Echoing GOP attacks, AP, CNN's Roberts suggested Dem bill would "cut off" funds, strand troops

http://mediamatters.org/items/200704180005

An April 18 Associated Press article by Anne Flaherty on the standoff between congressional Democrats and President Bush over supplemental funding for the Iraq war reported that Democrats "remain divided" on whether to "cut off money" for the war, which, the article said, would "risk leaving troops in the lurch." The suggestion that legislation advocated by some in Congress "risk{s} leaving troops in the lurch" echoes recent comments from President Bush. But while some members of Congress support plans to eliminate funding for operations in Iraq, none has advocated abandoning U.S. troops now in the field. Indeed, Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI), who has sponsored a bill to end funding for combat operations after March 31, 2008, recently took issue with a similar claim made by CNN anchor John Roberts. On the April 15 edition of CNN's Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer, Roberts said that "it's very difficult to make an argument to cut off the funds in the middle of a war" for "the troops in the field." Feingold noted that his bill provides funding for troops and only "prohibit{s} funds for continued military operations after" March 2008. And, as Media Matters for America has noted, both Democratic-led houses of Congress have passed legislation providing funding to support the troops in Iraq, while Bush has promised to veto that funding if it doesn't meet his conditions.

Moreover, the AP article falsely claimed that the Senate's war funding bill "would require that Bush begin pulling out an unspecified number of troops right away." In fact, the bill calls for withdrawal from Iraq to begin 120 days after the bill is enacted.

From the April 18 AP article, headlined "Democrats weigh next step in Iraq challenge":

Congressional Democrats say there is no doubt President Bush will soon be confronted with legislation calling for an end to the Iraq war. But the new majority must decide how far to go in trying to tie Bush's hands and what will happen after the president's inevitable veto.

The debate is likely to expose fissures among Democrats, who remain divided on whether to cut off money for the unpopular war and risk leaving troops in the lurch.

and repeat lies? Are there any journalists with integrity any more?

:(

US Corp. Media has been and is still complicit in the Iraq Fiasco.