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| Senate to Vote on Ending War Funding | |
| 2007-05-15 | |
| WASHINGTON (AP) - Senate Democrats are staging a dramatic anti-war vote this week, with moderates collaborating behind closed doors on legislation that could call on President Bush to rethink his war strategy. Majority Leader Harry Reid announced Monday that members will decide whether to cut off money for the Iraq war next year, as well as consider a softer proposal calling for troops to leave this fall. The two measures would be offered as amendments to a water projects funding bill to be debated this week. The votes, expected by Wednesday, will probably fall short of the 60-vote threshold usually needed to advance controversial legislation. But they will help Reid, D-Nev., test the Senate's political waters at a time when the Democratic caucus is divided on how far Congress should go to end the war. ``On our side of the aisle, Democrats believe they should do something very, very close to what was done in the bill that was sent to the president to be vetoed,'' Reid said. Accordingly, Reid and Sen. Carl Levin proposed that the Senate vote on legislation demanding troop withdrawals begin on Oct. 1 but allowing Bush to waive that requirement. Levin, D-
Under pressure from other more liberal party members, Reid also wants to give members a chance to cut off money for combat operations after March 31, 2008. Reid co-sponsored the legislation earlier this year alongside Sen. Russ Feingold, but he said he would not push it as a caucus position. ``The American people deserve to have the Senate go on record about whether or not it wants to end our misguided mission in Iraq and safely redeploy our brave troops,'' said Feingold, D- The votes come as nearly a dozen Republican senators have been discussing possible legislation on the war, including a proposal by Sen. John Warner that would call on the president to re-evaluate his Iraq strategy if the Baghdad government does not meet certain benchmarks. ``We're trying to put together a single document'' that would address concerns of GOP senators, Warner, R- Warner said he personally backs requiring reports before the August recess and in September on the extent to which Iraqis are making progress on political and security reforms. Warner said he wants to get a report by July at least ``so members of Congress have an evaluation of that situation as they presumably go back to their respective constituencies.'' If the Baghdad government fails in meeting the benchmarks, ``then the president is to determine whether he is to revise the strategy that he laid forward,'' he added. Warner said he has been discussing the idea with the group and plans to talk about it Tuesday with Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb. The goal, he said, is to develop a proposal that attracts broad bipartisan support. The list of Republicans working with Warner include Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Norm Coleman of Minnesota. Nelson has drafted similar legislation that would go even further. If the Iraqis failed to make progress on certain political and security reforms, the U.S. would cut off reconstruction aid. Under the bill, the president could waive the restriction if he provides public justification. Nelson's bill also would require the U.S. commander in Iraq to testify by Sept. 15 on whether Bush's troop buildup around Baghdad is working. ``The Senate needs to move forward,'' Nelson said. ``The president has signaled he will accept reasonable benchmarks.'' | |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #15 "They WANT to go back to 9/10. But the reality of the situation will not permit it." But it won't stop them from doing a damn good job of pretending. Remember the 1993 WTC bombing, and how after a few months it receded into the background of the news and became "just another criminal investigation"; that's how I'd expect any future Democratic administration to handle further terrorist attacks on the homeland, for anything short of one of our cities getting nuked. "And so the cycle will begin again, hopefully with at least some lessons learned, even by the dems." You've got more faith in them than I do, I suspect; I'm no longer willing to risk my childrens' lives on the Democrats being able to learn ANY lessons with regard to handling terrorism. Not even a little bit. |
| Posted by: Dave D. 2007-05-15 19:52 |
| #14 DaveD, what you say about the Dems is absolutely true. They WANT to go back to 9/10. But the reality of the situation will not permit it. The enemy knows that they are weak. They will be unable to stop themselves from attacking this perceived weakness. And so the cycle will begin again, hopefully with at least some lessons learned, even by the dems. The attack will be their baby. The news will not be able to ignore it. They may not want the war, but it will come to them nevertheless. |
| Posted by: remoteman 2007-05-15 19:31 |
| #13 "Should they win the election they will own the ugly baby and have to deal with it. They can wish it will go away but it won't." Very true. But the Dems have made it clear that they prefer the so-called "Law Enforcement Approach" to fighting terrorism, as it was during the Clinton administration; and that's what we're likely to see instead of anything we'd recognize as a "war" if one of them wins in '08. Not only that, but remember the Democrats are very, very good at sweeping unwanted news (other than sex scandals) under the rug with the help of their media buddies; once a Dem is in the White House (God forbid) we're unlikely to hear much in the news about "war". More than anything else the Democrats want to take America back to 9/10, and "help" America by making new "safety nets" that their favored parasites can use as hammocks in exchange for votes. |
| Posted by: Dave D. 2007-05-15 17:50 |
| #12 As Trotsky so famously said, "You may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you." http://www.rogerlsimon.com/mt-archives/2006/07/sleepless_in_yo.php Thanks to Google. |
| Posted by: Bobby 2007-05-15 16:43 |
| #11 Can't remember who said it, but it's the truth: You may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2007-05-15 16:29 |
| #10 Whether a Democrat or Republican is in the presidency in 2008, the war will go on. Whether or not the funding is pulled, the war will still go on. The Democrats have "minunderestimated" the threat and the foe. Should they win the election they will own the ugly baby and have to deal with it. They can wish it will go away but it won't. To the Muslims, we are the enemy and we will continue to be the enemy. We are considered the infidel and they will not be satisfied just because the Democrats might happen to win. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2007-05-15 15:58 |
| #9 From #2 above 3DC, where were you last November when the 'voters' changed the Congress because of "W"'s stubbornness to yield to the American People's will on this matter. smn, I find your conclusions without merit. In fact, the single group who benefitted most from the 2006 elections were the 'close the borders' group. Of course, you could be right about 2008, but if you would like to bet some hard cash, I'm your Huckleberry. |
| Posted by: wxjames 2007-05-15 13:31 |
| #8 I know, our form of government allows stupidy to reign supreme. But I got to tell you, Reid and Pelosi and these other clowns makes my blood boil. Can't Bush just have them drawn and quartered in addition to vetoing stupidity. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2007-05-15 09:59 |
| #7 Almost forgot, CHINESE MIL FORUM > DEFENSENEWS > CHINA'S PLA WANTS 5 BOOMER + 30 ATTACK SUBS BY Yarn 2016. See also SPACEWAR > SUBMARINES LEAD THE WAY IN ASIA-PACIFIC BUILDUP. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2007-05-15 03:50 |
| #6 FARSNEWS.com [Iran] > IRAN MP [paraphrased]> CULTURE OF ISLAMIC REVOLUTION + ISLAM IS THE GREATEST DANGER/THREAT FOR THE USA. The USA fears Iran's Revolution + Islam, and as Khameini sezzes, THE 21st CENTURY IS THE ERA OF THE DEFEAT, DEMISE, AND ANNIHILATION OF THE USA. Also in FARSNEWS > IRAN'S [nuke] PROGRESS IS IMPORTANT FOR REGIONAL NATIONS. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2007-05-15 03:47 |
| #5 WORLDTRIBUNE > MARK STEYN -THE GATE OF FORTRESS AMERICA'S IS OPEN. Among other thingys, America is at high rosk becuz CONGRESSCRITTERS WANT TO PROCLAIM THEIR PC DESIRE TO PROTECT AMERICA, WHILE SIMUL ALSO MAKING DURN SURE ILLEGALS STAY ILLEGAL = IN THE SHADOWS AND SUPPORTED BY MASSIVE GOVT ENTITLEMENTS, ETAL. D *** ng it, the only thing better = worse than massive National entitlement is higher Regional entitlement is TransRegional is Global entitlement is Lunar is Space is ............@Alpha Centaurian, etal; + SOL SANDERS > TIME TO USE THE OLYMPICS AGZ CHINA'S EXCESSES. The Kindler, Gentler, Motherly Chicoms love us in order to kill us wid finesse and correctness - Oh the Panda-manity. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2007-05-15 02:10 |
| #4 My congress critter won. Too many dead crook county voters negate my county's votes for the senate. But, our senate critters were not up for re-election. (Its a blue state already.) To top it off the Republican party in Illinois has had too many crooks including a gov now in jail, too much nepotism and too much cronyism. The Republican party in Illinois needs gutting and replacement. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2007-05-15 01:53 |
| #3 O'REILLY [paraphrased] > ANTI-WAR ACTIVISTS ARE WILFULLY WORKING FOR DE FACTO US DEFEAT, in Iraq-ME + WOT. NOT MERELY "ENDING THE WAR", "PULLOUT", "WITHDRAWAL", or so-called "REDEPLOYMENT". FREEREPUBLIC > AL-QAEDA WANTS NON-WHITES TO JOIN JIHAD AGZ USA, WEST; + FR Poster - OBAMA LOSES HIS OBL MOMENT. Obama stays silent as Zawahiri video calls on US African-Amers = Minorities? to resort to 1960's, MALCOLM X-style street demonstrations, riots, andor armed violence, to protest against US war in Iraq + for Race Rights, etc. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2007-05-15 01:14 |
| #2 3DC, where were you last November when the 'voters' changed the Congress because of "W"'s stubbornness to yield to the American People's will on this matter. The other shoe will drop in November 2008 when the Executive Branch will be given to the democrats! Six months from now, we'll see the 'bloodletting' leading up to that when the 'Coat Tail' republicans in the Congress will take a 'lickin' to pacify "W"'s veto stubbornness. The handwriting is on the wall!! |
| Posted by: smn 2007-05-15 00:52 |
| #1 I want to see the yes votes in every newspaper in the nation. On the front page. Where the voters can see who is a traitor. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2007-05-15 00:19 |