NYT: In Bill’s Fine Print, $20 Million to Celebrate Victory in the War

WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 — Even as the Bush administration urges Americans to stay the course in Iraq, Republicans in Congress have put down a quiet marker in the apparent hope that V-I Day might be only months away.

Tucked away in fine print in the military spending bill for this past year was a lump sum of $20 million to pay for a celebration in the nation’s capital “for commemoration of success” in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Not surprisingly, the money was not spent.

Now Congressional Republicans are saying, in effect, maybe next year. A paragraph written into spending legislation and approved by the Senate and House allows the $20 million to be rolled over into 2007.

The original legislation empowered the president to designate “a day of celebration” to commemorate the success of the armed forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, and to “issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe that day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.”

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http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/04/washington/04victory.html?_r=1&ref=washington&oref=slogin

Lord, let me live long enough to read about this in the history books as a low point in U.S. history.

How divorced from reality (sorry jeff gannon/guckert) are these republicans?

Republican priorities and values are on the march. :puke:

Bush should then eat each and every one of them.

like the king issuing a proclamation to the peasants.

If so sign me up--- A 40 in a skirt will do it up just right

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/10/politics/10inaugural.html?ex=1260421200&%2338;en=a5235825c4cb8bce&%2338;ei=5088

Published: December 10, 2004

WASHINGTON, Dec. 9 - Tickets to all official inaugural events, including an "elegant" candlelight dinner with a special appearance by President Bush: $100,000.

Tickets to all official inaugural events, two additional tickets to an "exclusive" lunch with Mr. Bush and Vice President Cheney, plus an all-access pass to any inaugural ball: $250,000.

<snip>

Mr. Bush's inaugural committee, seeking to raise more than $40 million, a record, sent out hundreds of solicitations to the president's biggest campaign contributors this week offering packages of party benefits and access to the president in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Even at a time of war when more than 138,000 American troops are serving in Iraq, the organizers say that the inaugural celebration at the end of the January will not be marked by any noticeable restraint and will cost more than any other in history.

But organizers also say that the prodigious Republican fund-raising will pay for a celebration that is to have a "solemnity" missing from other inaugurals.

"There have been 55 inaugurations and very few have taken place during wartime, and this inaugural will reflect that," said Steve Schmidt, the inaugural committee's communications director. "You will see a strong emphasis on the military and veterans. The record fund-raising can be explained by a simple fact: in all areas of endeavor, whether it's an inaugural or the Macy's parade, things are more expensive than they were four years ago."

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Planning to celebrate the death and maiming and psychological scarring of tens of thousands US troops and millions of Iraqi civilians. This is NOT how I want my tax dollars spent!

I'll assume we're all invited.

Let's send everyone in our phonebooks invitations to this party. Who says Americans won't march in the streets for their rights (to party).

:toast:

19 mil would go to Halliburton and their platforms would have fallen down and the port-a-toilets would have gone on a circular trip ending up in New Hampshire.

:puke:

the Republican Page Ice Cream Social at a Georgetown townhouse, about 100 grand.

:mad: :mad: :mad: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :puke:

Whad'ya mean?

We're throwing a party for those victorious "insurgents" and warlords?

:sarcasm:

Since that money will never be spent, the deficit is reduced by $20million! Yippee!

Mission Accomplished, my ass, you lying AWOL Connecticut preppy cheerleader, and your corrupt chickenhawk pedophile republicon cronies

Mission Accomplished!!

as winter 1943 sets in.

Thank Gawd we will be spared this idiotic extravaganza!

!!!!!

:puke:

This is exactly what these repukes are good at.

Trying to replicate this, I don't think so.

These assbites thought they were going to pull off a cut and run before the election this year, but it didn't pan out. They never did get to withdraw any troops; just the opposite. The 20m was for a big propaganda celebration designed to convince Americans that they haven't suffered the worst strategic defeat in the nations history.

God, the thought of it. Hand the mess over to the Iraqi "security forces," bag out of there, and then throw a big huge celebration. Bush's Presidency is just one big fucking fakeout.