, he can deploy troops where he desires. Democrats sent Bush a timeline bill. HE vetoed it and vowed to veto anything with a timeline. They just don't have the votes to override. No matter how many timeline bills they send Bush, he'll veto. At the very least, as weak as it may be, they were able to get a bill with benchmarks (even if they are rather toothless this time) which means some pressure. It is an advance compared to what we have had, and there are additional defense appropriations coming later in the summer and fall which will most definitely be a different story because by then the surge will probably have failed and REPUBLICANS with their electoral heads on the slab will start peeling away from Bush. In fact, this is going to be fun to watch. It will be REPUBLICANS who start upping the pressure on Bush, as has actually already started to happen. Once again, I urge you to train your fire where it really belongs: on Bush and the R's.
Bush won't end the war, and we don't have enough Dems in Congress yet to override him, especially in the Senate. WE NEED A NEW DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT TO DO THAT, AND MORE DEMS IN CONGRESS!! Then we can bring the Iraq mess to a rational end.
(Also remember that this supplemental bill added much needed money for the wounded vets which Bush in the past has cut.)

[peacebird]

16. "bush won't end war" - why exactly is IMPEACHMENT off the table???

hmmmm?

We don't need to wait till 2009 to start bringing our kids home. Impeach Bush/Cheney and start NOW.

[Meeker Morgan]

17. Impeachment is off the table because ...

I've said it before.

Impeachment is off the table because it never really was on the table.

[fshrink]

18. Then, let's look at the *bigger* picture:

Democrats voted for the War, now they vote for the continuation of the War. Reluctantly, I don't care. Where is the difference when you step back far enough to consider this really bigger picture? There is none.
And I'd rather have a courageous and honest Congress who gets vetoed 200 times, which would eventually make a point against the idiot, than a "realistic" Congress who could vote for pretty much anything because it's "politically realistic". Where is the line? So far, not even in the picture, small or big.