Democrats proceed with Iraq legislation

[rodeodance]

Source: ap

Democrats proceed with Iraq legislation

By ANNE FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 31 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats defiantly charged ahead Thursday with legislation ordering troops home from Iraq, still lacking the votes to win but armed with the mantra that Republicans, along with President Bush, now own the war.


"They want this war more than they want to protect our soldiers," Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., told reporters. "When I say they want the war, they want to protect their president more than they want to protect our troops."

Reid spoke minutes after Republicans successfully pushed through, by a 72-25 vote, a resolution condemning an advertisement by the liberal activist group MoveOn.org. Displayed in The New York Times, the ad taunted Gen. David Petraeus, the top military commander in Iraq, as "General Betray Us."

Reid's tough rhetoric reflected frustration by Democrats that more Republicans haven't broken with Bush on the war. Several Republican senators had grown increasingly anxious throughout the summer about the violence in Iraq and lack of political progress in Baghdad.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070921/ap_on_go_co/us_iraq;_ylt=Apkc0dH5mu6IHlmt8xCkKGis0NUE

[brentspeak]

1. Encouraging signs that the Democrats are pushing back

This is good to see.

[rodeodance]

2. Reid planned to try again Friday with another anti-war proposal by Sen. Carl Levin,

Reid planned to try again Friday with another anti-war proposal by Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich. Levin's bill would order combat troops home in nine months. But that too was expected to fail, with Republicans saying they still opposed setting a firm deadline on the war.

Democrats had considered trying to push milder legislation, if doing so would mean attracting the 60 votes needed to overcome a Republican filibuster. But calculating they wouldn't have the votes either way, Reid announced this week he planned to offer only legislation that set a deadline to end the war.

In a White House news conference Thursday, Bush said the MoveOn.org ad was "disgusting" and he criticized Democrats for not immediately condemning it.

"And that leads me to come to this conclusion: that most Democrats are afraid of irritating a left-wing group like MoveOn.org, or more afraid of irritating them, then they are of irritating the United States military," Bush said. ......

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070921/ap_on_go_co/us_iraq;_ylt=Apkc0dH5mu6IHlmt8xCkKGis0NUE

[Hulk]

3. Thank God we got that resolution passed....phew!!

Such meaningless bullshit. I would even obstain from voting, as what the hell does it mean? When it comes to substantive legislation, the repugs plug it up and do their best to protect their monkey in the WH. Keep pushing legislation to make this THEIR WAR....and let them look like the traitors they are...over and over and over again!!!!

[PSPS]

4. More of the AP's artfully biased headlines

When the people's wishes are promoted, it's done "by democrats."

But when something passes, but gets filibustered by the republicans (this description fits all meaningful legislation since January,) the headline becomes "senate blocks."