the nut

Bush calls it 'political theater' and vows to veto bill
BREAKING NEWS
The Associated Press
Updated: 2:29 p.m. ET March 23, 2007


WASHINGTON - A sharply divided House voted Friday to order President Bush to bring combat troops home from Iraq next year, but the president reiterated his vow to veto the bill, saying the House had “abdicated its responsibility.”

Bush appeared at the White House alongside veterans and family members of troops to accuse Democrats of staging nothing more than "political theater" that delays the delivery of resources to soldiers fighting in Iraq. If the spending bill is not approved and signed into law by April 15, Bush said troops and their families “will face significant disruptions.”

“A narrow majority in the House of Representatives abdicated its responsibility by passing a war spending bill that has no chance of becoming law and brings us no closer to getting the troops the resources they need to do their job,” the president said.

“These Democrats believe that the longer they can delay funding for our troops, the more likely they are to force me to accept restrictions on our commanders, an artificial timetable for withdrawal and their pet spending projects,” he said. “This is not going to happen.”

The victory for Democrats is part of an epic war-powers struggle, and Congress’ boldest challenge yet to the administration’s policy.

Ignoring the veto threat, lawmakers voted 218-212, mostly along party lines, for a binding war spending bill requiring that combat operations cease before September 2008, or earlier if the Iraqi government does not meet certain requirements. Democrats said it was time to heed the mandate of their election sweep last November, which gave them control of Congress.

“The American people have lost faith in the president’s conduct of this war,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. “The American people see the reality of the war, the president does not.”

The vote, echoing clashes between lawmakers and the White House over the Vietnam War four decades ago, pushed the Democratic-led Congress a step closer to a constitutional collision with the wartime commander in chief. Bush has insisted that lawmakers allow more time for his strategy of sending nearly 30,000 additional troops to Iraq to work.

Pelosi victory
The roll call also marked a triumph for Pelosi., who labored in recent days to bring together a Democratic caucus deeply divided over the war. Some of the party’s more liberal members voted against the bill because they said it would not end the war immediately, while more conservative Democrats said they were reluctant to take away flexibility from generals in the field.

Republicans were almost completely unified in their fight against the bill, which they said was tantamount to admitting failure in Iraq.

“The stakes in Iraq are too high and the sacrifices made by our military personnel and their families too great to be content with anything but success,” said Republican Whip Roy Blunt, R-Mo.


The bill marks the first time Congress has used its budget power to try to end the war, now in its fifth year, by attaching the withdrawal requirements to a bill providing $124 billion to finance military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan for the rest of this year.

Excluding the funds in the House-passed bill, Congress has so far provided more than $500 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, including about $350 billion for Iraq alone, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. More than 3,200 U.S. troops have died in Iraq since war began in March 2003.

Senate debate coming up
Across the Capitol, the Senate planned to debate as early as Monday legislation that also calls for a troop withdrawal — and has also drawn a Bush veto threat.

That $122 billion measure would require that Bush begin bringing home an unspecified number of troops within four months with the goal of getting all combat troops out by March 31, 2008. Unlike the House bill’s 2008 date, the Senate deadline is not a firm requirement.

While Friday’s House vote represented Democrats’ latest ratcheting up of political pressure on Bush, they still face long odds of ultimately being able to force a troop withdrawal.

In the Senate, Democratic leaders will need 60 votes to prevail — a tall order because they will need about a dozen Republicans to join them.

And should lawmakers send Bush a compromise House-Senate measure, both chambers would need two-thirds majorities to override him — margins that neither seems likely to be able to muster.



In Friday’s House debate, Democrats said it was time for them to begin influencing the war’s path.

“The American public expects, the Congress of the United States, to do something,” said Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md. “Not simply to say ’yes’ to failed policies, but to on their behalf, speak out and try to take us in a new direction.”

“What we’re trying to do in this legislation is force the Iraqis to fight their own war,” said Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., who had helped write the bill.

With Democrats holding 233 seats and Republicans with 201, Democrats were able to afford only 15 “no” votes. Accordingly, Pelosi, and her leadership team spent days trying to convince members that the bill was Congress’ best chance of forcing Bush to change course — an argument that was aided when they added more than $20 billion in domestic spending in an effort to lure votes.

They got a breakthrough Thursday when four of the bill’s most consistent critics said they would not stand in its way. California Democrats Lynn Woolsey, Diane Watson, Barbara Lee and Maxine Waters said they would help round up support for the bill despite their intention to personally vote against it because it would not end the war immediately.

“Despite my steadfast opposition, I have told the speaker that I will work with her to obtain the needed votes to pass the supplemental, but that in the end I must vote my conscience,” said Rep. Diane Watson, D-Calif.

The Iraq deadline created an unusual dynamic in the sharply partisan Congress. Bush loyalists teamed up with some anti-war liberals in opposing the measure. Conservatives said a firm deadline for the war would tie the hands of military commanders and embolden insurgents after the U.S. left Iraq, whereas many liberals said the bill would continue to bankroll an immoral war for more than a year.

“If you want peace, stop funding this war,” said Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio.

“Approval of it means we vote to abandon Iraq at an arbitrary time no matter the situation, said Republican Rep. Ted Poe. It’s also “loaded with squealing pork that has nothing to do with our troops or the war,” added Poe, R-Texas, referring to the billions of dollars added to the bill to fund domestic programs and attract votes.

But members said Pelosi was able to convince liberal members of her caucus that the legislation was their best shot at challenging Bush on the war even if it fails to become law.

© 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

I hope that donkey doesn't have a heinie troll!

Prince

fuck bush.

no pun intended.

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BoneCrusher

Bush is a fucktard but he is right in the respect that if we are in there we need to supply the troops. Under supplying the boys in green means they come home in a box. The Democrats need to stop the bullshit and cover our troops.

Phred

Come on ...don't hold back...tell us how you really feel!!!

BTW I agree; we seem to now be redefining success so we can say we won. Some times you loose. Loosing is hard to accept, and for many spoiled brats, they never get it. It is humbling. Bush admin needs some humbling right about now.

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KelJu

We can't we just pull all of them out on said date?

maniclion

I wish Herbert Bush would have pulled out 60 some years ago....

"We are like tenant farmers chopping down the fence around our house for fuel when we should be using Natures inexhaustible sources of energy — sun, wind and tide. ... I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that."
Thomas Edison: In conversation with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone

Double D

I call for impeechment! I cant believe someone hasnt assasinated him yet!

Prince

you only get impeached if you get your dick sucked by an intern.

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Double D

For real, you cant get impeached by willing putting a bunch of 20 year old soldiers to death in a fuckin round about way.

BoneCrusher

The simple answer to you and I sitting in our homes is nothing. The bigger answer on how this affects us as a country is far less simple. Ending this isn't just about stay or go, it's about leaving a stable government agreeable to our policies. Meanwhile for political reasons your friends and mine who are still stationed over there are being de-funded. Not fucking cool at all.

The argument is not really that even, it's who BushCo will accept as the leaders of the countries we now occupy. Right now it looks like the Sunni led Taliban will be the victors to whom the spoils would go ... but that is not what BushCo wants. To the BushCo rank and file that would be a loss.

This guy here is an example of who would be the victor. I love the new youtube embeding ...

YouTube Video

dg806

One foot shot, one to go.

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BoneCrusher

?? ??

Big Smoothy

What's sad about this IMO,


Is that both the administration and both parties in the Houses are using this is a political issue, and may be too afraid to not make it a political issue.


Either way, it seems the situation is bad.

DOMS

I think that what he means is that the Democrats will find the most fucked up, most thoughtless way to do something, and then do it.

BoneCrusher

We have three aspects of government ... judicial, legislative and executive. Really the judicial is not in the forefront of the decision making process. That leaves us with two feet? Since the legislative branch is fucked with democrats ... we are down to one foot left?

Sorry to be a thick headed bafoon ... I was taking it personal. I thought you meant I had shot myself in the foot and had only one foot left before you bant me dg.

dg806

No, I meant that this is going to backfire on the democrats in 08.

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BoneCrusher

How? What can overcome the damage BushCo has done?

Big Smoothy

We've got a long way to go until November of 2008.

19 months to go.

I honestly don't see how the GOP can gain anything from Iraq.

As colin Powel said to W., in the 14 months leading up to the Iraq attack.


"You break it, you buy it."


This has been the case for W. as well as the GOP which stood by him.

BoneCrusher

We have an estrogen fueled fright-train screaming down the tracks that right now leads the polls. GOP has to do something or the white house is going to get re-decorated again by that bitch.

Big Smoothy

Yeah,

I see Hillary as being the D Nominee unless something major happens. And nothing major will happen.

She's been planning this for over a decade. Her War Chest is full and getting fuller. Good organization. She knows what to do. Like her or not (I don't like her that much), she is smart. Most that are close to the two Clintons say she is smarter than Bill. Less charismatic, and likeable, but smarter. She won't screw this up.

As for the GOP:

It's early, but who do you see? - honestly - that can provide a spark?


Still early but I don't see too many folks that want to jump in waters that may have a lot of sharks looking for blood.

DOMS

Smart? Have you heard her talk when she talks without a script? There are whole websites dedicated to the stupid shit that she says.

She's not quite Teresa Kerry bad, but she's giving it her best shot.

BoneCrusher

I don't pay attention to what she says anymore. What ever it is she says she is about was already said by the previous week's exit polls or the exact opposite of what ever BushCo has just said. Her voice annoys me. I'd rather listen to a few hours of my ex-wife asking me for money than her voice for even a few seconds.

Big Smoothy

I focus on the policies. Hard to do actually, but that's what I try to stay focused on, Bone.


Doms, I hear your point.

She doesn't have the Gift of Gab in my opinion.

Therefore, she has her consultants, her speech writers, her handels, etc.

All down to the minute detail.

Not being a good speaker does not mean that someone is not smart.


(But sometimes it does....Mr. George W......ahem......)

Big Smoothy

Here's a link below of a few folks on the GOP who haven't decided to run but do have time (if people can lesson their fixation on the rampant raising of hundreds of millions of dollars).

The election still is.....19 months away:


Link: of other poetntials at the bottom: White House 2008 rankings: The Republicans - National Journal - MSNBC.com

DOMS

I read this and now I have a headache.

BoneCrusher

Duh ... I just looked at your age. What month were you born in?

maniclion

I'll bet you one hundred zillion dollars he was born on the Ides of March...1960

"We are like tenant farmers chopping down the fence around our house for fuel when we should be using Natures inexhaustible sources of energy — sun, wind and tide. ... I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that."
Thomas Edison: In conversation with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone

dg806

Lol

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BigDyl

Total ownage.

lnvanry

that's it dum dum (learn to spell BTW)...then Cheney can be in charge