US Lawmakers Get No Respite at Home on Iraq Debate
WASHINGTON - Anti-war groups knew U.S. Rep. Timothy Murphy was going home to Pittsburgh for this month’s congressional recess, so they baked him a cake.
“Rep. Murphy Welcome Home Bring Them Home,” was the Iraq troop withdrawal message written in green icing that greeted the conservative Republican at his district office on August 8. 
For the 535 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, the August break traditionally is a time for family vacations, foreign travel, campaign fund-raising and meeting with voters.
For Democrats and lobbying groups working to end a war now in its fifth year, August has been a chance to challenge supporters of President George W. Bush’s war policy on their home turf and in the run-up to Congress’ war funding debate next month.
Congress is catching up with public sentiment against the war and Democrats have several times won approval of troop withdrawal plans only for them to be vetoed by Bush or tripped up by Republican opposition. Still, there is a bipartisan realization that tens of thousands of U.S. troops are likely to stay in Iraq for many years.
“Iraq is at the top of most voters minds right now,” said Doug Thornell, a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which wants to expand the party’s hold on the House in the November 2008 elections.
When members return to Washington on September 4, they immediately will jump back into the Iraq debate.
Legislation to fund the Pentagon next year and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is pending and Democrats are likely to use two reports on Iraq, including one by the top U.S. general there due September 15, as ammunition for pushing troop reductions.
For Tom Matzzie, Washington director of activist group MoveOn.org, it’s a clear choice for Bush’s party.
“The question in September is, will Republicans follow Bush off this cliff?” said Matzzie.
BLIMPS AND T-SHIRTS
Anti-war groups have used various techniques, from trying to crowd into lawmakers’ offices to flying a 12-foot blimp emblazoned with the words “end the war” over a gathering of Republican presidential candidates in Ames, Iowa, on August 11.
A company manufacturing “Bush Lied They Died” T-shirts that list the names of more than 3,400 U.S. troops killed in Iraq is reporting brisk sales, despite state and federal legislation aimed at banning them.
Moira Mack, a spokeswoman for Americans Against Escalation in Iraq, said her coalition of liberal groups has distributed at least 25,000 “support the troops, end the war” yard signs in states where Republican could face difficult re-election bids.
Sen. Norm Coleman, one Minnesota Republican who could face a tough campaign next year, arrived home in St. Paul to see one of the signs in his neighbor’s front yard, Mack said.
Republicans opposed to repeated attempts by the Democratic-led Congress to withdraw U.S. combat troops say they are awaiting the results of Bush’s dispatch of about 30,000 more troops before deciding whether to shift gears.
In Mesa, Arizona, at a meeting last week of local Republican officials, precinct committee member Paul Ray Millet said the United States needed to “gracefully exit” from Iraq.
Rep. Murphy held a telephone town hall meeting on August 13 with 300 people and fewer than five asked questions about Iraq, said his spokesman, Mark Carpenter.
In a Republican-held district near Detroit, Rep. Joseph Knollenberg also confronted economic worries more than Iraq, his spokesman said.
“What people are worried about is the auto crisis and the job crisis” in a region where the “Big Three” automakers are suffering, said spokesman Trent Wisecup.
Knollenberg, who serves on the House Appropriations Committee that oversees war spending, hopes the September 15 report by U.S. Gen. David Petraeus shows Bush’s new troop-increase strategy is working, Wisecup added.
Some Republicans were heartened by reports of U.S. progress toward securing Baghdad and other parts of Iraq against sectarian violence.
But since the United States invaded Iraq in March 2003, good news has been rare. Last week, suicide bombings tore through a northern village, with death toll estimates ranging from 175 to 500.
Additional reporting by Tim Gaynor in Phoenix.
© Reuters 2007.
Why doesn’t anyone discuss Impeachment? There are heaping piles of high crimes and misdemeanors that qualify for trial.
Paul from Texas asks that old question discussed ad absurdem here at C-D: Why don’t the Democrats stand up to the White House Administration?
The fundamental issue is the Democrats’ historic role as a party of U.S. imperialism–one just as committed as the Republicans to maintaining Washington’s world dominance.
Both parties are committed to maintaining status quo.
Remember, should the Democrats win the next election without impeaching BushCo and repealing all of the “Unitary Executive” crap that has been used, they will inherit Cheney/Bush’s dictatorial powers, with the legal precedent to use it. They are not about to bring changes when they, themselves, may well inherit the entire mess to use as they wish.
Quite frankly, it gives me the creeping horrors to think of either Clinton or McCain wielding Cheney/Bush’s power.
Unless we get our Constitution, intact and functioning, back in the Halls of Government, I fear we can kiss our nation good-bye. I do not see the alleged Democrats doing that, it is not in their own self-interest.
My Democrat Congressman keeps sending me his computer generated response which says impeachment should be reserved for important matters and he is not convinced that the President has broken any laws.
I can’t think of anything more important than impeaching a murderous war criminal who is a lying thief, along with his henchmen. If my Congressman can’t read the Constitution and find some high crimes and misdemeanors in the Bush Government, then he, too, should be impeached.
Just a reminder:
Most, but not all, of the Democratic candidates want the status quo.
Kucinich is the representative who introduced the bill to impeach Cheney.
Why would anyone interested in truth and justice not vote for Kucinich?
He did a good job in the debate last night of pointing out how he was consistently marginalized and ignored by George Steph., who seemed quite aware of what he was doing.
There is No DEBATE, much less rationale for awaiting more Bushist 9/15/07 warrin’ policy PROPAGANDA (BTW, BUSH LIED; THEY DIED!). End It NOW! IMPEACH!
“Some Republicans were heartened by reports of U.S. progress toward securing Baghdad and other parts of Iraq against sectarian violence.”
Yes, things are going so well in Iraq that Senior British Commanders want their troops to leave yesterday! Here’s what they said: “They are understood to believe it was never the role of occupation troops to intervene in a “turf war” among factions from the same community, all of which have links to the government coalition in Baghdad.”
Do you suppose “Republicans” were heartened by reports from the British Military Commanders or are they dumb enough to believe and make decisions based solely on the information that comes from U.S. sources?
Why are we waiting for the White House’s “Petraeus” report? It was written ages ago, by that I mean that they’ve been making it up all along, and the conclusions from this so-called report are foregone. Impeachment is the only meaningful action that Congress can take on behalf of the citizens of this country. The policies of this administration must be repudiated. Of course, this won’t happen because 99% of congress is really on the same team as the administration — they’re the second string.
I’ve got my shirt:
http://carryabigsticker.com/bush_lied_shirt.htm
I bought one shirt to wear and one to share. I wonder how it could POSSIBLY become illegal to display a statement re ANYTHING? What about FREE SPEECH? Do our friends, neighbors and relatives know about the efforts to CENSOR free speech? We can’t do very much about the Iraq war, but we CAN share the scary facts that are clearly emerging that our “rights” are being stolen.
My congress critter is Peter DeFazio. And he’s one of the good guys. But I can’t get him off the dime about impeachment. I can’t figure out what these folks don’t understand about the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the balance of power, the rule of law…..What’s it going to take?
By the way, the ABC poll after the debate yesterday showed Kucinich in 1st with over 70%! Vote Kucinich in the primaries. Contribute to his campaign. Get your neighbors educated. It’s the only way to get the Dimmocrats attention!
P.S. Have “VOTE KUCINICH” printed on the back of those shirts!
“Why are we waiting for the White House’s “Petraeus” report?”
Stall tactic. Anything to put off facing the issues much less impeachment until the next fraudulent election. IF we make it to election day before some ‘national emergency’ strikes..
I should be more hopeful but seriously, it’d take a miracle if there were spontaneous mutinies of conscience in the military, general strikes, bank runs, etc. of protest from the proles/sheep. I don’t see that happening. If this crap were going on in France or Germany you’d better believe all of a sudden the whole country would call out sick for two weeks. With a state run doctor’s note approving it.
US Lawmakers Get No Respite at Home on Iraq Debate — SAY WHAT?????????
They are supposed to work for the people in their home district. Maybe they should seek respite from lobbyist bribes and corporate fund raisers. Then their attitude towards their employer might improve.
OK, exactly what legislation does the author refer to when he says state and federal legislation is aimed at banning the “Bush Lied” T-shirts? Is free speech no longer allowed in this country? What the hell is happening here?
The democrats and the republicans are 2 teams playing the same game,{got it?},They have been playing this game for a long time to give us the ilussion that we have a real democracy through the sharade of elections, and they have made it almost imposible for any other third party to be stablished strong enough to challenge them, there is no time now for a third party to come into the race, SO,the best solution is to support Kucinich –Ravel ticket all the way everywhere, that would be the only hope to bring the old America I used to love and fought for. WAKE UP AMERICA and fight for your rights,the republicans-Democrats will never do it for you. YOU MUST WORK HARD AND FIGHT FOR AMERICA. Thanks.
Our leaders;
http://www.jibjab.com/originals/this_land
Majority leader Hoyer is my member. I went to his official web page looking for any public meetings he might be appearing at during the break to go to and confront him about this stuff. HE DOES NOT HAVE ANY PUBLIC MEETINGS scheduled for the break! I don’t know for sure why, but it sure looks like he wants to avoid any messy public displays of dissent in his “safe” district, that he carried last time with 81% of the vote (he didn’t get mine, I voted Green). He’s just another DLC/AIPAC tool, but one that we probably won’t defeat any time soon.
The talk about impeachment of Bush and Cheney is stupid and irresponsible. If you remember the “impeachment” debacle of Bill Clinton, you’ll remember how arduous it was to get it through both houses of Congress. And it was defeated in the Senate because it didn’t have the votes. We just need to wait those suckers out, and work like crazy to reinforce the Democratic hold on Congress. Bush is a failed president, and he knows it!
RE: Above post by Hank Silver (4:20 am)
I’ve said it many times, on many other posts, that our country’s founders, particularly those who worked tirelessly to create a government that would levy strict checks-and-balances among the three branches, never intended impeachment to be unusual. It was meant to be used forcefully, and as often as necessary, to check the excesses of power, or deliberate corruption, of the temporary holders of the presidential title.
Just because some may deem the process too arduous, or too lengthy — given the current occupant’s relatively short time remaining in power; or even if one thought the appropriate number of votes could not be secured for conviction by the Senate, it’s still beneficial, rather necessary, to commence with the House chamber’s discovery process. Only by thorough and exhaustive investigation, which would certainly release harbored and elusive truths concerning the charges brought upon the impeached executive, would our county be able to protect itself from not only this administration, but also every subsequent administration claiming precedence or “executive privilege”.
It’s the chance for “We the People” to have our day in court. Without it, we’re no more free or democratic than when King George governed the American colonies more than two centuries ago. With it, we, at the very least, have the opportunity to discover the truth in an open and public forum. If the discovered evidence doesn’t lead to a Senate conviction, so be it. But allow us, “We the People”, to have “our day in court”.
RE: Post by kane51 (August 20th, 2007 10:47 pm)
Go to site previously listed by chlorocardium on this post (http://carryabigsticker.com/bush_lied_shirt.htm) and scroll down to links titled “Press release about pending federal legislation 7-16-06.” and “Press Release about proposed Texas law outlawing the unauthorized use of names. 1-1-07 “, among many others. These articles will explain, in detail, what is going on regarding the distribution of these shirts.
“It astonishes me to find… [that so many] of our countrymen… should be contented to live under a system which leaves to their governors the power of taking from them the trial by jury in civil cases, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of commerce, the habeas corpus laws, and of yoking them with a standing army. This is a degeneracy in the principles of liberty… which I [would not have expected for at least] four centuries.” –Thomas Jefferson to William Stephens Smith, 1788.
I my time there was a T-shirt that had “Southeast Asia War Games (Image of Vietnam/the dates) then 2nd Place”. I always liked that shirt. I’ll vote for the “K” if somehow he gets the nomination, BUT, I and the majority of “indies” will NOT vote for Ms. Clinton. Sounds like the SS will be back in the tattooing business!!!!
New member, refugee from Huffpo.
This whole enterprise was a fiasco from the inception. It was never going to work, even Cheney knew that 13 years ago! The only option at this point is to leave, we’re not doing any good in Iraq and our young soldiers are being sacrificed for a lie.
Let’s try another approach…
I keep hearing the same old crap. Dim’s are waiting for what they feel is their inheritance - the White House… They believe that once this is accomplished they can bring criminal charges against the criminal regime. Sen Biden let this idea slip out last week. It’s a nice idea but hollow as hell. We all know that the Dim’s are just as guilty as the Rep’s for this war. Most of them voted for the Iraq War resolution out of fear of being labeled soft on terrorism in the ‘02 elections. Let’s just let all this go for the sake of argument.
Let’s accept the facts as they are…
The Dim’s want this perpetual war just as much as the Rep’s because both of them are profiting nicely from this blood bath in the sandbox. Witness the DOW over 13,000 while Americans earn less, get less benefits and less health care coverage causing stocks to rise. BOTH parties get their monies from the same corporate masters. this is why there is no real discussion on impeachment.
The situation in Iraq is going perfectly. WHAT? That’s right, perfectly. Iran is now surrounded by American troops in Afghanistan, Iraq as well as the Gulf States where we do all the staging of troops prior to sending them into hells sandbox. The Shi’ites and Sunnis are almost at war with each other which may spread into a war with Saudi Arabia and Iran and even possibly civil unrest in Syria. Iraq itself has been shattered. The oldest strategy in the world is to divide and conquer. Well… America has been thusly served by both parties, now it seems the Middle East is next. With billions of dollars worth of weapons going to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf States and Israel it would seem the US is gearing up for war with Iran through proxy armies. Since our own is bogged down in the quagmire of Iraq. We can lament about the stupidity of this admininstration but it seems to me that their plans are right on track. With the upheaval of nations in the Middle East we can place several permanent military bases in Iraq along the pipelines securing our Middle Eastern oil spigot once and for all.
The reality is now clear… The US had a rogue regime installed in 2000 and has successfully smashed what small amount of stability there was in the Middle East. This was done while building permanent military bases along the pipelines and simultaneously surrounding Iran.
The resulting international implications are tremendous and will be ongoing for decades, just as they have predicted, but not how or why they predicted. we keep hearing about threats and terrorists and a guy named Habib who wants to kill me. We keep hearing rhetoric about fighting for freedom and our way of life. we hear nothing about the real crimes committed out of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Russia, China and Europe have not missed what we are doing there, just the American Sheeple.
So the plan is working well and marching right along. Now we will get to hear about how we cannot leave for the next thousand years because the situation is unstable… Starting to get the picture here?
Permanent war for oil, controlled permanently by Halliburton/BushCo… Secured by the US Military… all paid for by taxpayers with their own lives and dollars. American Aristocracy wins again. The American Republic is over and we have returned successfully to Feudalism as planned.
Thank you all for wonderfully informed and heartfelt discussion above. Before I copy in a URL I would add to the note from Gail about the British withdrawing the equally telling (and wretched) news that suicide among Iraq-deployed US troops is at an all-time high. (Not to mention the PTSD when returned home.)
HERE’S THAT URL
This appears to be a VERY cogent tactical move:
The crux of it is:
“IN THE PRIMARIES, If you vote for Edwards, Richardson or Kucinich, you will change the debate, you will force it not to the left, but into the reality of where we are, i.e., in an emergency situation both for our country and the world.
Flood the voting booths on primary day. And here is the rule of thumb — whichever one of the three (i.e., Edwards, Kucinich or Richardson, is in the best position to overtake the “frontrunners” in your primary or caucus, vote for that candidate.”
http://words-of-power.blogspot.com/2007/08/campaign-08-update-8-12-07-open-letter.html
And we are all supposed to sit around and twiddle our collective thumbs while we wait for General David’s report that has already been written. This administration relies on our stupidity and the mainstream media backs it up. The General isn’t God and whatever he has to say is only one mortals opinion. The rest of the entire world sees it differently.
Meanwhile Congress keeps it’s head in the sand and hopes it will all go away. Until Nancy Pelosi can weld together her party so that they can function as a cohesive body to get something (anything) accomplished we are not going to see any changes, just more of the same dithering and lame excuses about everything they are challenged on. Too bad there isn’t an election this fall so we could clean house from top to bottom.
Perhaps we are the ones with our head in the sand. Are you not aware of the propaganda machine warming up? Yesterday (8/21) NPR was reporting the “progress” of the surge. This morning on the BBC, another army spokesman was proclaiming “progress”. At least in the BBC, the interviewer questioned the “progress”, where in NPR there was nothing but acceptance.
The surge propaganda has just begun. We need more editorial letters from the 7 soldiers and interviewers questioning these “voices of wisdom”.
It’s disheartening to think that people think it’s some big deal to wear a T-shirt. Whoopee! I’m changing the world one laundry cycle at a time! Bush Lied. So what’s new? The sad part is there is talk of banning the T-shirt. We are losing all our freedoms. The saddest part is when you lose your voice you can no longer convey your true feelings. Thats one aspect of it. The second aspect is our so called fascist government thinks it can go on fine with us silenced. If we dont get our voice back whats next,banning all political talk that doesn’t comply with the administration? I am truly scared at how fast we are losing our freedoms! Unless some radical change happens were all going to be wearing stun vests(under our Bush Lied T-shirt hopefully)and drinking some kind of weird compliance koolaid. Hopefully well get to pick our own flavor. However,that would be freedom of choice. Freedom is bad. Compliance is Good. Silence is golden.