The Final Collapse Of The Democrat Congress
Senate Dems Plan New Round of Iraq Votes Before July 4 Holiday
“We’re going to hold the president’s feet to the fire,” Reid, D-Nev., told reporters after emerging from a closed-door meeting with Senate Democrats. Under Reid’s plan, the Senate will cast separate votes on whether to cut off funding for combat next year, order troop withdrawals within four months, impose stricter standards on the length of combat tours and rescind congressional authorization for the Iraqi invasion. Despite the proposals’ dim prospects, the staged votes will refocus debate on Capitol Hill on an issue where voters have typically favored Democrats over Republicans.”
Why are you and I paying the bill for a Congress of nothing but poltical theater instead of work and legislation?
Jun 12 07:49 PM US/Eastern
By ANNE FLAHERTY
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Tuesday the Senate will face another round of votes on the Iraq war before the July Fourth recess, a strategy intended to show that Democrats are not giving up on efforts to bring troops home.
While the measures are unlikely to pass, the announcement comes as party leaders are under fire by many liberal supporters for passing legislation that funds the war through September.
“We’re going to hold the president’s feet to the fire,” Reid, D-Nev., told reporters after emerging from a closed-door meeting with Senate Democrats.
Under Reid’s plan, the Senate will cast separate votes on whether to cut off funding for combat next year, order troop withdrawals within four months, impose stricter standards on the length of combat tours and rescind congressional authorization for the Iraqi invasion.
The measures likely will be offered as amendments to the 2008 defense authorization bill, a measure that approves some $649 billion in military spending.
Reid and other congressional leaders, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, planned to meet with President Bush on Wednesday to discuss security issues in the Middle East. According to aides, the bipartisan meeting was expected to focus on Iran.
The legislative proposals will probably fall short of the 60 votes needed to pass controversial legislation under Senate rules. Many GOP members say they are willing to wait until September before they call for change, giving the president’s new strategy of Iraq a chance to work.
The proposal to cut off money for U.S. combat is particularly far fetched. Many leading Democrats, including Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., oppose the drastic move because it would be seen as Democrats turning their backs on the troops.
Despite the proposals’ dim prospects, the staged votes will refocus debate on Capitol Hill on an issue where voters have typically favored Democrats over Republicans. It also forces GOP members to put themselves on the record as either supporting a politically unpopular war or breaking with their president.
“I think the ground is going to continue to shift,” said Levin. “I think that by September if not earlier, enough Republicans will be joining us to change course in Iraq. And if there’s enough Republicans joining us, the administration will see that handwriting on the wall.”
Last month, Democrats helped push through legislation funding the war for another four months, triggering a backlash from liberal voters who helped Democrats take control of Congress in the November elections. Reid and other party leaders said they didn’t have a choice.
Holding a razor thin majority—51-49 in the Senate—Democrats were unable to override Bush’s veto. Of the 51 senators who caucus with the Democrats, Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., was unable to vote due to an illness and Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., sided with Bush.
Reid spoke Tuesday on the phone with a group of liberal bloggers he acknowledged helped drive the anti-war debate.
“I understand their disappointment,” Reid said. “We raised the bar too high.”
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When in doubt? WASTE MORE TIME!!!! Teddy, ‘nother beer?
June 12th, 2007 at 4:52 pm“They” are unhappy with the drop in approval rating of Pelosi. Soros is pissed. The Leftist Dems are in a wringer. Its just too much pressure for these people who never got results before. They never knew what its like to have a boss before. King Soros needs to hijack a new crowd, but there is no other to hijack until the new Muslim party comes out.
June 12th, 2007 at 5:25 pmits been a tradition since korea for congress to avoid doing its duty in making formal declarations of war so that later when the war is un popular among some of the constituencies they can blame the president for their lack of leadership.
congress has become more useless as the years go by.
June 12th, 2007 at 5:42 pmI hope they watch their children die slowly from some nasty disease
June 12th, 2007 at 6:03 pmGive em all the rope they need to hang themselves with. We’re taking names.. We know who to hold responsible.
June 12th, 2007 at 7:05 pmHarry Reid….somebody explain to me why he is wasting our oxygen!!! Nancy pelosi….well I don’t need to say anything there (_________…just fill in your own thought - that will do)!!
June 12th, 2007 at 7:41 pmAs a Navy PA (prior Corpsman of 12 yrs before commission) I am so glas to see that our democratic led congress is operating so efficiently and effectively prior to my redeployment next month to Iraq. Just gives me the warm fuzzy feeling inside. God I hope we get it right in 08!
that’s it… dick-head reid needs to be bbq’d.
let’s find some “closed door meeting” dirt on reid….
we know he’s a sick bastard.
hold Bush’s feet to the fire my ass.
June 12th, 2007 at 7:56 pmThe less they accomplish the better off we all are. Let them continue to bang their chests while we quietly rebuild our base and wait for late ‘08. Let Hillary and Barry battle it out to the death. If those two dolts are the best Soros has, bring it on. Fortunately for us, he is old. Patience, people. Every dog has its day.
June 12th, 2007 at 8:23 pmSadly, too many people in this country/world have not had enough tragedy in their lives to realize that what Bush/America is doing - IS THE RIGHT COURSE OF ACTION.
This nation clearly, in order to survive, needs to take the fight to those who will facilitate its demise, INCLUDING IRAN. Fuck them!
When the shit gets REALLY ugly, as in, in your neighborhood, they will ALL change their tune, and they will ALL come running for assistance, and be more than willing to provide support. …Count on it!
Fear not, though, as long as the citizenry of America are free to bitch/piss/moan/complain about “the government,” things are pretty damn good, all around.
…I hope it never comes to that, and God help us all if it does… ’cause all bets are off, folks.
June 12th, 2007 at 9:11 pmIf the Democrats keep pounding at this issue and get-nothing-else done turning the people off, maybe the people will vote in another Republican President and Congress next year.
June 12th, 2007 at 9:12 pmIf they had the balls they’d just cut funding for the ‘non-war on non-terror,’.
(strength of convictions?)
But they don’t.
They suck -
June 12th, 2007 at 9:41 pmPat, you are doing your volunteer job here extremely well. I love watching them squirm on hooks of their own making. Now is it too much to hope for some bipartisan action to save this ONE Nation Under God? Don’t care which God or whatcha call It.
*cheers* Janica
June 13th, 2007 at 1:47 am
If Nevadians vote had any brains they should either impeach Senator Reid or vote him out of office in his next election! Hey Harry! If you do get voted out you can always run for office in my state! The People’s Socialist Republic of Kalifornia!
June 13th, 2007 at 4:50 amThe democrat party, in general and on the whole, has become a parody of itself (with much help from the LMSM). As has been said, “The Truth Is Out There”.
Making the hot rounds the last couple days is a video of Algore blasting Bush 41 over NOT taking Saddam and Iraq seriously and doing something about it. Compare and contrast that to what he says about Bush 43 and Iraq today. (Look for the actual Gore video on you tube under the title - Gore criticizes Bush for ignoring Iraq’s ties to terrorism)
This stuff is out there, and the lazy-assed news media either doesn’t bother looking it up, researching it, or just plain refuses to “feed” it to the viewing public who blindly sit and drink in their slop everyday.
Couple that with the Ex-CNN guy, Larry Register, who just resigned “From US-Funded Al Hurrah Over Charges of Anti-Israel and Anti-US Bias” …
I want to blow chunks every time I hear someone poo-poo the argument that the MSM is not only biased, but has an antiAmerican and antiBush agenda.
June 13th, 2007 at 6:26 amThe demorats become more irrelevant every day.
June 13th, 2007 at 6:36 amwhy cant somthing be done about this guy soros this guy is b.s.
June 13th, 2007 at 7:42 am“If the Democrats keep pounding at this issue and get-nothing-else done turning the people off, maybe the people will vote in another Republican President and Congress next year.”
Yup. I hope so. Political posturing at our expense, and I’m getting damn tired of it.
June 13th, 2007 at 8:53 amIt’s so they can sneak the biggest tax increase in American history through without anyone ever knowing about it… Oh yeah, and single-handedly destroying a booming economy and cursing our young generations to social welfare bankruptcy.
June 13th, 2007 at 10:16 amMaybe this all explains why Harry Reid’s poll numbers are at 16%. I can’t wait for the election when Harry gets his pink (very appropriate, don’t you think?) slip from the voters in Nevada,
June 13th, 2007 at 10:23 am[…] The Final Collapse Of The Democrat Congress June 13th, 2007 — budsimmons The Final Collapse Of The Democrat Congress […]
June 13th, 2007 at 2:12 pmi think its time every person in uniform realizes that the american public will vote them to war and wave flags as they send them to a foreign country, then within a year all hate the conflict and act like they never were for it in the first place. the american public is a bunch of pussies.
June 13th, 2007 at 2:36 pmE4Puke - -
June 13th, 2007 at 4:55 pmQualify your statement dude! It’s not the American Pubic - it’s the Democrats- period. The Conservative Republicans have it right on!