Despite Rhetoric, Dems Poised To Give Bush A Blank Check For Iraq

From Roll Call:

Despite their rhetoric about not wanting to hand President Bush another "blank check" for the Iraq War, Democrats appear poised to give him exactly that -- enough cash to keep the war going full steam for as long as six months, no strings attached.

Democratic leaders continue to fear GOP attacks that cutting off or slowing funds would hurt the troops, despite anger among the Democratic base over the party's failure to use Congress' power of the purse to end the war.

And while House Appropriations Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.) and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) have said they have no intention of bringing up Bush's almost $200 billion supplemental war funding proposal this year without a timeline for withdrawal, Democrats are quietly preparing to give the president enough spending flexibility to keep the war going anyway.

After Republicans repeatedly rebuffed Democratic attempts to adopt war restrictions in September following Army Gen. David Petraeus' testimony to Congress, Democrats began approving billions in extra funding, starting with the first stopgap spending resolution. Next up will be the regular Defense spending bill, expected to go to conference committee Tuesday. Although the bill is not expected to include funding specifically targeted to Iraq, Democrats plan to allow much of the funding to be diverted from regular Defense accounts to the war. Democratic Defense appropriators also are separately eyeing adding tens of billions in war funds, either in a small separate supplemental or attached to the next must-pass stopgap continuing resolution. They had sought to include $50 billion or more in such supplemental funding in the Defense bill itself, but leadership overrode that idea after the party's most ardent war foes complained.

Read the full article.

Comments

[cynic]

They're all cowards.

Boy George must have some really juicy details on Nancy and Harry.

Did you think the unlimited wire-tapping that began soon after his inauguration was to snoop against terrists???

[dantanna]

joetrade right on - this democrat congress disgraceful and to think they may remain in power on 2008. i thought i'd never say this but between the two the one with balls should remain in power that is republicans

[Ramirez]

I don't know how important this is, but you guys see that picture of Bush used for this article?

I have that SAME tie!

[outnow]

Dems are going to fund the war. If you haven't figured that out yet, you are not living on the same planet. Maybe they are hoping to be strong on fighting terror(ism) and get the oil while "blaming" the neocons, and slip back into mediocrity and duplicity.

[godlessclif]

Chomsky said there is only one party, the pro-business, pro-war, pro-empire party, with two factions. There is the lower taxes for the rich faction and the larger subsidies for big business faction.

[JoshuaLudd]

All Bush has to do is make a threat and they pony up for whatever he wants. Want to cut funding? Bush threatens to just leave soldiers in Iraq without funding. Threaten not to rubber stamp his nominee? Bush threatens to not even bother to fill the post if you don't approve his first choice.. while he talks about how important the position is.

[KeysDan]

Democratic Gutless Wonders: every sentence, a noun, a verb, a huff, a puff and a yes sir.

[nomobull]

i want to vote everyone republican for blocking dems for noguts up for re election out

[ZsaZsa]

Do not vote Republican in 2008.

Do not vote Democrat in 2008.

Peace out.

[claytongrayum]

This makes sense... I like the Dems' logic. Lets suck at life-

[imadf]

Well, what's a ***single*** good thing democrats accomplished against the war in congress? The term suckers keeps coming to mind. Repub's unzip their pants, and dem's suck what repubs 'put out', and the whole nation acts like being in Guantanamo!

Dems: All you have to do is not put that stuff in your mouth if you really didn't want to. Like, 'say no'. Close your mouth. Not swallow. Resign. Do something. Keep whatever is left of your long lost integrity.

Matt

[joetrade]

The Democratic Congress led by the two greatest chicken hawks in history are again falling on their knees before the greatest war criminal since Pol Pot.If these two political whores had any backbone at all they would tell Bush to go to hell and not bring the bill to the floor.By not bringing the bill to the floor it can't be voted on and therefore can't pass.All the bullshit about not having enough votes is nothing more than cowardly whimpering by two absolutely useless and deceitful public servants.T­hey both should be fired from their leadership positions and a search made for two potential leaders with a good set of developed testicles.­More soldiers will die-more money will be pissed away-and nothing more will be resolved by this criminal needless war.

[freespeach]

They talk nice to their progressive base.

Then they vote like the corporate fascists they are.

When the fuck are people going to wake up and see that the modern Democratic party is NOT on our side?
They have been infiltrated, corrupted and taken over by the DLC.

The only way to get people back into politics is with another party. This one is up and running now.

http://www.gp.org/

Or you can stay with the party that refuses to impeach Bush, funds his criminal wars, increases his ability to spy on you, wants to steal Iraqi oil and call it a "benchmark", and that is now marching us to war with Iran.
Yes stay with the Democrats because 40 years ago they stood for something.
Wake up people, this is a giant sham.
The two party system is a myth. You have no seat at the table.

Take it to the streets or join a third party. But if you stay with the Democrats pissing into the wind, debating Obama, Hillary or Edwards as the "best" choice you are delusional.
They are all DLC whores, all Bush enablers who will maintain the status quo.

We are a living breathing macro version of battered wife syndrome.
We, the little people who have always stood by our Democrats are the loving wife.....a­nd the DLC is the husband who only hits us when we deserve it, or sometimes when we don't....b­ut he promised he is going to change....­.

Fuck this shit. Stop eating shit from the neoDemocrats who laugh at your loyalty.

Change the rules. Green party.
Peace.

[mcearlgrey]

We'll never learn. Just like next year Republicans will play on our fears of war and terrorism hoping to gain seats and retain the White House, Democrats will exploit their base's fear of Republicans.

If anyone in this country had a brain in their heads we'd have a viable third party and drive the duplicitous Democrats out of existence.

[soylentgreenleftovers]

Looks like the Dems are nothing but Repug-lite. American people are played for suckers again. Wake me up when the Revolution begins.