Days Before Thanksgiving, Dems Draw Line In The Sand On Iraq

Democratic House leadership drew a line in the sand over Iraq War funding today, setting the tone for a messaging battle that will likely play out over the Thanksgiving break.

Speaking in front of a press gaggle, Reps. David Obey, D-WI, and Jack Murtha, D-PA, reasserted that there was enough money to fund the war through February, and that if the President wanted the additional $50 billion passed by the House of Representatives, he merely had to tell Republican leadership -- which filibustered the measure in the Senate -- to change its stance.

"Let me repeat," said Obey, "the money has already been provided by the House of Representatives. If the president wants that $50 billion released, all he has to do is to call the Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, and ask him to stop blocking it. That phone number is [phone], in case anybody's interested."

Prior to House Democrats passing the $50 billion appropriations, President Bush had called on Congress to fund the entirety of his $196 billion war supplemental request. The President has used the difference in dollar figures as well as the impasse in the Senate to raise concerns that the troops in Iraq are going unfunded and other foreign policy missions were being squeezed. Obey attacked that notion as well.

"The Bush Administration is promoting a lot of stories over the past week about nasty actions in the Pentagon that will have to be taken if Congress doesn't provide a bridge fund for the Iraqi war," said the Wisconsin Democrat. "Like so many other things in this town, those stories have things backwards."

As reported by the Huffington Post, the Democrat war supplement proposal is the party's most aggressive funding measure since taking over Congress. In addition to insisting on a full withdrawal plan the bill would also require that troops be fully trained and equipped before being sent into the field and that the government abide by the Army Field Manual with respect to prohibiting torture.

Reflecting the frustration with the Republican Party's obstruction of the measure, Obey declared at today's conference that: "I would be happy to provide them with the entire $200 billion that they've requested for the remainder of the year -- of next year, I should say -- if the administration accepted these modest and reasonable conditions."

Despite the tough rhetoric, few people inside or out of government anticipate that the Democrat's bridge fund will become law. The impasse between the two parties remains relatively wide and President Bush's veto looms in the distance. As such, much of the battles to be waged over the upcoming vacation weekend will likely focus on messaging, with the Democrats framing the war as a disastrous policy and unevenly burdensome.

"This week around our Thanksgiving tables there'll be two families," said Rep. Murtha. "One who say they support the troops -- and they do -- but they have sacrificed very little. They haven't had their taxes raised. They haven't been drafted, and they don't really participate in the war. The other are military families who have husbands and wives, sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters in the war theater. It's them who shoulder the burden of the president's Iraq policy. America owes them our thanks on this Thanksgiving weekend."

Comments

[bobsmith]

Murtha says: "This week around our Thanksgiving tables there'll be two families..­. One who say they support the troops... The other are military families..­. America owes them our thanks."

---

Murtha forgot to mention the third family - all those families who can best be described as "ambivalent" toward "troops" who volunteered to participate in this meaningless, senseless, and immoral war. He forgot to mention all the families who don't buy into the lie that the "troops" are doing them (or their country) any favors... all the families who strongly oppose much of what the "troops" are doing... all the families who might feel sorry for the kids who were duped into signing on for this debacle, but hostile toward those who buy in to it, hook-line-­and-sinker­. Murtha's use of the term "support" is both presumptuous, and a gross oversimplification of a complex issue.

Murtha frames the issue thus: that we're all somehow benefiting from this debacle, without paying for it. The truth is, there are only a few very wealthy beneficiaries (GW's "haves and have-mores"). For the country as a whole, this entire fiasco has been massive man-made disaster. Every death, every injury, every dollar spent has been for naught.

As to the nation's attitude toward those who enlisted/v­olunteered to feed the monster, the term "support" just doesn't cover it - not even close.

[WARisEVIL]

"To initiate a war of aggression, therefore, is not only an international crime; it is the SUPREME INTERNATIONAL CRIME differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole."
-- Justice Nuremburg Trials 1946

[rwe]

Typical of an Exmarine , and there are so few...the fact that words like success, and victory are scaring the moonbats into uber defeat mode will not go unnoticed . Coincidence that Murtha and Pelosi and Reid are going into surrender mode ? Or is that they realize that success of any type needs to be halted at any costs , including the troops they so backstabbingly say they support

[GhostintheMachine]

Murtha says we can't win militarily, except that is exactly what is happening. You must first provide the security the rest will follow. The deal is he does not want to win, because it will make him look bad. I respect his service as a marine, but he need to apologize to those marine he called murderers of women and children before they even went to trial. He should know better than anyone you are innocent until proven guilty and they were aquitted of the charges.

[thinkbig]

"As reported by the Huffington Post, the Democrat war supplement­.. " It's DemocratIC. Stop talking like a propaganda republican, or should I say, like a propaganda republic.

[poopdeck]

Some people fear that the line is drawn in quicksand.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

Can we get a pool going?

Any bets on the date when they will cave?

[totalliberal]

So let me get this straight. He needs more money because our currency is dropping because he made it drop, so he'll need more money which will make our debt higher, then he'll need more money because our currency will drop, so he'll need more money etc. etc.

And I thought Reagan was a loon when it came to money.

[chuckieboy]

I want all the Dems to think of the movie "Christmas Story". One of my favaorite scenes is when Ralphie can no longer cower to the neighborhood bully Farkis. Ralphie snaps and beats the living shit out of the gutless bully Farkis. All of the kids watching were first amazed and then elated that Farkis was exposed as a pimp. Sound familiar? Roll up your sleeves, get down and dirty, and knock the snot out of the gutless fascist wingnuts. You will energize and galvanize your fellow Dems.

[sonofdy1]

It is simple. Fund the troops then pass a SEPERATE bill demanding the troops come home. This is nothing less than risking the lives of the troops for the DNC's poltical gain. Nol wonder 80% of america disapprove of congress.

[BBackSoon]

You would think that career politicians would be able to play the game a little better than the Dems have. Maybe they are tired of eating their own balls and are going to try using them for a change.

To try to make a deal with this Admin is like the story of the girl and the snake. She takes in the wounded snake and nurses it back to health only to be bit. She is surprised and the snake says, "You knew I was a snake when you picked me up."

I think we all know they might not win this time or next, but one of these times they will. To give up every time the Repugs say the F word make me sick.

[jackstraw005]

i would be impressed IF i thought the dems would stick to their guns and say there it is georgie, take it or leave it, but they will roll over like a mobile home in a hurricane. i wonder how george reacted back in the day if his allowance was taken away for bad behavior.

[win2kpro]

Support our troops! Don't give the "decider"
et al one more damn nickle.

JOHN EDWARDS IN '08

[nlightenup]

Yes! Stay with the truth that it's Bush and the Republicans blocking the funding. Don't budge from that. Keep the pressure on, however long it takes.

[sonofdy1]

THANKS FOR STABBING THE US MILITARY IN THE BACK CONGRESS!!! And before you use the pathetic cowardly "chickhawk" arugment, I am already in and have been for 14 years.