What's more important: Ending Iraq war vs. Minimum wage increase?

[ecstatic]

:grr:

WASHINGTON - In grudging concessions to President Bush, Democrats intend to draft an Iraq war-funding bill without a timeline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops and shorn of billions of dollars in spending on domestic programs, officials said Monday.

The legislation would include the first federal minimum wage increase in more than a decade, a top priority for the Democrats who took control of Congress in January, the officials added.

Does this pair of unrelated choices piss anyone else off? The two issues have absolutely nothing to do with each other... BOTH issues need immediate attention. But if you want me to choose, then ending the war in Iraq is much more f*cking important than increasing minimum wage right now.

[AndyA]

1. No question in my mind: the lives of our troops are the most important.

The war must end. NOW!

[tularetom]

2. I hope they arent trying to rationalize their spinelessness

by painting this as the only way to get a minimum wage increase. I didn't think there was anything that could increase my contempt for them right now, but that would do it for sure.

[ThomCat]

3. Unrelated issues are routinely bundled together.

It's unrealistic to expect every issue to be debated as a separate piece of legislation. From a bureaucratic and scheduling perspective it I don't know that it would be possible.

I think this is a good move. Politically, everyone seems to feel the spending bill MUST go through, so it's a chance to let the minimum wage increase sail through for guaranteed approval.

Bush couldn't veto the minimum wage increase without vetoing the spending bill, and even he knows that blocking war funding might finally kill the last of his support. It would put him on the defensive, finally, on his own big issue.

[DefenseLawyer]

4. That dog won't hunt

If the leadership really thinks they can sell their utter capitulation on the war as a noble compromise in the name of the working class they have absolutely no grasp on what is happening in the real America. As usual, politicians, pundits and "conventional wisdom" are 2 years behind the mood of the electorate.

[YOY]

5. Quit picking and choosing!

Both and crapsloads more.

Fuck the backwards BS that f***wad Reagan shoved on us. He showed up at the right place and time and we have to suffer years later from it.

We have 27 years of progress to catch up.

Anyone who dissagrees need only be shown our European/East-Asian counterparts and asked just exactly how is our current system better? If their answer makes about as much sense as what I've heard so far from the pubs than tell them as a whole and officially what a goddamn bunch of poorly educated cretins-with-nothing-to-be-proud-of they are.

Public health insurance
Making the Military industrial complex into something beneficial
Improving the infrastructure
New cleaner feul sources
Campagn reform
Greater international oversight
The betterment of the educational system
Corporate regulation to stem outsourcing

All and so goddamn much more! It's not even f***ing progressive anymore. It's just catching up to the rest of the damn world.

Right wing America needs to be put in place. It needs to have the insane asswipes and theocrats told to sit down and shut the f*ck up. Let the real conservatives (small government, low taxes) make their appeals. THe Neocons and their idiotic cronies need to be

Enough of the "Yer a kommie fer darin' to ask fer that!" bullshit. There's money to be made here as well. Who knows perhaps some new industries may arise. Perish the goddamn thought. huh?

Enough of the "Yer a hippie fer darin' to question our leaders in a time when 'Murka needs t' be at war." What say I stick my foot up some Freeper ass who questions my patriotism? Oh wait! Now I'm a violent criminal?

There's shit that needs done and it needs done yesterday! Those two items are the tip of the fricking iceberg.

[damntexdem]

6. Yes.