Capitol Hill Blue Forums Hot Topics & Breaking News News House Defies Bush, Passes Deadline

Defying Bush, House Passes New Deadline for Withdrawal From Iraq
By Martha Angle, CQ Staff


There seems to be a growing consensus on this board that failure to implement an immediate withdrawal is tantamount to capitulating to the Administration, and therefore the Congress will simply sit on its hands and do nothing. Perhaps that explains why no one has yet mentioned this vote. Perhaps it would be better to simply ignore the fact that the deadline in the new bill is six months earlier and yet three more Democrats and two more Republicans voted for it - and three more Republicans decided not to vote at all.

Should we turn away from these paltry gains as "no progress"? Or should we redouble our efforts to convince more legislators that their future in Washington depends on getting us out of the Iraq Quagmire with all due haste?

The trend toward apathy you mention is based on the fact that President Bush can count on absolute loyalty among Senate Republicans to support any fillibuster and prevent an override of his veto(s).

The cadre of "Loyal Bushies" in the Senate is George's bulwark against accountability as he runs out the clock to January 2009.

But I will send a note to my representative in the House to encourage more such votes. It may not be as much success as we wish, but we still cannot afford to let President Bush win his victory by default.

No



Yes

Constitutionally, I don't think congress has either the power to order the military to do anything, or to force the president to do anything even if the passage were veto-proof. Congress does control the purse-strings; that is the power they should be applying.

If the Democratic majority has a microgram of testosterone in its makeup, then they should pass a bill requiring withdrawal plan in place and in operation within 120 days or face defunding. If the so-called "rebel" Republicans are anything other than hot air, they will also vote for the measure and present the president with a veto-proof bill that will cut off the administration's Visa card privileges for war.

Perhaps taking the hint from the House, Senate Republicans move to limit US scope.

I still wonder whether or not each house can - much less will - actually a grow at least a small pair.

I've been considering telling our R-Senator that if he continues as he has been voting, I will change my affiliation to Republican just so I can vote against him. And -- encourage everyone I know to do the same.
I know it sounds ridiculous but it might be a way to, if not get them to change, to at least elect someone else.

After a mere 4 1/4 years, one can hardly expect to see the type of monumental change the Bush-haters continue to call for. Everyone is in agreement that the evil of al-Qaida must be erased from this world. The president is doing just that. His strategy of concentrating the evildoers into two areas is working perfectly. This makes their liquidation all that more efficient.

As the president has repeatedly averred, everyone needs to do the duty most commensurate with their status. Yes, this means that some will die and others will take less vacation time and spend more in malls and shops all over the country--still others will bear the burden of making and cleaving to the morally superior decisions.

Thank the Almighty that the one making the real decisions is a man of principle, a man with an unfailing moral compass.

Best laugh of the day.