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

[underdog]

What was it Bush Sr. said? "Hold on to your wallets!"

We can add this advice for the troops: hold on to your asses.

[realitytrumpsbull]

Maybe that's what they should do, instead of
just letting themselves get suckered in time
after time for another budget 'debate', I
actually suggested this last year because one
thing it'd do is get them off the hook for
the war costs, if they just publicly admit
they really don't have any control over the
budget anymore then that'll put to rest a
lot of arguments that are basically a waste
of time anyway. Then, the BushCoites can go
don the shiny sunglasses, and join company
with their fellow globalizationererers...

[ozymandius]

What an incredible bunch of chickens the Dems have become. And they expect our money and votes. If they can't even stand up to Bush they are too weak to head the country. Rahm Emanuel thinks this will all work out because people who want change have no other choice. But we do - stay home and withhold our votes.
If Dems controlled the White House, senate and house they would still roll over for the minority so why should we bother?

[Felicty]

They are not spineless; they are codependents. Biiiiig difference. They give Bush permission to commit his war crimes and think it only reflects on Bush.

Adolf Hitler had all his critics in a similar position, which is why I feel that the Dem's unwillingness to stop him signals the end of this once great nation.

We allowed him to do all this.

[FreedomCorpse]

They will fund it and as a reward to the people for putting and keeping these dem and republican politicians in office, they will bring a nice fat economic depression to all.

[ejbr]

So Arriana,

What were you saying about getting Pelosi to discuss her failure to end the Iraq war? Seems that asking about impeachment would not have been a waste of time after all; considering you asking her about ending the fiasco in Iraq appears to have been.

[tililek]

And our troops are aided by being allowed to die or be wounded and be uncared for?

Please explain the rationale that says our troops will be aided by giving in to scare tactics and blackmail?

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

Oh kill me now! I can't stand it anymore, I really can't!!!!

[MetalCanuck]

http://www.thenewsreal.com/PNACNeocon_Crusades_World_According_to_Bush.html

I see I was censored, Bush's and Clinton's are close friends. Here is a video that was censored by Youtube, you can watch the rest of the parts on youtube.

The Clinton's will continue the garbage Bush is.

[sheine]

No surprise. The Democratic Congress is worthless. When Hillary becomes president we will hardly know the difference.

[pesfb]

I hate the spineless cowardly Democrats.

They continue this shit and then scratch their collective asses in bewilderment over Congress' low approval rating. They can keep spouting all their minuscule accomplishments but until they do what they were voted in to do they will continue to decline in estimation. Shithead bastards! I hate them all!

[LeftLeaner]

Nothing new here

Like they say: A barking dog doesn't bite, and the DEMS have been doing TOO much barking.

They're not my party anymore. I never thought I'd live to say that. Neither are the Repugs, that will NEVER happen.

We need a THIRD PARTY who REPRESENTS the INCREASINGLY-DWINDLING MIDDLE CLASS.

[MetalCanuck]

http://www.thenewsreal.com/PNACNeocon_Crusades_World_According_to_Bush.html

HAHAHA! This one was censored by you tube but here it is. The rest of them are on you tube.

The Dems suck, Clinton, Obama and all the other CFR/AIPAC members will do nothing but continue the Bush legacy. Clinton's and Bush's are close friends.

[Ramirez]

Dog Bites Man, Film at 11.

[Macready]

When will the Dems wake up and stick together to end this bloodbath . . . pelosi is a disgrace . . . and so are all the Dems who plan to back bush's boy for Attorney General . . . what ever happened to a two party system . . .