Funding Bush's War: Are Dems Too Scared To Take on the President?

[babylonsister]

http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/52281/

Funding Bush's War: Are Dems Too Scared To Take on the President?

By Robert L. Borosage, TomPaine.com. Posted May 23, 2007.

Congress is poised to vote on a funding bill for Iraq that offers no change of course. Those who vote for it will be undermining the troops and enabling a rogue President.

snip//

He is aided and abetted in this folly by a minority of Democrats who are afraid to take on the president, fearful of being blamed for undermining the troops, and frightened about being held responsible for bringing the occupation to an end.

They, in turn, are misled by the political consultants and the national security "experts" on the Democratic side who have been wrong from the start. They advised Democrats to vote for the war to look strong. They advised Democrats to support the president to look tough. When the folly became apparent, they advised Democrats to avoid being blamed for ending the war. At the beginning of the 2006 election, they advised that Democrats focus on the lack of body armor and the mistreatment of veterans, and stay away from the debate about the war. Now they warn Democrats to keep this "Bush's war" and not get blamed for ending it. Their expert credentials have somehow survived their consistent inanity.

The Congress will now vote on a funding bill for Iraq that offers no change of course. Every legislator open to reason, concerned for the troops, worried about this nation's real security, or accountable to the voters will vote against this bill.

Those who vote for it are voting to enable a rogue president. They are sacrificing the nation's security and the lives of many young soldiers to stand with George Bush.

This vote will be registered. In every state and district of the country, voters will know where their legislator stands. There are no dodges, no excuses. Vote to sustain the rogue president's ruinous course or vote against. This is a question of life and death, not of partisan politics or Beltway political poker. Every legislator is free to vote his or her conscience. Each should be held accountable.

[NightWatcher]

1. when is the vote going down?

This will be the single most definitive vote that SHOULD be used to judge the field of pres candidates and sitting reps.

[babylonsister]

10. Today the House votes, tomorrow the Senate, unless something

changes. * needs to be pacified before Memorial Day weekend.:eyes: :puke: :mad:

[ShortnFiery]

2. Yes, what they don't get is DimSon would not leave the troops in the lurch.

Believe it or not, the lion's share of these BILLIONS upon BILLIONS of dollars is going into the pockets of private contractors.

If you want to take care of the troops, DE-FUND this illegal and immoral war - causing us to Bring The Troops Home A.S.A.P. :thumbsup:

[sheerjoy]

5. But....

* keeps assuring them that it DOES hurt the troops. Grrrrr- and they swallow it.

[Toots]

21. DimSon would not leave the troops in the lurch.

Why the hell not? He put them in the lurch in the first place.. Bush* does not care about the troops. He has never experienced any of the life they lead. They are only pawns to him and apparently to many Democrats that will keep funding this debacle..

[NewJeffCT]

3. While I think I'm getting carpal tunnel from all the emails and letters

Please, write your reps and tell them to vote "no" on the bill without timelines, and then tell them to send the old timeline bill back again.

[sheerjoy]

4. Yes, Dems cower

in his presence and that is just amazing. I suspect Mafia stuff going on.. what else could make otherwise smart and powerful people cower so?

[BobRossi]

7. Daddy in the background.

The old man has some very powerful friends, you are not far from the truth.

[ShortnFiery]

8. Follow the Money. Many Representatives (Democrats included) are invested up to their eyeballs ...

in corporations who comprise The Military Industrial Complex.

WAR ... more specifically ENDLESS, OPEN-ENDED WAR is GOOD FOR BUSINESS. :grr:

I would love to know the investment portfolios of many Democratic Representatives who CLAIM that they must support the troops although CONTINUING TO fund this illegal and immoral war one moment longer only results in senseless death and destruction.

Vote "NO" or prepare to be targeted and unseated by your next Democratic Primary Challenger. :grr:

[rocktivity]

16. DING DING DING! Sheerjoy, you're our grand prize winner!

I suspect Mafia stuff going on...

At this point, it's the only reasonable explanation. The Bush monarchy is holding something over their heads--something they learned through the NSA, perhaps? And it would certainly explain why this video has resonated through the blogosphere so strongly.

:scared:
rocknation

[sheerjoy]

23. I am so glad to see

someone agree that this all looks way too suspicious to just be cowardly acts of idiocy on the Dems and a few Repubs part... someone is pulling some powerful strings...and threats...

[blm]

30. Too many take their cues from the power elite who pal around in BFEE circles.

.

[mmonk]

6. Either cowards or

enough dems are on board with the overall goal concerning Iraq to make it impossible for the dems that want it ended.

[Tesla]

11. It's just 1 phone call, hurry!!

Call the Congressional Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask to be connected to the offices of your members of Congress. Tell them to VOTE NO on the war funding bill.

[mmonk]

13. Mine probably will anyway

but I'll check.

[Swamp Rat]

9. I suppose they are scared of Karl Rove's poker face.

I have to admit, he's very ugly if not scary. :hide:



:D

[babylonsister]

12. Poker face? More like pustuled!

:P

[Swamp Rat]

15. Hey, let's call our reps and tell 'em what we think: Congressional Switchboard -- [phone]

No one is in yet... maybe in about 12 minutes.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x956966

[mrcheerful]

14. Doesn't anyone get it? The Dems vote for funding with time limits

shrub veto's the bill, Dem's try to over ride the veto, not enough votes for a over ride of shrubs veto. Next day Headlines, "Democratic majority can't stand up to a strong Bush veto". Then under that the story will be.....

Even though the democrats have the majority, our brave, noble republicans stopped those evil democrats from harming the troops. Facing the democratic majority, our republican minority showed america that they are the party that supports the troops and the democratic party doesn't because they wanted to stop funding whick means the troops wouldn't get the equipement they needed to save their lives. The democrats are trying to lose this war the same way they lost the Veit Nam war. But our brave republicans stopped them by not over riding Bush's strong veto power.

Every media out let would run that story and for the next 3 weeks thats all that would be run, how the republicans and shrub are doers that can stop anything the democrats can come up with.

[mmonk]

17. Not all dems are on board for ending the Iraq situation.

Serious people could end it with a deauthorization resolution. Therefore, they do the things left to slow it down (except for the escalation in troops and funds which seems contradictory).

[Swamp Rat]

18. To hell with the headlines, the pundits, the RNC... who cares what they think anymore.

FEAR is the ONLY weapon they have. Why give away your power to them so easily?

[mrcheerful]

24. Because for the main fact is that main stream america will buy into the BS

when are you going to learn? The brain dead out there are slowly waking up and seeing the pukes for what they are. But all it will take is a set back on our side and shrub blunderings producing a success then the sheep will flood back to supporting pukes. After 50 years of watching these sheep one thing is clear, they blow with the wind. Remember after Nixon democratics thought the puke party was over, yet within 6 years who was put into the white house a puking puke.

[Swamp Rat]

26. "when are you going to learn?"

Come join me in New Orleans for the next hurricane and I'll show you some learnin'!!

I applaud those who care enough about New Orleans and its people to join me in demanding Bushler's impeachment.

[rocktivity]

19. So what? LET him veto it

because every veto puts a nail in the the GOP coffin for 2008. About two dozen of them are up for re-election in the Senate, and we can nail them with every pro-Bush vote they make!

Either re-send the bill, or send bills which deauthorize Bush, institute a war tax or end the funding altogether. The nation is on your side, Dems--what IS the worst than can happen?

:headbang:
rocknation

[mrcheerful]

25. That the idiot sheep out there will see this as republicans are strong and democrats as weak.

what are you trying to get shrubs numbers back up? Remember you are not dealing with bright people like you are in DU. What you over look is the brain dead idiots that let the media do their thinking for them. Remember until 2006 these idiots believed that Saddam and Bin Laden were plotting to over throw the american government. Look at how long it took them to figure out that shrub lied about WMD's. These people are slowly coming around but one set back and its back to shrub was right dems were wrong.

[global1]

20. So It Looks Like The Democrats - Serve At The Pleasure Of The pResident......

caption this - "Ha Ha - You Caved!!!! Thank you for pleasuring me."


Worse yet




This is the guy that always pleasures the pResident

[bigtree]

22. They did take on the president, and didn't get the necessary amount of support to move him

I fail to see how putting themselves in the position of taking on the firestorm which has erupted is some sort of cowardice. They knew very well that their own party members were going to protest this move, but they did it anyway. That doesn't square with the charge that they made a politically safe move.

Anyway, they said they wouldn't hold up the funding just to further their politics, and they kept their word. I'm glad they did. I never liked the idea of using the funds that these soldiers need, expect, and deserve as leverage. Either we have the votes to pass a time table or we don't. We should have that vote without putting troop funding in jeopardy - and now we presumably will. And, as promised, the troops are finally getting the attention they deserve from Congress after four years of republican neglect.

Whether we continue to pass vulnerable legislation which isn't veto-proof, or we go ahead and provide the funds, the effect is the same. The troops remain in Iraq. The equipment and supplies they rely on to keep themselves safe and secure shouldn't be anyone's bargaining chip. These politicians can damn sure figure a way to get the results they want without leveraging their argument on the allocation of the funding these troops are entitled to. They work 24hrs a day, 7 days a week. They don't deserve to have their funding held up just to make a political point.

[proud2BlibKansan]

28. Their funding never was threatened

There is already enough money to fund the troops until the end of July. The bulk of the money is going to Halliburton anyway, so the war mongers have never really supported the troops. This is a false talking point. Anyone who thinks the troops should be fully funded needs to demand Halliburton and Blackwater and all the other contractors spend the money they are given more responsibly.

This is a great big money making racket. It isn't about terrorism and it isn't about keeping America safe from terrorists who hate us for our freedoms. It's about making money. Period.

I want to see how many congress reps have invested in the war profiteering companies. That's why they are voting the way they are. Don't fool yourself.

[The Stranger]

27. Ralph Nader was right.

[proud2BlibKansan]

29. I wish I had voted for him now.

[pat_k]

31. With the words "off the table" the Democratic caucus doomed. . .

. . .themselves to impotent gesture.

The ONLY way to win when your opponent refuses to play by the rules is to cry "foul" and call for the offenders to be kicked out of the game. It doesn't matter if you think ccorrupt officials will turn a blind eye, only a fool just keeps playing and pretending that "the rules" are operative when the other team is blatantly and willfully breaking all the rules.

As long as impeachment is off the table, Bush will just keep steamrolling Congress. They can pass laws. They can override vetoes. None of it matters. He'll just nullify what they do with a signing statement or, as he has with torture and criminal spying, simply violate the law in plain sight and dare Congress to impeach him.

Every time Bush rolls them, they confirm the "wimpy Dem" image.

Every time Bush rolls them, they lose support.

They may "win" on this or that resolution or bill, but when it becomes apparent that the Bush steamroller is still rolling along, the empty and impotent "victories" will be exposed for what they are.

Impeachment is the ONLY thing capable of "making" Bush do anything. It is the only fight worth fighting. It is the only fight that shows they have the courage to REALLY take on Bush -- win or lose.