I didn't even know there was a debate today

is one of the first reviews I read.  

Democrat Congressional candidate says cut funding to get
troops out of Iraq

by O.Kay Henderson

One of the Democrats who's running for Iowa's first district
congressional seat says if he's elected, he'd consider the
option of withholding funding for the troops in Iraq to
pressure President Bush to bring America soldiers home. 

Bruce Braley , a lawyer from Waterloo, says it wouldn't be a
first option but might be a last resort to get Bush to pull
the troops out of Iraq. "I can't do anything to affect
this until next January when I would be sitting in congress so
I think that once you get consensus from members of the House
and Senate that we have to do something to redeploy, then it's
a matter of negotiating with the White House to make it
happen," Braley says. "That's where the power of the
purse string that congress has under the Constitution is
what's necessary to make that happen."

Braley says he would hope it wouldn't be necesary to cut off
funds to the military to get the troops out of Iraq, but if
that's what's necessary to get the troops home he's favor that
over President Bush's apparent plan. Braley cites Bush's
statements predicting American troops will still be in Iraq
when Bush leaves office in January, 2009. "If (U.S.
troops) are still there when I enter into congress I will use
every means in my ability...to convince the administration
it's time to redeploy those troops," Braley says.
"If it doesn't happen, then certainly one of the tools
available to congress is to start reducing funding which is
the only way we pay for the troops there right now." 

-- snip --
-- edited for Copyright violation Lithos DU Moderator -- 
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More at:

http://www.radioiowa.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=F351AF07-9080-46B9-A26636939498B2F6