House Leaders Reach Iraq War Funding Deal Without Deadline For Withdrawal

New York Times:

House leaders struck a bipartisan deal on Wednesday night on a major spending measure that would provide money for the war in Iraq through the end of the Bush administration, establish a significant new education benefit for veterans, and meet Democratic demands for added unemployment benefits.

The bill, which could be voted on as early as Thursday in the House, would effectively bring to a close the two-year battle between President Bush and Congressional Democrats over war financing by allocating about $163 billion for combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan through early next year without imposing conditions like a withdrawal deadline.

White House officials took part in the talks that produced the agreement, suggesting the president was willing to sign the emerging legislation.

"I think we have an agreement," said Representative Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, the majority leader, who worked out the final deal in talks with Representative John A. Boehner of Ohio, the Republican leader, as well as senior members of both parties from the Appropriations and Ways and Means Committees.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[research]

Sorry Dean: NO MONEY FOR THE DNC!

I've given thousands to the DNC and democratic candidates,

I'll still give to candidates, but nothing to the corrupt DNC as long as the Pelosi DLC Rahm traitors in in charge.

[mike53]

It is kind of funny. All you liberals bashing the democratic party after they have been in control for only two years, yet you want more of them in office. What will it be like in 2012?

[DatelessNerd]

Now that the party endorsements are taken care of, Congressional Democrats are going right back to ignoring their party's base.

More Iraq War blank checks, telco immunity, free passes for war crimes and impeachable offenses.

As I've said before, don't give a dime to the Democratic Party. Contribute directly to candidates and organizations that support your values.

Let the Bush Dogs starve.

[KeysDan]

Apparently, Steny Hoyer is Mrs. Pelosi's brains, such as they are. Continued and unrestricted funding is aiding and abetting Bush war crimes. No wonder impeachment is off Speaker Pelosi's table, they are all seated there.

[rollingdivision]

Again, tacit confirmation the current policies in Iraq are supported by the Democrats and are the best approach. This is another case where we shouldn't listen to the talk, but should watch and see what legislation the Democrats actually pass to determine where they really stand on an issue. Eventually, the people who doggedly support Democrats need to evaluate their loyalty.

[rwe2late]

rolling...
I agree with your post
EXCEPT
when you illogically infer that because many Dems support current Iraq policies, therefore those policies must be "the best approach'.

[rollingdivision]

Many absolutely believed and continue to believe with all their hearts the Democrats were and are going to save the country. Therefore if the Democrats enact legislation it inherently must be good.

[pigsatthetrough]

What are these people called who continually aid the crime committed? The crime called Iraq. The slime get the slime to agree on continuing the slime. Bipartisan deal, what a lovely cover up word !

[peterv]

What is not much in news, is security agreement with afghanistan signed in may 2005, which has no expiration date, and options of permament bases are included. This is sort of blue print for Iraq. Iraqi Government is in discussions over agreement, doesn't allow attacks from their country to Iran, the legality of contractors and military needs to be sorted out when troops or contractors violated domestic law, and the prisoners that are held in american custody. I cant see that US just leaves entire bases, which are almost small contained cities overnight, and even Obama will backtrack to keep some of these large bases. Related to this is Oil law which has not been signed yet, seems Iraqi's like to semi nationalise the industry and give service contracts to companies, this is not what oil companies envisioned since oil wealth is comparable to Saudi arabia, and now it seems wealth stays in Iraq.

[MaxBob]

The change that was promised in 2006 comes to fruition at last.

[rwe2late]

"Spineless" is too generous a word for the Dem leaders. Not only will the traitorous Dems continue to fund the Iraq occupation, but they are now in the process of insisting that Bush expand the Mideast debacle by committing new acts of war against Iran.

“A US House of Representatives Resolution effectively requiring a naval blockade on Iran seems fast tracked for passage, gaining co-sponsors at a remarkable speed, but experts say the measures called for in the resolutions amount to an act of war.
H.CON.RES 362 calls on the president to stop all shipments of refined petroleum products from reaching Iran. It also "demands" that the President impose "stringent inspection requirements on all persons, vehicles, ships, planes, trains and cargo entering or departing Iran."
Analysts say that this would require a US naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.
Since its introduction three weeks ago, the resolution has attracted 146 cosponsors. Forty-three members added their names to the bill in the past two days.
In the Senate, a sister resolution S.RES 580 has gained co-sponsors with similar speed. The Senate measure was introduced by Indiana Democrat Evan Bayh on June 2. In little more than a week’s time, it has accrued 19 co-sponsors.”

http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=9377

[TheEmptinessOfTruthiness]

I was just about to question how deep is AIPAC's involvement in this...

Then I clicked the link -> clear as clear can be:

"AIPAC's Endorsement

Congressional insiders credit America’s powerful pro-Israel lobby for the rapid endorsement of the bills. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) held its annual policy conference June 2-4, in which it sent thousands of members to Capitol Hill to push for tougher measures against Iran."

Where are we heading?

[TheEmptinessOfTruthiness]

More...

"In late May, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert reportedly urged the United States to impose a blockade on Iran. During a meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) in Jersusalem, Olmert said economic sanctions have "exhausted themselves" and called a blockade a "good possibility.""

[chappelforpres]

Is it me, or do our spineless Democratic representatives and their enfeebled leadership in Congress actually want to confront Bush on a continued occupation? And please don't lecture me about numbers, the veto and Filibusters. Who needs the Imperial Right, when Pelosi and Reid give this sociopath all he requires to pursue his pointless agenda.

What really irks me is, how many Democrats are using the war as a populist path to election, only to secretly support interests who favor "regime change, occupation and a geopolitical mandate" in Iraq.
Are tuition and unemployment benefits a fair exchange for the useless deaths and daily maiming of American troops?

I'm an Obama supporter, but without a doubt, this nation's neck deep in excrement right now.

[research]

About half the dems are DLC.org DINO's cultivated by Rahm and the CLintons.

They are corporatist and "centrists", easily manipulated by hard balling republicans.

The progressive Kucinich half of the dems can't get a thing past these DLC DINO's.

Watch your dem primaries and check the voting records on the Iraq war, telecom immunity and the Enron loophole, and vote accordingly. Give money to good dems, and trash the bad ones.

Help Sheehan beat Spinless Pelosi, contribute.

[darcy]

chappel, I completely agree with you - especially the excrement part.

[cultkicker]

Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer are BOTH neocon Bush enablers. IMPEACH THEM BOTH.

[darthdarcy]

I'll second that...!

[LARRYB28]

i think thats what pelosi ment when she said impeachment is off the table

[UnbiasView]

The R's get war funding, the D's get to give more free handouts to people that don't derserve.

[zendem1]

I guess we all get what we derserve.

[LorettaSingbiel]

"The R's get war funding, the D's get to give more free handouts to people that don't derserve."

But I suppose you believe Exxon Mobil, Shell, Total and BP (the original partners in the Iraq Petroleum Company) along with Chevron and a number of smaller oil companies are getting more free handouts that they DO deserve ... through the R's war funding?

God Bless America ... We're "spreading democracy" one drop of blood (AND OIL) at a time!

OBAMA '08!
HOPE & CHANGE!

Stay safe, healthy and happy,
Love, Loretta

[Nonamnesiac]

The Dems are knowingly funding war crimes now, given General Taguba's testimony. They knew they were funding torture in the past, but now they can't even argue they don't know. There's going to be an 8% or 9% vote for Nader and McKinney combined, as there are many anti-war people who will not vote for Democrats who fund war crimes. We know there will be screaming from "Good German" Democratic Party Nader-baiting scyophants who will blame anti-war voters for voting for anti-war candidates rather than a known funder of torture and war crimes. The Dems didn't even include a provision that withholds funds until the war criminals stop their war crimes and are prosecuted.

Those Nader-baiting Democratic Party sycophants do the same thing now that "Good Germans" did during WWII. Despite being aware that genocide was being committed, even though they didn't participate in the genocide, they served as citizens, voting and legitimizing the government. Anyone voting for a Democrat who votes to fund war crimes is doing the same thing -- being the "Good German" and is authorizing war crimes.

So shut your Nader-baiting mouths. We know you're a genius and think we are spoilers for not voting for a candidate that funds war crimes because he is a Democrat.

[darthdarcy]

War Crimes are "Off the table", haven't you heard..?

[Vinca]

To darthdarcy: It seems ALL MANNER OF CRIMES COMMITED BY THIS ADMIN WILL BE EXCUSED,

[Sundialsvc4]

"Ike was right."

This five(!) star General of the Army was exactly right in everything he said. We now have a threat to the Republic that our Founders did not anticipate: a corrupting influence that can literally pour out more than $1 million in pure cash in one minute ... all of it "borrowed from ourselves but who-cares we're-rich."

The voting record of Congress is quite transparent and the corruption is not concealed. The Government of the United States is dead-set on an imperial conquest ... fomenting war and selling billions of dollars' worth of weapons to both sides ... not merely invading but conquering ... committing war crimes with impunity. And when "World War Episode III: The Return of the Nukes" finally begins in the next year or so (maybe less), history will record with dumbfounded amazement that it was The United States of America which was the belligerent, aggressor nation. Yes, the country that defeated the enemies in World War Episodes I and II became the attacker in Episode III.

As "Ike" did warn us, this will spell the end of this Republic as we know it, and could well lead to a division of its territories and mainland. Thus ends the 230-odd year "great democratic experiment," defeated in a remarkably brief amount of time by money that didn't even actually exist.

[elbzee]

We are the frog paddling
left in water to frolic
Warm, it is, and comfy.
Warmer yet, we daydream.
Warmer and warmer, we have to drowse.
Getting hot, we start to worry
Hotter yet, it really hurts now!
Boiling it is, cooking us all.
ribit

[eahce]

American people have been sold out.