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TechnoratiDems Back Down, Approve War Money
WASHINGTON — Bowing to President Bush, the Democratic-controlled House reluctantly approved fresh billions for the Iraq war on Thursday, 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 in the evening.
"The Iraqi government needs to show real progress in return for America's continued support and sacrifice," said Bush, and he warned that August could prove to be a bloody month for U.S. troops in Baghdad's murderous neighborhoods.
Five months in power on Capitol Hill, Democrats coupled their concession to the president with pledges to challenge his policies anew. "This debate will go on," vowed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, announcing plans to hold votes by fall on four separate measures seeking a change in course.
From the White House to the Capitol, the day's events closed out one chapter in an epic struggle pitting Congress against commander in chief over the future of a war that has claimed the lives of more than 3,400 U.S. troops.
House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio choked back tears as he stirred memories of the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. "After 3,000 of our fellow citizens died at the hands of these terrorists, when are we going to take them on? When are we going to defeat them?" he asked.
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.
Moments earlier, the House voted 348-73 to include a separate package of domestic spending.
After months of struggle with the White House, Democrats emphasized their reluctance to allow the war to continue.
"I hate this agreement," added Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, who played a key role in talks with the White House that yielded the measure.
Presidential politics spiced the proceedings across the Capitol.
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.
After the previous bruising veto battle, Democratic leaders said they hoped to clear the bill for Bush's signature by this Memorial Day weekend. The president rejected an earlier measure, objecting to a troop withdrawal timetable, and the House failed to override his objection.
The legislation includes nearly $95 billion to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through Sept. 30. In addition to jettisoning their plan for a troop withdrawal timeline, Democrats abandoned attempts to require the Pentagon to adhere to troop training, readiness and rest requirements unless Bush waived them.
The bill establishes a series of goals for the Iraqi government to meet as it strives to build a democratic country able to defend its own borders. Continued U.S. reconstruction aid would be conditioned on progress toward the so-called benchmarks, although Bush retains the authority to order that the funds be spent regardless of how the Baghdad government performs.
In exchange for providing the war money on Bush's terms, Democrats won White House approval for about $17 billion in spending above what the administration originally sought. Roughly $8 billion of that was for domestic programs from hurricane relief to farm aid to low-income children's health coverage.
Democrats also won a top priority — the first minimum wage increase in more than a decade. The current federal wage floor of $5.15 an hour will go to $7.25 in three separate installments of 70 cents.
Reflecting unhappiness among conservatives in his own party, Bush said he would have preferred less domestic spending than the bill contained. "But, still, by voting for this bill members of both parties can show our troops and the Iraqis and the enemy that our country will support our servicemen and women in harm's way," he said at a Rose Garden news conference.
One of the most vocal war critics in Congress readily agreed. "This is not a game. They run out of money next week," said Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania, whose speech opposing Bush's Iraq policy more than a year ago was a turning point in the debate.
Bush ordered the deployment of an additional five brigades to Iraq in January to try and quell sectarian violence, and he said summer would be critical to the fate of the new strategy.
Gen. David Petraeus, the top commander in Iraq, has pledged to report to the administration and Congress in September on the progress made in the war, and Bush conceded that al-Qaida terrorists and illegal militias will make sure there is heavy fighting in the interim to try and sap the will of the United States.
"And so, yes, it could be a bloody — it could be a very difficult August," he said.
He said he wants to see American troops "in a different configuration at some point in time in Iraq." He said that meant moving from mostly combat to training, border security and special forces anti-terror operations.
"However," Bush said, "it's going to require taking control" of Baghdad.
With a new poll showing that 80 percent of self-described independents oppose the war, it was unclear how long Bush could fend off his Democratic critics in Congress — or even count on Republicans to hold firm.
"It seems to me it's time for them (Iraqi troops) to show what is their ability and professionalism to step up," said Sen. John Warner, R-Va. He said if conditions do not improve by mid-July, the president should reconsider his strategy.
For now, though, Republicans focused their rhetoric on the threat to the United States if terrorists should triumph.
"We cannot and will not abandon the Iraqis to be butchered by these terrorists in their midst," said Rep. David Dreier, R-Calif. "And we cannot and will not abandon our mission just as real progress is starting to be made."
Copyright © 2007 The Associated Press.
95 Comments so far
Show AllReally folks, action, not complaining, is our only hope right now. We can all complain until Hell freezes over, but that will bring nothing to bear on this horrible situation. I recommend that all of us get an education in 'How to become a working radical'. I recommend 2 books that everyone should read and study hard; and both are by the same author. Book 1 is 'Rules for Radicals', and book 2 is 'Reveille for Radicals': both are by Saul D Alinsky. We all need to work together as citizens of this once reasonable country. Our politicians and our political process has alienated most of us from the truth; and that truth is that we have been divided by being told that a 2 party system was our only hope of remaining a free country, when in actuality, our only hope has always been citizen activism at the grass roots level. Just read Alinsky's books and you will find that there is a plethora of routes that we can all take 'together' to put this country back on track: but we must do it together. Sounds corny, but we need a 'people's movement' like nothing else right now. We, the people, need to have a bad case of the 'shits' all over our elected officials. We all need to work together right now. A bitch fest will only show that we, the people, have no more courage than the republicratic party. Read Alinsky before you judge what I have said!!!
Spineless sellouts. I guess now maybe folks will begin to see there is little difference between Dem's and Rep's and maybe we can begin to understand how campaign finance really works.
My experience recently with this government is one of tyranny. As I've tried to, via mail and phone,contact my government for redress of grievances, I have found that my repeated petitions have fallen into a black hole of hostility, denial and silence.
Set aside the actual problems and ask yourself this: when the people themselves are not listened to, hasn't the biggest original crime against democracy already been committed?
"prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established ,should not be changed for light and transient causes;......" "In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms: our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury."......"We therefore," "....absolve from all alliegance.."
The response of a people that is and ought to be a free people?
the example should be branded into each of our brains via our own brainwashing.
Throw off the binds that hold you to that government and institute a new one.
That is my plan as the days go by and the black hole of indifference grows around me, before my soul is swallowed up. Because it is the soul of this country that is at a high risk as the people ignore their own voices because their tyrannical government won't listen.
"The withdrawal debate is not over". Who in the hell do they think that they are fooling. The only card they had to play was the money card. Now that they have given that up there is nothing to discuss!!!
What an incredible betrayal!! The Democrats as such weak, spineless cowards that even with the mandate of the people behind them they could not stand up and be strong.
If they had no intention of seeing the bluffing game through why even start it? When Bush vetoed the first bill a strong congress would have come back with an even stronger bill.
There is absolutely no reason in the world to vote for a Democrat in '08 for ANY office. This is a perfect demonstration of why a third political party is needed. One that has some GUTS!!!
And finally, if Nancy, doesn't have the guts to stand up and lead, she should step aside and let a man that has some balls do the job! I am completely disgusted with this government!!!
The dems now own this war, it is bought and paid for by the same people who promised to stop it.
Petunia is right. The lice made commitments to protect the oil and the pipelines using American troops. There was no reason to "seize" the oil; other than the head lice feeling like a little war experience. They could have simply offered to buy the oil. At present we buy oil from that 'other' terrrorist sponsoring state with no problems.
This Congress is a DISGRACE. It is surely the Democrats war now. They GAVE the money to the Adminstration that will pay for the suffering and death to follow. I called Ms. Feinstein's office and alerted her of this fact. Bet it really made her think. Yeah right!!!!!!!!!
Please go to truthout.com and read Ann Wright, "What the Dems Really approved...." She does an excellent job explaining how this bill just passed has a benchmark for the Iraqis to privatize the oil. So here is what we have all saying all along. OIL OIL OIL. As soon as the Iraq oil is in the hands of Exxon--i.e. Cheney and Co., we will retreat to our bases, keep troops there to protect the oil fields and the rest of Iraq be damned. And-- the Dems enabled this to happen.
WE, the largest and most profitable oil cartel in the world, want to personally thank the gullible American public for letting the latest War Against Iraq Funding bill to pass, using our bought and paid for lackey's in Congress.
This bill will allow us, Chevron; ExxonMobli; ConocoPhillips; Shell and others to continue to use YOUR tax money to steal Iraqi Oil.
In fact, we're so happy that you suckers... oops, i mean "customers" are so blinded by the flag that we decided to reward you by dropping the price of gasoline nearly 10 cents a gallon from before the vote on last Thursday, until the bill was signed by our shill, GW Bush.
But we at "Big Oil" realize there's a tough road ahead in stealing more oil fields, like Iran's. We know that all Bush and Cheney have to do is wave the flag some more and like trained puppies, a majority of you will jump at the chance to bring "democracy" to yet another oil-rich country.
Remember, we're all in this together and we know you'll give till it hurts. This we can be sure of, since we have a monopoly on oil. And on the White House. We'll let the "Little General" know when it's OK by us to remove your troops!!!
Have a safe holiday weekend and support the troops by driving a LOT of miles this Memorial Day and BUYING a lot of OUR gasoline.
greg bacon
I don't know who this person is nor do I care. But the column I stumbled upon today says everything we've been talking about with a great analysis of just what the Democratic Party is and how it betrays its own. (especially the first two articles)
http://www.thiscantbehappening.net/
We Must Go on Offensive to Stop Bush/Cheney/Emmanuel
Moveon.org, Common Dreams, Impeach Bush/Cheney, Democracy for America, CLC, Act for Change, Bill Maher, Jon Stewart, the Huffington Post, truthout and the many I haven't named should call a national coalition meeting for the purpose of DEMANDING that the Dems move Impeach Bush/Cheney in an intelligent way. They should draft Articles of Impeachment and put their combined constituencies into pushing the House to adopt the Articles drafted. The Articles should cover the whole gamut of high crimes and misdemeanors, all covered within only 4 or 5 headlined points.
This creates a united effort by pro troop, pro Constitution, anti-war, anti-corruption forces to connect all of the dots and puts us on the road of getting out of this lying Bush/Cheney "screw the people, screw the law, give out no-bid contracts" criminal syndicate in 3 or 4 months. It's the only way we can get rid of them expeditiously.
There is already more than sufficient evidence to impeach and remove them for high crimes and misdemeanors. The incumbent Republicans up for the 20 Republican Senate seats up in 2008 will have a choice of voting to remove or being removed, once the whole picture is presented in an organized manner to the American people.
HI there I'm myself. Actually, Evelyn is not my real name. I'm a male, retired military who served two tours in Vietnam; like many of us servicemen at the time, thought that war was the right thing to do when it began.
The twenty buck crack was a bad joke, the other letter was not a joke, if we dump on the democrats for doing something where they had little other choice, what happens at the next presidential election? Unfortunately, the Green party will not win the nexxt election, perhaps someday. That leaves us with someone who is close to the Bush team.
Now, what on Earth did I write that has anything to do with me being un-honorable if I don't go to Iraq??? The Iraq war was a total disaster from the day it began, except for those who have stock in Haliburton. Obviously, you missed the point of what I wrote.
What I was attempting to communicate was, I believe it is a mistake to blame the Democrats for continuing the funding for the war, they do not have the votes to override a veto and if they held firm and didn't vote to fund it, Bush and company would be tickeled to death, for obvious reasons. Oh yes, much of the money will go to Haliburton, the entire situation is a horrible mess which will likely get much worse in the coming months.
WEEE, {along with at least two states having corrupt election results,} elected President Bush, and now we have to live with it.
It feels so good to switch2green.
Evelyn Smith - the latest apologist for all that is.
It's an equal opportunity war, Evelyn. Do the honorable thing and get your ass to Iraq - I'm sure that you could get more than 20 bucks there too!
Thanks Macchendra for Representative Pelosi's comment link. (Second message in this series of comments.) I told her what I think of her party's decisions on the Iraq occupation:
>>Speaker Pelosi,
That our Democraticy Party is funding the illegal, immoral occupation means something important. Every day three US soldiers die. And 20 are horribly wounded. Every single day. And about 600 Iraqis die. Every day. Many more suffer or are wounded. What your support for this means is complicity in war crimes. From the original crime against peace of the invasion to the continuing crimes under the occupation, the blood of these people is on your hands and those of the Democratic Party, a party in which I am a member. Sure you voted for HR 2237. But you could have had the party submit no bill for funding at all--just funding to bring the troops home. I hope you can find enough human compassion to overcome your support for the status quo of empire and electoral calculation. Your current conscience sickens me. Your compassion to end the illegal occupation would inspire me. I'll be watching. So will millions of other progressives. I hope you can think deeply about the suffering and death your decisions are causing Nancy.>>
Some great comments above: vote the bastards out! stop giving money to Democrats who have betrayed the people. Only the voice and vote of the people will force turncoat Democrats out! The war was illegal AND I am concerned with the price of gas! That is not a disjunct. You can pat your head and rub your tummy at the same time! and... keep an eye on the tyrannical government we have had for six-way-too-long years. The people will rise up but in a gainful and salubrious way.
The sad part will be that the Dems will likely allow it to happen. They apparently think Bush is God or something.
Why does everyone assume dictator Bush will allow a 2008 election to endanger his rule as Commander in Chief? Instead, he and his intelligence operatives are lining up another terrorist attack to justify his "emergency directive", which must happen BEFORE the election.
Face reality. This is no longer a democratic republic. It was overthrown by the Bush conspiracy on 9/11, five and a half years ago. Now the USA is only one step away from becoming a fascist dictatorship until one more terrorist attack pushes it over the edge to absolute tyranny. So, if there is anything you would do, you had better do it soon, because sometime between now and 2008 the real horror show
begins.
I've tried to find some shred of positive news out of the greatest betrayal of all time. It's this:
We totally KNOW that we MUST CHALLENGE INCUMBENT DEMOCRATS IN THE PRIMARIES. To accomplish this, we must fight for CLEAN MONEY CAMPAIGNS IMMEDIATELY.
So, now, I need to get this straight. The first vote that was taken, the H Res 438, if anyone voted YEA, that would mean they were really voting FOR the FUNDING??? (the bill title says: providing for the consideration of the Senate amendment to H.R. 2206, making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30,2007)
And if they voted NEA on the actual final vote, that really doesn't mean a NEA, because the first vote is the one that really counted???
I have Congressman Waxman's office staff insisting he voted "NO." But from all that I've been reading, it seems there was a
petunia, as it has been pointed out in this thread the "American people" may NOT have voted in a slim Democratic majority out of a desire to get the troops out of Iraq. I think most are unhappy with the President's war but for varied reasons and with various expectations. Many think that we need to win the war and Bush is not doing that job well. Some think we need benchmarks and some a time frame for the troops to leave which brings up the question of "whose time frame?" I believe that there is a minority who believe that the war was illegal, should not have happened and that the lies that got us into the war were transparent enough that no one has an excuse not to have been informed. The majority are more interested in the price of gas at the pump and if we go to war illegally and immorally to solve that problem then the means justifies the end-it's just taking too long.
What kind of democracy are we living in where the people vote and the leaders ignore the result?. A dictatorship.
Reply to Buckoo:
"As we purchase the fuel we contribute to the Terror that the United States is imposing on the rest of the world."
You are correct. Yet, our economy has put us between a rock and a hard place, ... and the neocons know it! We should boycott oil and gas, but they know that ain't gonna happen. We, the people, have let ourselves become dependent on Arab oil. Now, we are paying the consequences. The neocons are merely trying to keep the oil flowing and the dependency going for as long as possible, ... until it runs out. This is all in the name of "freedom and democracy." They know that U.S. corporate control of the bulk of the world's oil will help guarantee U.S. domination and "the American Way." They would love to spread "freedom and democracy" across the Arab world, because they know that by doing so, they could entice Arabs to join the alleged "free market" and ensure high profits for oil corporations and others. Then, we will all live happily ever-after. ... If the cost of such a "victory" is ONLY several thousand U.S. troops (the cost of Arab lives is irrelevant), and hundreds of billions of U.S. tax dollars, then it will be well worth it! ... So they think.
One should have known the coming conduct of the new Democrats in the house of reprentatives. Go back in time.
Rham Emanuel resonsible for acquiring democrats running for office, would not support and discouraged any candidate that was opposed to the US War in Iraq. He wanted candidates that could be manipulated. He got what he wanted, regardless of reasons, and you the public was again shafted. Wake up, all good habits begin at birth. We start by getting candidates in/for America and not compromising with forieign interests, lobbyists and corporate interests.
It starts with putting the right people in the house and senate. Ron Paul for president.
This decision by the Democratic leadership has made it perfectly clear that the forces governing the United States have been strategicly placed throughout our society.
Bush is for too ignorant to have crafted such a takeover. Remember, "He who controls the media controls the game". The people behind the Iraq fiasco are all relentless, selfserving Oil mongrels.
Iraq is merely a contrived distraction to allow this concerted ideal to control the world's Oil to be put in place. As we purchase the fuel we contribute to the Terror that the United States is imposing on the rest of the world.
As a foreigner, I am mystified. The Democratic Congress passed a bill to fund the war and support the troops, sent it to Bush, who vetoed it. Who is to blame here? Seems to me that Bush should be blamed for not supporting the troops, but somehow he teflons the blame back onto Congress, which did its duty, at least once.
What this is all proof of is that we CANNOT let another republican president into the white house! Wake the fuck up if you've forgotten that no matter how insipid and vapid Clinton and Obama are, they are worlds better than the fucking gop's, and that is the choice we will be given; one of them versus Mcain or Guliani. If you don't see a difference than you are blind.
The time for conspicuous indignation is over. May 9, 2007 formalized what was in fact the Imperial Presidency since plain spoken Harry Truman singlehandedly started Korean War in 1950. Read the latest book Commanders in Chief by Geoffrey Perret.
Yesterday Al Gore yesterday put it very succinctly, answering Charlie Rose question, "Do you object to the Supreme Court decision 2000, which had stole your Presidency?" "No", said Al Gore. "We live in the state of law and I accept Court decision. An alternative to that is Revolution". I think that Al Gore said it all and that is why he does not run for President.
The time to fix this system from within is long passed. We have to start from scratch, from rectifying words along the Confucian advice given 2500 years ago. Voltaire is correct – "it is a largely futile project at this point, and we will have better response by thinking and working more locally."
Gore's book The Assault on Reason is but the first micro step on the 10,000 mile journey. All reciting of the great American Constitution and "Government of the People, by People and for People" is but misleading noise. Only mentally handicapped can believe in that nonsense that 300 Millions of Americans far removed from realities of modern society, locked into race for survival against well organized financial interests, may be governed by 18th century doctrines.
Do a search for Green Party or the Greens on the World Socialist Web Site. See how many capitulations to the New Corporate World Order you see, all across Europe, where the Greens have more clout. Switching from the Democrats to the Greens is no answer. They are just a more populist yet still capitalist party. Nader's proposals to "regulate" corporations are ridiculous. The Green Party US itself, under David Cobb, employed a "safe states" strategy in 2004: which meant support for pro-war candidate Kerry. Voting for Kucinich is no answer, either, because after he loses the nomination, he will rally his supporters behind whatever pro-war candidate is out there (and make no mistake, all the leading Democratic Party candidates want to continue the occupation in one form or another, maybe with reduced troops, but so what? And they also are willing to countenance a nuclear strike upon Iran).
It has to come down to class struggle, to the struggle for socialism by the working class. Of course, the working class in the U.S. really doesn't understand this yet. So what is required is the creation of a socialist party that can teach this lesson to them: that the reason they are losing their jobs and their houses are burning down in Baltimore and Detroit, et alia, and they are losing their children to a senseless and expanding war in the Middle East, is because of capitalism. Anything else is just pointless.
Is everybody tired of the rhetoric, lies, and spineless actions of the Republians and Democrats yet? The wealthiest 2 % of our population have 2 parties that represent them in our "democratic" government. Only the Green Party will represent the values of the other 98% of Americans. Become involved with your local ,state, and national Green Party. Put Green representatives in office. Its time for "the people" to take our government back!!
If this was a democrat president it would be almost no problem to impeach but republican.....different ball game.
It is logical with congress the way it is one isn't going to get a 2/3 vote. That is something that can't be blamed on democrats. It is simple math the numbers just don't add up.
It's all theatre. They'd like us all to believe that our gov't is a democratic system, but it's totalitarianism disguised as democracy, and it is rotten to the core!
http://kucinich.us/
Although, I understand the urge to walk away from the Democrats, I did that more than once. I also believe that the only way to defeat many of the pro-war Dems is to challenge them with an anti-war candidate in each of the Democratic Party primaries. You can't do that in most states if you aren't registered as a Democrat. I'd suggest starting now to recruit that anti-war candidate in your district who will run against Ms Pelosi and others who are in otherwise 'safe' seats. And we'd better start now to raise the funds to run that campaign too. In the voting arena, the primaries are the only place to make progressive change happen. If you change parties then you are out of that party, literally and figuratively.
The two party system is actually a bi-cameral one party system representing the rich and powerful. What to do? Stop supporting them and organize independent, ecotech villages.
Does anyone really think that this money will actually be spent on the well being of the troops? The first 200 billion didn't even provide body armor. This money will go directly to Haliburton and mercenaries. To say we couldn't leave the troops there without funding them is to buy into the spin that anyone in DC gives a shit about them in the first place.
I hate this war. I hate Bush and Cheney. I still dislike Rumsfeld. I think Gonzales should be impeached. That being said, I think 'progressives' need to stop gnashing their teeth over the funding issue and face reality: we do NOT have a veto-proof Congress. Yes, technically we have majorities. In actuality, we are 60 votes shy of control of the House, and as my Senator Jim Webb pointed out, in reality Democrats have a 49 vote majority at the present in the Senate, given Lieberman's support and that other Senator still recuperating from brain surgery. Even with that person's vote, it'd be a 50-50 tie and Cheney is there to break it. I am afraid that if the anti-Iraq Democrats on the left continue to ignore reality, they will give considerable ammunition to the GOP in fall of 2008, get the Dems labeled as a "one-issue party", and anger the public further with alleged gridlock over this issue. At least the House can revisit this issue of the "blank check for Bush" in September, and when the surge fails (as most of us feel it will), there should be more than enough nervous Republicans to bolt and bring the troops home. Until you convince GOP moderates and endangered GOP Congressmen that Bush is now completely stubborn and out of touch with political reality, there is NO way Dems can single-handedly force this Administration to end the war. It's time to move on to other items on the agenda; not to do so will endanger whatever chances Dems have of building a veto-proof majority in 2008.
"What can the average person do about this? Not much. I'm not saying we should give up. We should fight the good fight and try to get a more responsive government in Washington. But I think it is a largely futile project at this point, and we will have better response by thinking and working more locally."
the average person is the 70 plus percent that were in favor of the bush/neocon attack on iraq.
that's why it is futile. the dems' fear of defunding this war reflects this reality. the average person can be manipulated into turning against the defunders by the army of limbaughs and also the establishment press that basically keeps supporting this administration.
and finally, i think the anti-war folks will never stand a chance if AIPAC has a different agenda. and the AIPAC agenda continues to be more war, esp with iran. remember how they got pelosi to change the iran provision.
Sorry for the double(triple??)-post. Tried to fix up the first one a bit, but could not. And then suddenly I saw a third copy of it-- I think. First time posting here, so just read my second post. Thanks.
I hate this war. I hate Bush and Cheney. I still dislike Rumsfeld. I think Gonzales should be impeached. That being said, I think 'progressives' need to stop gnashing their teeth over the funding issue and face reality: we do NOT have a veto-proof Congress. Yes, technically we have majorities. In actuality, we are 60 votes shy of control of the House, and as my Senator Jim Webb pointed out, in reality Democrats have a 49 vote majority at the present in the Senate, given Lieberman's support and that other Senator still recuperating from brain surgery. Even with that person's vote, it'd be a 50-50 tie and Cheney is there to break it. I am afraid that if the anti-Iraq Democrats on the left continue to ignore reality, they will give considerable ammunition to the GOP in fall, get the Dems labeled as a "one-issue party", and anger the public further with alleged gridlock over this issue. At least the House can revisit this issue of the "blank check for Bush" in September, and when the surge fails (as most of us feel it will), there should be more than enough nervous Republicans to bolt and bring the troops home. Until you convince GOP moderates and endangered GOP Congressmen that Bush is now completely stubborn and out of touch with political reality, there is NO way Dems can single-handedly force this Administration to end the war. It's time to move on to other items on the agenda; not to do so, will endanger whatever chances Dems have of building a veto-proof majority in 2008.
Well here is the electoral map of 2004, I believe that speaks of itself minus the corruption. http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/pages/results/electoral.college/
Bush got this country into a big mess and he is still president. The Dem's have their hand's tied with this lunatic. This situation is not going to resolve over night.
If indeed Bush and Cheney were impeached who takes their place?
This is all around sticky. Bush went into Iraq knowing he was going to own Iraq, that is the whole point! Bush and cronies want to make certain they conquer that oil and whatever else they have going on.
I am surprised after Nixon that SO many people bought into Bush. Fear and corruption dominated the 2004 vote.
This issue is going to take time to resolve. People better quit thinking there is a instant solution to the problem. This whole business has been going on for 17 years. People better start thinking down the pike and then start coming up with strategies of how to solve the problem or Bush is going to make fools out the Democrats and they will be defeated.
To: Paul Bramscher, Ok, kick the bums out and who gets in? Perhaps you could check Websters and see what the definition of politics is. We may not like what it reads, but for the present, it is the only guide we have and it generally works quite well. I suppose someone could write their own dictionary and attempt to sell it.
On occasion some very good independants run for higher office, the problen is and for the foresable long term future will continue to be, they don't and won't win. Therefore, for the present, I'll personally support one of the democrats next time, or if we can have a different king, I'd gladly support that option. I'd take Lou Dobbs, Imus or Willy Nelson in place of King George, or Kem Bassinger or Whoopy Goldberg for a queen.
By the way, there were no apologies in my written comments, just the facts. Don't think so, check it out.
Good by DEMS, i'm going to change to Independent or third/green party. Mission Accomplished in such a short time. PA REP Murtha spoke out first about the need to end this war, got the ball rolling and his reward, punted to obscurity as Pelos chose hawk Hoyer. That explains everything. DEMs took control of the House for one reason and one reason only - TO END THE WAR NOW!!!!!!!! What a sham, I'm disappointed and no more money to any democrats at the federal level. Yes, I'm a lifelong DEM, but will vote REP if the candidate is good enough if not better. Where are all the spines, c'mon what dirt is being held over their heads. Support the troops my......these congressional heads are cut from the same blood/oil stained cloth. Even local legend DEM Costa missed an earlier war vote, "too busy having dinner with clients/constituents/lobbyists" - whatever.
Public was 70% behind Bush:
Even if genuine, what exactly triggered public anger toward Iraq? Iraq apparently had nothing to do with 9/11, and Bush had to hire some propaganda specialists to drum up support, including a Clinton-era CIA director Woolsey (http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0815-06.htm).
Colin Powell was an innocent pawn:
Remember, he played a similar role in Vietnam, in covering up the My-Lai Massacre: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Lai_massacre Two bad wars, two coincidences? I should think not. Let's quit with the apologizing.
Bush's problem:
And now that the Dems control Congress, hold the purse strings, and were elected to change this mess (among others), where's the leadership? The pissants should step aside. They're unfit to lead the electorate & mandate that put them there.
Greg Bacon, the difference is, the democrats would get more than twenty bucks. So would I.
I see most of the writers here are now placing the blame on the democrats for what is happening in regards to the disasterous mess of our war with Iraq. Stop for an moment and think of it. Most Americans, over 70%, supported Bush and Cheney when they decided to begin the war. It was not democrats, it was us, we re-elected Geprge W. Bush to be our president; Al Gore was ousted by the Supreme Court and there was really little or nothing he could have done to fight that decision. Next, Senator Kerry was going to murder babies for stem cells. At least that is what many of the Christian church leaders were preaching.
But, back to the mess of Iraq. We were lied to by the President and his staff, he knew or should have known that Saddam was in no way responsible for the terrorist attacks on 9-11, there were no weapons of mass destruction, Iraq was not buying enriched uranium from Africa and on and on. In addition, Haliburton was the only company in the entire world that could clean up any little messes we made in the country. Lies, greed, and actually unbelievable evilness prevailed. We, the American public bought the lies, not all of us and not just republicans and democrats, but the majority bought it. We, the American public are guilty! We did not listen to Bob Woodward, that man had it all on taped conversations with the President and his inner circle of higher-ups. Woodward printed it and few of us bought what he wrote. Everyone knew Woodward was a flaming liberal. Well, liberal or not, as is his way, he told it and wrote it like it was.
Now with time running out, what are the democrats suposed to do? Their first bill was vetoed and any other like it would have suffered the same fate. King Geprge said so and he meant it! The old addage of "you are dammed if you do and dammed if you don't" is highly applicable in this case. We cannot just stop the funding for the troops, we can, but it would be another horrible mistake. America surely would be in the losers pit and it would be the total fault of the Democrats. We already are the losers, but let the blame fall where it belongs. Democrats had little other choice in this case but to compromimse; those that voted against it were wisely saving their political butts and knew this bill would pass anyway.
Prior to the war with Iraq, Colin Powell told the King that if he attacked Iraq, he would own it. Later, Powel was given some horribly faulty intelligence and he spit it out for the public. He was screwed too.
I would not put the blame in this instance on the democrats, and I believe that some who are doing so, are quite possibly far right closet republicans. Thay are masters of rat Fu--ing.
Well now that our King owns Iraq, perhaps he can sell it to China for the trillions of $$$ we now owe them, before they cash in their bonds and really screw us.
Do not blame the democrats for this horrible disaster, put the blame where it belongs. It was Cheney, Bush and us. As Pogo once so eloquently said, "we have met the eneny ___and it is us."
Griping about the Dems feels great doesn't it? But what feels even better is kicking them in the pants by re-registering as Green, Libertarian, whatever you please.
And send Nancy and your own representative a little notice about what you did, and why. And encourage all your Democratic contacts to do the same.
C'mon! Only takes a few mouse clicks and the courage to go from whining to action.
Plus, it *feels* so satisfying ;-)
Click here for more of my thoughts on the subject:
http://www.freespeechnow.org/2007/04/01/hijacking-the-political-process-just-for-fun/
What has happened here today, folks, is that the Organ Grinder, (congress) has just capitulated to the Monkey's,(Dubya)demands and is now playing and dancing to the Monkey's tune. GO, MONKEY GO!
Cheney predicted a few weeks ago that the Democrats would cave. Guess he was right. The problem with most of the Congressional Democrats is that they still support the empire, not in the bloodthirsty unilateralist way the neocons do, but they are unwilling to rethink America's fundamental project of dominating the world. We are now so overextended with over 700 bases and these ultimately self defeating wars without end that we will indeed end up collapsing like the Soviet Union. We are following the exact pattern of imperial bloat and ultimate systems failure that Paul Kennedy describes in "The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers." The party duopoly is part and parcel of this. People like Kucinich would try to change it, but they will never be elected. The can't get the big money and big media support and exposure. Also presidents are not their own persons. They are in good part the tools of very powerful largely faceless economic interests. But those interests are transnational and in the final analysis do not care about the survival of the United States as a republic with popular freedoms.
What can the average person do about this? Not much. I'm not saying we should give up. We should fight the good fight and try to get a more responsive government in Washington. But I think it is a largely futile project at this point, and we will have better response by thinking and working more locally.
Shoe leather creates the opportunity for change.
Voting alone can never stop a war the the USA has begun.
Kucinich, Feingold, Barbara Lee, Lynn Woolsey, Bernie Sanders, and as for the rest--vote Green--Nader 4 Prez!
"But, didn't you people hear the news? President Bush DID compromise. He offered to stand on His chair in the Oval Office so that the Democrats could kiss His Butt without bending over. Talk about a magnanimous guy!!!"
Lucus, I love it! Talk about a bunch of spineless a*&kissers.
It only took five months for the "big bucks boys" to buy them out. They did what Bush & Co. has been doing for five years, the old one finger salute to the people who voted for them in 06. What a sad day for America.
Gore? The guy who backed out in '00 with barely a wimper? The guy who picked a crypto-neocon running mate (Liebermann) in '00, eventually to be rejected by his own party?
How has Gore suddenly risen to be champion of the progressive cause??
I'd say Nader, Jim Hightower (if you could get him to run), *maybe* Kucinich, or whoever the Greens or Populists put out into the playing field. But Gore?? What indication is there that he's redemmed himself since a shameful VP selection and cave-in in '00?
If he manages to get the Green or Populist endorsement (awfully unlikely), maybe. But whether Democrat or independent, I think we can expect a magical transformation from Gore. Like Hilary or Obama, soothing rhetoric while in the running -- but the transformation back to business-as-usual once selected. I mean, elected...
The vast majority of people want out of Iraq and we really don't care at this point how.
We know the oil is important, but maybe not as important as our fortune, honor and the lives of our best.
The so-called representatives of the people are not only not stopping this illegal murder of thousands of people and holding those accountable by impeaching, putting them on trial and if found convicted dealt the proper punishment, they are contributing to the slaughter.
They want us to believe that somehow more war is getting us closer to peace.
They think we're total fucking idiots.
Consider ... this vote is to splinter the Democratic vote by driving them to fringe parties. The Republicans regain the WH. The only thing that may save the WH for the Democrats in 08' elections is a populars surge if Gore should run and that's if he runs not as an Independent.
And with the rightful anger at the Democrats that might be a very smart move for Gore to run as an Independent.
You may want to throw up your hands -- a more practical act might be to simply throw up...on the capitol steps or dem congressperson's office -- calling all pukers --
now is the time to stick hand, arm, turkey baster, whatever it takes --
down the gullet... jaggle hard...let it all out! A new low for this nation!!!
When I was a young man,I was told of those terrible rubber-stamp parliaments; that was over there on the other side!
Now that I am old I am seeing it in this country. A rubber-stamp parliament.Nobody can stand up to the military-industrial complex:they ahave bought most seats in the house and the Senate.
Meanwhile all the trappings for Empire and direct rule are being put in place.And Suddenly Augustus will emerge .
The Bushes have studied their history well,you are still tripping in the flowers in the carpet.
Agree with opeluboy and RichM.
What do you call these politicians? War criminals. Capitalists. Take your pick. Why would anyone assume that the dems would vote any differently than the repubs when they are both supported by and support big money?
Stop voting.
Stop work.
Stop traffic.
Stop shopping.
Stop.
Hilariously, someone writes:
You should support the Dem and Repububs that voted against the war. That means Pelosi, Obama, Clinton, and the rest. They voted the right way.
What a knee-slapper! Here's what actually happened: Pelosi crafted the bill in a special & unusual way, dividing it into 2 parts -- one for domestic spending (minimum wage increase, & assorted pork), one for military spending. This allowed many House Dems to vote "against" the military spending part -- but with the secure knowledge that all Republicans would for FOR it, thus assuring its passage.
In this way, the Dems managed to make it look like the Republicans voted for the war funding, while they "opposed" it. But it was Pelosi & Co who crafted the bill! Thus, we actually have a neat little deception by the Democrats, designed specifically to continue the war, while allowing the Dems to superficially appear to be "opposing" the war.
Anyone naive enough to fall for this trick should be out buying bridges in Brooklyn. // And by the way -- Hillary is as aggressive a war monger as any Republican. And the other big-name Dems are not meaningfully different, even if their act is a bit smoother.
We need to look at who voted for and against the war funding. If you're in a district or a state, like Maryland, where your reps voted for the funding, you need to do all you can to get them unelected. This vote provided us a roadmap to electing a progressive congress.
You should support the Dem and Repububs that voted against the war. That means Pelosi, Obama, Clinton, and the rest. They voted the right way.
The question of why some Democrats and most Republicans voted for a blank check for a President with a 28% approval rating is two-fold. 1. Military contractors. They own many congresspeople. 2. Look at the pork in the bill for special interests. Those people bought some votes. Once again, the corporations proved they still have what it takes. Do we?
While I'm disappointed, the reality is that the dems do not have a veto-proof majority in Congress and they're not going to win the PR battle over "funding the troops." So I give them credit for trying. The ones who should be taking the heat for this are the moderate Republicans who are still sticking with this failure of a president. They are the ones who hold the key to ending this war, and until they are faced with the immiment loss of their seats in Congress, Bush will get what he wants, unfortunately.
"Peace with Honor"? ..... What a load of crap!
There has never been any honor in Bush's misguided and unjustified adventure in Iraq. Even if tomorrow Iraq became the most freedom-loving and democratic nation the world has ever known, this still would not justify the unnecessary deaths of tens of thousands of innocent Iraqi men, women and children, not to mention the brave (but misguided) troops Bush sent there. ... The ends do not justify the means!
Any attempt at an honorable end to Bush's war in Iraq is impossible! We should never have gone in there. We should not be there. And, despite the right-wing rhetoric, America will be MORE safe from those who hate us, if we leave Iraq. The longer we stay, the more likely we will have another 9/11.
I am reminded why I voted third-party in the 2000 election. I have regreted that for nearly eight years now but, even so, the Democrats keep showing why they are not really an alternative to the Republicans.
jaymolobo,
Thank you for your entry. Ironically, it made me laugh out loud, because you managed to express my sentiments in so few words..."Your instructions were simple: STOP THIS DAMN WAR NOW." Brilliant! Why is no one in power speaking this way?
Folks, there is a way out: RECALL! We as citizens of the United States have the constitutional right to initiate and enact the recall. What are we waiting for???
Holiday Weekend thought:
"I renounce war. I renounce war because of what it does to our own men...I renounce war because of what it compels us to do to our enemies...I renounce war for its consequences, for the lies it lives on and propagates, for the undying hatreds it arouses, for the dictatorships it puts in place of democracy, for the starvation that stalks after it. I renounce war and never again, directly or indirectly, will I sanction or support another."- DICK SHEPPARD
Tired of being taken for granted? Switch2green.
I'm never surprised by the behavior of OUR people in WA.
We vote them in to office hoping for a change, a change
that will releive the US of this horrific burden of war.
I changed to an independent several years ago when I realized the Dems, had at some point, been neutered.
What has happened now proves we cannot rely on the Dem.
AGAIN
I'm sorry but if this cowardly surrender shocks you, you simply have not been paying attention.
The Republican-owned media was hammering away at the 'Democrat' refusal to 'support our troops' and won out.
It was clear from the beginning that Nancy Pelosi was not an exceptionally strong woman when catapulted into Speaker of the House... she is a Nice Lady with nice intentions, but needs a lot of training and or major help to fight with the Republican Thugs, and could probably be too readily coerced in the meantime. There are however strong Democratic women in her area, like Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein, but not in the House of Reps. I read the voter rolls today... Pelosi did NOT vote for the Blank-check bill... she only earlier agreed to stop haggling and pass whatever existed by Memorial Day so troops would nominally have funding. Republicans, masters of deceit and manipulation and hypocrisy (like fake Bi-Party-Schwarzenegger) want to use this to divide and weaken the Democratic Party so Republicans will win more elections. A Third Party is OK but make sure it's one that can win an election instead of sabotage it -- otherwise we shoot ourselves in the foot.
I feel sorry for Pelosi to have been thrust into such a position of leadership that she did not campaign for, and I think we need to respect her as an individual while finding other ways to give her major help from other more bold Democratic leaders to exercise Democratic leadership... they Do Exist.
Nancy Pelosi is like a graceful elder tigress thrown into the ring with freshly-trained pit bulls, and she needs allies, not critics, in the battle to Hold Back the Republican's fascist oligarchy. She is and remains the Speaker of the House, and we need to let her know we don't like her capitulation, but nonethless support those Democrats that stood firm, and appreciate that she did vote against the bill in the end... and ask her to enlist more advice and support from stronger colleagues.... and stop believing ANYTHING the lying greedy self-serving Republican thugs say.
And every Progressive in America switched their voter reg from Dem to Independent, Green, Libertarian, whatever in a show of mass disapproval and disappointment. Right? Whadda ya mean, I was the only one? Too busy sending angry emails to so-called representatives who don't read em and penning more ops and eds to the choir about stuff we already know probably. Cause that's proven quite the effective strategy, hasn't it?
The problem is we pay politicians whether they perform or not. Any hooker that takes money but doesn't put out would get badly beaten.
Having dictatorial power on paper, and being able to use it, are two different things. The National Guard in Kansas was hard-pressed to clean up after a tornado. How many resources do they really have left? And it's not just a progressive minority that would actively resist oppression here in the US. Probably even the most diehard redneck, north, south, east or west would resist. Doubtful whether Bush has got enough money left to hire enough mercenaries either.
IIRC, FEMA has had plans like that for years and I think Ollie North was involved in some way. But we saw how ineffective FEMA can be. We should be so lucky if they could *really* oppress/jail large portions of the US with efficiency.
Or something like that. You get my point.
Thanks, macchendra, for Pelosi's email address. I emailed her and let her know how disappointed i was/am with her and the other dems we voted into office last Nov. I also mentioned that, at 48 years old, i'll probably live another 30 years or so. And that regardless of how long i live, all my votes and any recommendations i give to others will be for the Green party. Perhaps that's something we call all let Pelosi know! Although i'm not sure she'll really care.
Please read the following article and do whatever you can to publicize it. When I read it I was completely stunned. If there is a "national emergency" of any kind, Bush has dictatorial powers, unconstrained and without oversight.
Article Link:
worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55825
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
President Bush has signed a directive granting extraordinary powers to the office of the president in the event of a declared national emergency, apparently without congressional approval or oversight.
The "National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive
" was signed May 9, notes Jerome R. Corsi in a WND column .
It was issued with the dual designation of NSPD-51, as a National Security Presidential Directive, and HSPD-20, as a Homeland Security Presidential Directive.
The directive establishes under the office of the president a new national continuity coordinator whose job is to make plans for "National Essential Functions" of all federal, state, local, territorial and tribal governments, as well as private sector organizations to continue functioning under the president's directives in the event of a national emergency.
"Catastrophic emergency" is loosely defined as "any incident, regardless of location, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the U.S. population, infrastructure, environment, economy, or government functions."
It says the president can assume the power to direct any and all government and business activities until the emergency is declared over.
The directive says the assistant to the president for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, currently Frances Fragos Townsend
, would be designated as the national continuity coordinator.
Corsi says the directive makes no attempt to reconcile the powers created for the national continuity coordinator with the National Emergency Act , which requires that such proclamation "shall immediately be transmitted to the
Congress and published in the Federal Register."
A Congressional Research Service study notes the National Emergency Act sets up Congress as a balance empowered to "modify, rescind, or render dormant" such emergency authority if Congress believes the president has acted inappropriately.
But the new directive appears to supersede the National Emergency Act by creating the new position of national continuity coordinator without any specific act of Congress authorizing the position, Corsi says.
The directive also makes no reference to Congress and its language appears to negate any requirement that the president submit to Congress a determination that a national emergency exists.
It suggests instead that the powers of the directive can be implemented without any congressional approval or oversight.
Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke affirmed to Corsi the Homeland Security Department would implement the requirements of the order under Townsend's direction.
The White House declined to comment on the directive.
History will remember the last 5 years as the time when the Bush administration hijacked our military and sent the troops into the Middle East to help steal Iraqi oil. Aside from the obvious moral and ethical issues this raises, it also leaves us in a greatly weakened military position and unable to protect our national interests from the very real threats that exist elsewhere.
This is probably why so many former military generals are speaking out in open, defiant opposition to the Bush administration's conduct of the Iraq War. They know that North Korea, China and our other enemies realize that our big stick (to quote from Teddy Roosevelt) has been whittled down to a twig in Iraq--and we are no longer in a position to defend our national interests.
The great irony is that Bush conservatives, who hated the former Soviet Union, are committing the same blunder the Russians committed in Afghanistan. The Russians poured so many of their nation's resources into Afghanistan that they became a second-rate power.
So, Democratic Party leaders, build the obvious case that every day we remain in Iraq, we weaken ourselves militarily elsewhere and hasten our demise as a world power.
There will be a naturally-emergent end to the war, and that'll be an inability to attract enough recruits. The US military will then be spread too thin and the Republicrats will have to lean mostly on: psyops and other subterfuge, private mercenaries, attempting to pit factions against one another, massive bombings, and other techniques. Either this or they'll need to reinstate the draft because the military is already stretched awfully thin. Apparently the Kanas tornado cleanup efforts were hampered because a majority of the national guard's equipment was in Iraq.
The fact that Bush could care less about how thinly-stretched our military has become, and has used our forces in an optional war -- which just happens to involve massive oil reserves and the former employer of the VP -- should send a clear signal to anyone not to join the military. So how are they going to keep this up as the duties (extended or not) eventually do expire for servicemen and women? How can we respond here at home to natural disaster, etc? What should you tell someone who (rightfully so) believes it is an honor to serve one's country, but the Commander in Chief has confused corporation with country?
simple. all who voted yes, are murderers with blood on their hands.
To: Greg Bacon
Re: Difference between Dems and 69-yr old "used up" hooker
Though neither has any teeth, the hooker at least delivers as advertised.
Pelosi, ever the enabler, stands by her abusive man... problem is, he's abusing all of us. We're going to have to intervene to make things better.
Many of our fellow readers have claimed that a majority of the American people want to "end the war now".
But the polls I hear about on NPR say that the majority "thinks that the war was a mistake".
That leaves room for a wide range of opinions on how to proceed from here. The poll also shows a narrower 50%/40% split between timetables vs. benchmarks.
That's what the White House is exploiting. That's what the Democrats in Congress are trying to cope with.
I'm afraid that many of this "majority of Americans" are still hoping for some kind of a "Peace with Honor" solution... like Nixon promised America in '68.
So quit trashing the Democrats in Congress and go to work on your neighbors. Remind them that Nixon never gave us "Peace with Honor"... he only escalated the carnage and spread it to Cambodia.
curmudgeon:
"..massive civil disobedience as Dr. King advocated, bringing things to a standstill."
Better yet!
Now how does that get accomplished?
MoveOn, ICUJP, ANSWER, TruthDig, Veterans For Peace, etc., are you listening?
Until every citizen that is against the war and the other constitutional travesties perpetuated by our current officeholders act, there will be no change. By act, I mean massive civil disobedience as Dr. King advocated, bringing things to a standstill to show our dissatisfaction - if it is not too late to do this.
England is about to declare an emergency and suspend civil rights claiming 'terror' can't be stopped while people have rights. This may have already happened here and we don't know it.
The war vote by Congress now seems to give Bush & Co. carte blanche for more war, and more subjugation of the American citizenry. The powers do not seem to listen to the voters. If you look closely at Bush comments yesterday, you will see that only he is smart enough to tell us that he's right and the voting public is wrong. This fact combined with the National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive (NATIONAL SECURITY PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE/NSPD 51 & HOMELAND SECURITY PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE/HSPD-20 - Subject: National Continuity Policy) that give Bush dictatorial powers whenever he declares a state of emergency exists in the US, should give us all pause.
The Democratic leadership needs to be held accountable. If enough of us call them till their lines jam and they are painfully reminded of what they were told to do, they will have to come up with another alternative. After all, do we forget the logic upon which we based our assumptions of a change after the '06 elections? That still holds. Unless we think, like the average couch potato, that just casting your vote on election day is the limit of citizen obligation. The politicians have to have their feet held to the fire always! ALWAYS!
Q. Does anyone know the difference between the Democrats that voted to fund Bush's war without end and a 69 year-old hooker that is so used up that the only tricks she can get paid for are $20 blow jobs in a dark alley?
A. Neither do I. If anyone does know the difference, please respond.
P.S. My apologies to all the"working women" of the world. My intent was not to slander or malign you, but to prove a point.
greg bacon
ava, mo
We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness - That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its Foundation on such Principles, and organizing its Powers in such Form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
You must admit Bush and Cheney are very good. After all, it took them less than half a year to bring the congress back under their control. The reasons the Democrats were voted into office was extremely clear. That they support the administration's illegal war amply demonstrates their failure to respond to those who elected them. The only recourse we now have is to form an aggressive third party.
I read that the corporate bribes (campaign contributions) are evenly ballanced between the Republicans and Democrats. The continuance of this war crime should come as no surprise. The Iraqis are ruled by Generals Betrayus and Loot and now it seems that we are being betrayed and looted also. Trust is such a brittle thing. I'll have nothing to do with my Republican neighbors and now nothing to do with the Democrats either. It's getting to be that the only honest person left is a tall, lefthanded Saudi on dialisis. I'm disinvesting and going Green. Thus our world dies, not with a bang but with a whimper.
Here's what I wrote to my spineless Senators from Maryland, along with links and phone numbers so you may express your opinions as well:
http://cardin.senate.gov/contact/
202-224-4524
http://mikulski.senate.gov/contactme/mailform.html
202-224-4654
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Senator,
I cannot tell you how angry and disappointed I am to hear that you voted to give $100 Billion MORE to the least-popular President in living memory so that he can use it to send our brave, unfortunate children to their doom for no earthly reason worthy of our support.
Do you not understand what we voted for in the last election?
Your instructions were simple: STOP THIS DAMN WAR NOW.
How can you let the Repbulicans continue to control the spin on this issue? Bush vetoed the funding bill. Make that the story.
The only way you can truly support our troops is by reuniting them with their families as soon as humanly possible, and by adequately funding their healthcare and reintegration into society.
How can you possibly continue to waste the treasure of this Nation and the blood of our sons and daughters so thoughtlessly?
Shame on you.
I will continue to raise hell on this issue by every legal, reasonable means available to me, and if you continue to support this war, I will do my best to see you voted out of office in the next election.
Horrible news! This is the final straw. There must be another party. The Al Gore for green party '08.
THE DEMOCRATS HAVE BETRAYED US..VOTE THE BASTARDS OUT
they remind me of a girl on the sofa with her boyfriend, saying "dont, stop" as she eagerly strips off.
"don't...stop...don't...stop...don't stop..don't ever stop"
These hawks in doves clothing have lied to the people...they are in the pockets of big oil and the military-industrial complex just as much as their ideological brothers the Republicans.
there are two classes of people in the US...the rich/politicians vs the people
The Dims get their funding from the same corporations that fund the repugs. The only candidate we should fund is Kucinich. As for the complicity -- only the naive should be surprised. The Dims are part of the problem not part of any solution.