And the reason Pelosi refuses to pull the purse on the Iraq war is what? the 08 elections?

In a situation where this president keeps replacing "generals on the ground" when they stop telling him what he wants to hear, how much clearer must it be made that the Iraq fiasco is Bush's war.
Dem's however do not fail to remind us of their outrage though while the slaughter for $$$ and oil continue. Senator Bonner reminded us yesterday that Americans are paying a small sacrifice for what our children's children will be benefiting from.

she can see * leaving the troops there and then just trying to score political points by blaming the dems for the troops not having any equipment, etc. Unfortunately, I can see * doing that too, he has already proved that he doesn't give a shit about the troops except for photo ops. And any funding bill that they do pass, * will just do a signing statement to take out anything he doesn't like.

I think they need to start by getting a full accounting of where the money they have already appropriated has gone. I tell you, I am totally stumped on this one. The dems are damned if they do and damned if they don't. Have I mentioned lately how much I hate these people?

A very tricky situation.



That is why they're using this NOW.

;) :)

A lot of Dems in Congress are leaning more towards the Murtha/Webb’s plan. Place mandatory leave time and training time for American troops. This will have the effect of forcing the military and Bush to have to send troops home and since recruitment is so low the number of combat troops in Iraq will have to go down. It's a back handed way to force withdrawing of troops, but it has the benefit of possible republican support that funding cuts don't have.

* would just strike out anything that mentions pull-outs, or he would flat out veto it and start blaming the dems again to get him something he can sign. And around and around and around we go.

Halliburton & Blackwater.

"we don't have the votes?" just do it.

They don't even need the votes.

The Senate Democrats can filibuster any military funding bill that doesn't force a withdrawl - that only takes 41 Senators, which the Democrats can muster easily.

On top of that, the Democrats own the chairs in both the House and the Senate.

They can quietly table any funding bill that doesn't force a withdrawal - not even bring them up for a vote.

But they won't. They have plenty of weapons to use against the President, and refuse to use them.

Because they care more about politics and the elections then they care about our troops and millions of civilians.

Their strategy is to keep this war going so they can shove the GOP's nose in it for the election, then run on the platform of "We suck less than the Republicans!"

Instead, they seem to prefer passing Bush's agenda and offering that lame old "we don't have the votes" excuse.

in DC since 2001 and see how it matches up with the party position every step of the way.

Now THAT would be a useful way to get down to the nitty gritty of the last 7 years - assess the source problem - and NEUTRALIZE the source problem.

and I like MiniMe's take on it http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1808179#1808232

It is very dangerous to play chicken with a man who has nothing left to lose.

Stand up to Bush, and force him into that fucking corner. Either our government is salvageable or it isn't. If it is, then we put a stake through that son-of-a-bitch's heart, and take back our democracy. If not, then the whole government's broken, and we do what it takes to replace it with one that works.

But I'm absolutely sick and fucking tired of seeing our party's "representatives" act like snivelling cowards and sell us out. Our putting the Democrats into power in Congress came with an implicit "Come back with your shield or on it." I don't care. Fight to the death.

Support for the military industrial complex isn't limited to neocons.

Eisenhower warned about this in 1961:

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.

We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.

http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/presiden/speeches/eisenhower001.htm

Who's advising Congress not to use their constitutional power of the purse?
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1385

Might as well call them neo-libs, because they're exactly the same as the fucking neo-cons.

That poison needs to be purged from this party. I don't care if the rest of us have to get so dirty Karl Rove looks like an angel. Just get them out! Break the fuckers.

Who HAS that type of influence within the party?