Dems set war bill without Iraq timeline (AP)

By DAVID ESPO, AP Special Correspondent
30 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - In grudging concessions to President Bush, Democrats intend to draft an Iraq war-funding bill without a timeline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops and shorn of billions of dollars in spending on domestic programs, officials said Monday...

Either way, Democratic leaders have said they hope to clear a war spending bill through both houses of Congress and send it to Bush's desk by week's end. They added the intention was to avoid a veto...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070521/ap_on_go_co/us_iraq

Do they KNOW Bush is at 27% approval right now? -------- And yet, they cave. Sorry, but this is what we get when we vote for the (D), no matter their record. This has to stop.

TC

:argh: :grr:

What? You didn't get the memo? :shrug:

We're *ALL* working for Lockheed Martin, et. al. (military machine meat grinder) NOW! :scared: :puke: :grr:

Yes, THEY (the large corporations) OWN our Democratic Representatives too. Feel better?

these folks must figure that we don't have anyone better to support for Congress next time...That must be what they think...they better think again.

I plan on voting Democratic Socialist from here on. (Not a problem since I live in that war pig Jane Harman's congressional district)

Disgusting and embarrassing. Surely they have something else planned...

not doing a damn thing. :grr:

Since they were unable or unwilling to implement plans A-M. Spinless useless cowards. You won't wash the blood off your hands.

Not a one of them gets my vote again.

I was just listening to Malloy on my way home :)

'White House officials have said Bush is amenable to accepting an increase in the minimum wage, although they and key GOP lawmakers favor larger tax cuts to accompany the measure.'

So originally it seemed we were being sold out in order to get the minimum wage hike. But even on our concession, Bush wants a concession. WTF??????????????????

:argh:

To only fund for 2 months.

Seemed like a great idea to me.
Even if it was 2 months too long.

So they apparently cut and ran from that idea.

HRC in particular is known to be a skilled legislator. Will she use those skills to end the war or will she cave and vote to finance Bush's failed war yet again?

If so, why?? What happened?

(Why let 73% of We The People down?)

WHY?

i'm appalled. they HAD bush busy digging a nice deep hole. and now what? they toss a ladder down to him. disgusting.

"so don't oppose your local DLC official... at least they are one more vote for Pelosi." they said...

who we put in power IS important more than just the (D) next to their name.

On the bright side, at least it is only until Sept 30th. Maybe we can pick up a few more (R)'s by then.

Seems like a million years ago when we put all that effort into getting a majority, doesn't it? The one thing I've learned about holding my nose while voting: either you smell it now or you smell it later. But you can't avoid that stink forever.

this is why we need a strong primary system. The party needs to stop opposing primary challenges becuase our leaders are accountable to US as well as the "swing voters."

I'm seeing red here. They better not screw with us concering Iraq or they can forget about ever getting my goddamn vote again. :mad:

This crap has been going on for 30 years.. But being an optimist, I'm hoping there is still a chance we could pull out of this yet.

((( )))

There are two things that I immediately took from that article:

1) There are NOT enough votes to override a Veto!!
2) This Bill only funds the war until September 30, 2007!!

And as Jonathan Alter said on Olbermann tonight, this is a good move by Democrats politically.

The public has turned against the war; but they do not want to see funding immediately cut off.

The reason the Democratics put forward this Bill is because of the liklihood of it NOT getting vetoed ... and very importantly,

--> it puts the ball directly into Bush, the Republicans, and their "so-called Surge" court.

When the summer has ended and autumn is knocking on the door, Mr. Bush will have his back up against the wall.

That's exactly what will happen.

If you think about the timeline that this funding takes them to, and Bush signs this Bill --- you realize --- Bush is SCREWED and his party is SCREWED.

Seriously, it puts the ball squarely in THEIR court.

The Democratic Party is doing the best with what it has to work with.

The only solution is to elect a clear majority ... not to tear the party to shreds here whining about them.

What is it Senator Obama said? ""I think we have to be as careful getting out of this war as we were as careless in getting into it."

Quit Bitching!!

Bush's back has been up against the wall for well over a year now. If we let him off the hook now so we can have him up against a wall in September, wtf have we gained?

There are not enough votes to override a veto. Fine. Then send him nothing. Let him override that. We have more votes than he does. What on earth makes weak Democrats feel like we should be in the inferior position here? Why are we the ones desperate to pass something when he is the one who needs the money so desperately?

It was the voice of dissent that put us in the majority. The Dem leaders largely rode the wave. Now we are told to shut up and trust that they know what they are doing? Sheeeit. Given the track records of some of these 'leaders' and their consultants...not a chance.

The funding runs out sometime around mid-June.

General Petraeus is slated to give the so-called surge a progress report in September.

You (the Senator) is bouncing Bills back and forth to Bush.

So.... tell me how your scenerios ends.

Thanks ~

1.- It may be a strategic move, but it is not playing well in Peoria or at least DU

2.- If they don't hear from us, forget it

They must hear from us...

The reality is that the sqeaky wheel gets the oil

So make sure they hear you.

Oh and I am almost betting a third party at this point... call it a bad feeling for the Dems, but people are pissled, nost importantly THE BASE is pissed, the BASE that votes in primaries

You'll see..

I am still posting the letters to them on the morning

Honorable Congresswoman XXXX,

Enough is enough. You are bending over backwards to please the President

We said, end the war, end the war now. You think this spinectomy will go well with the people who elected this new House and Senate?

I have news for you, it will not

Enough is enough. It is time to stand up, and send the same bill over and over and over again, and show the President for the bully that he truly is.

Sincerely




If you cannot get why people are peeved...

On the other hand the don't trust politicos is one of the lessons of this six years

Get hard to work on the immigration plan. And tell Bush if he wants the money, get some suggested deadlines and call for an appointment.

I like the "call for an appointment" part the best..

Sleepy time here. Goodnight.

That can is going to be kicked down the road repeatedly. The surge is going to last through the end of Bush's term, and the failed news media will not call him on it. And if you can't see all that happening, you haven't been paying attention.

The Democrats had Bush in a corner, and he said BOO! and they jumped. Coupled with the trade deal, I have to believe that this is the biggest bunch of losers we've had in many a moon. No spine. No brains. And if this shit continues...no votes, either.

BECAUSE the Dem leaders want to play politics with bu$che instead of doing what must be done TO SAVE LIVES:

which would be: send the same bill over and over to the war criminal and LET HIM veto it over and over, until he is FORCED to re-deploy...

Are all the LIVES to be LOST until bu$che's back will be up against the wall (and I bet they'll 'manufacture' another reason for not acting once there...) not worth fighting bu$che NOW?

Seems like it... :grr:

The bill Mr. Bush is giving funds the war up to the date that Patraeus gives his September spiel.



If we tried to pull them out any sooner, there would be a complete log jam in Congress.

We've given Paetraeus the 4 momths he asked for. Nothing more.

Passing a Bill to bring our Troops home will be a hell of a lot easier once the world knows that even Bush's escalation was a complete and total FAILURE.

http://icasualties.org/oif/

already knows bu$che's escalation is a total mess.

The world, but them?

But the U.S. Media keeps pushing the term "Surge" and indicating that we'll have a date definite in September of whether we know if it failed or not.

Of course it's already FAILED.

Everything Bush touches fails.

I think though (call me optimistic) that we'll have more clout by then and can reel in enough dirtball Republicans worried about their upcoming elections to pass a Bill that is Veto-Proof.

how many more young troopers, AND innocent Iraqis to go... R.I.P.?

Forgive the comparison, but sometimes it feels like that Iraq Oil Law (written in the USSA...) is more important than the victims of the bu$che made "Iraq's A-Lot-Worst-Than-Katrina Disaster" that still rage...

When Enough Will Be Enough?

(Do They Look At The Polls?)

Remember, we wouldn't had one of those troops home during that timeframe no matter what we did.

But if the "escallation" is continuing on a downward trend ... which it is: http://icasualties.org/oif/

We may finally have enough votes for that Veto-proof bill to bring them home.

The pressure on Bush by September will be IMMENSE.

Nov' 06 (especially those who used to vote for the R until Katrina 'woke them up') might not (understand).

Thanks.

(Bed time is up. G.N.)

We're all growing tired.. We'll start making more sense (maybe) in the morning.

Nighty Night!

are dying. I'd also like to know what larrisa is going to do to make amends when Sept. comes and we get more of the same shit? After all we have her personal guarantee that this is all going to be OK.

How about a personal letter to each and every family that has a loved one murdered or maimed in the next four months because "it's the best they can do".:grr:

wish I could nominate it. Couldn't agree more.

People who have been continuously let down for six years and constantly harraunged for support of the self-same politicians who betray them should not be called "whiners". I completely reject the premise of your characterization of other DUers.

Considering that is the frame you chose to make, why should anyone on this thread listen to you after you call them names and treat them like children?

The bottom line is that DU is a place to complain when complaining is warranted. Many on this thread feel it is warranted.

I think it is abundantly clear that our opinions on DU have absolutely no meaning at all on the Hill, so why bother trying to censor people's opinions here? Damage control?

After six years of constant concession we are still watching an unpopular president whose party is the minority in Congress have everything he wants without appreciable resistance. Please do not continue to insult everyone's intelligence by saying it will be different *this* time. You know no more than we do what is going on, but if history is any indicator, this is not a grand chess strategy....but the act of cowards and sycophants tooling for more K street money and aiting for the next election to get more power....not to help people, but to just get more power.

By the way, Petreayus will say whatever Bush wants him to say in September. My guess is that progress will be portrayed as "debatable" and we will end up with exactly the same paradigm we have now. Bush will try the same strategy over and over if it works. Lack of resistance emboldens him.

That is an important point.

Like it or not, there is strategy involved in politics.

Unless people here take a basic Civics 101 class that shows how democracy works with votes and not magic bong hit clouds that change Republican minds...we're doomed. As you mentioned, the funding only goes to September. At that point, about 20 Republicans will join the Democrats and really make a bill that is completely veto-proof and shoves the Chimp into a corner.

Everyone who disagrees with you is uneducated. Sound about right?

Your theory about Republicans joining us is a pipedream. Could happen, but probably not.

The real answer here is to send him nothing till he agrees to be bound by rules like the rest of us. Civics 101: if Bush has nothing on his desk, he can't veto it.

kick

Umm, have Bush write the bill and then rubber stamp it? Why does that sound so familiar?

I can't figure out how in the world this appeals to anyone in our leadership. What on earth could it be that's making them think they can gain by caving in on the most important issue? I honestly can't figure out their angle on this.

The left will be a lot stronger when we stop attacking our leaders at the drop of a hat. Think about it.

The left has been relatively quiet for 30 years and what did that get them?

Think about it.

TC

Rep Obey says that Dems have not made a decision yet on the supplemental war funding bill

and announced 'We have a deal'. The deal doesn't have timelines. Bush is supposed to "report" and Petreaus is to "report". BFD!!!!!! Bush was supposed to "report" with the IWR too!! :banghead:

We can't go back and change anyone's vote on the Iraq War Resolution of 2002. But now is another critical moment where we can make sure we oppose any further enabling of this criminal adminstration. I have heard every ridiculous argument in favor of appeasement.

NO!

Now is the time for all of us to be heard. Enough is enough. I have been calling and emailing this afternoon. I know others have been writing letters and more. Call someone and let them know this is your line in the sand. Otherwise, they may figure they can screw us now and bullsh-- their way out of it later, just like they have attempted with the IWR.

NO!

I posted this back on Jan 4 in response to a sarcastic post about how people are mad because the democrats haven't stopped the war "yet":



http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=3040776#3041185

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nt