Dems Schedule Surprise Vote To De-Fund War Today
The Hill:
Senate Democrats have scheduled a vote Tuesday on a measure to end the Iraq war, interrupting their plans to emphasize their party’s response to the housing crisis.
Instead of turning immediately to the economy, the issue now dominating the presidential campaign, the Senate on Tuesday will hold procedural votes on a pair of bills by Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) that would yank the military’s funding in Iraq in 120 days and require the administration to send Congress a status report on the war against al Qaeda.
Even though Democrats are not shy about pointing to March 19, the five-year anniversary of the start of the war, they are not eager about holding this week’s votes on Iraq because they know they could be used by Republicans looking for more ammunition against their candidates, aides say. As soon as the votes end, the chamber will immediately turn to a bill aimed at easing the housing crunch, which — unlike the Iraq measures — Democrats plan to talk about at length this week, including after their policy luncheon Tuesday afternoon.
Despite the unpopularity of the war, the votes will give Republicans and their presumptive nominee, Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), the opportunity to accuse Senate Democrats of trying to choke off funding when there are signs of military progress in Baghdad. McCain is making his support for the war a centerpiece of his presidential platform heading into November.
The withdrawal measure is certain to fail Tuesday, and would mark the fifth time it has been rejected by the Senate in the 110th Congress.
The hesitation in talking about Iraq marks a dramatic shift from last year, when Democrats held continual Iraq votes to put pressure on centrist Republicans to distance themselves from President Bush’s sagging popularity and back troops withdrawals.
Now they are less likely to defect because doing so would show that Republicans are breaking from McCain, a stalwart supporter of the war, Democrats say. With violence down and the economy the dominant issue on voters’ minds, there is also less pressure on them to back a withdrawal from Iraq, Republicans say.
While Democrats say they plan to keep the pressure on the Bush administration to change course in Iraq, they are now emphasizing the economic impacts resulting from the war’s costs. Their base appears to be resigned to the fact that Congress won’t be able to force a change in military strategy this year and is instead planning a series of ads to make Republicans pay for their war support at the polls.
With the support of ex-senator and -presidential candidate John Edwards (D-N.C.), anti-war groups announced on Monday a $20 million campaign to go after McCain and other war supporters in Congress with television advertising campaigns and voter mobilization programs.
The coalition, which calls itself the Iraq/Recession Campaign, is seeking to tie the downturn in the economy to the war costs, and plans also to target Republican senators up for reelection, including Susan Collins (Maine), John Sununu (N.H.), Norm Coleman (Minn.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.). The coalition includes MoveOn.org, the Service Employees International Union and the Center for American Progress.
But members of the coalition would not commit to a strategy calling on Democrats in Congress to block any further war funding. Instead, they spoke generally about how lawmakers should have a role on the issue.
“We absolutely agree that Congress has that power, needs to exercise that power and we’ll work with them to do so,” said Jeff Blum, executive director of USAction, a grassroots liberal advocacy group.
The fact that groups loyal to the Democratic Party announced a big Iraq push just as Senate Democrats plan to move quickly away from the war this week is another indication that uncertainty over who will be the Democratic presidential nominee is having an impact on who will set the party’s agenda. Messages will likely continue to be mixed until either Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) or Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) secures the nod, analysts say.
Despite the expected defeat of the Democratic Iraq measures Tuesday, anti-war activists say Republicans are in the tougher position. And Democratic leadership aides say that the votes will again portray the stark difference between the two parties on the issue.
“Their base still thinks the war should be supported, and they’re reluctant to break from the president, but they’re facing an electorate that’s more diverse and more independent,” said John Isaacs, executive director for the anti-war group Council for a Livable World. “In 2008, the strategy from the Democratic leadership seems to be to force the Republicans to go on record for the war, or break with their president and presidential nominee.”
Be respectful of others and their opinions. Inflammatory remarks and inane leftist drivel will be deleted. It ain’t about free speech, remember you’re in a private domain. My website, my prerogative.
If you can't handle using your real email address, don't bother posting a comment.
Time to lock and load.
February 26th, 2008 at 2:24 ambunch of incompetent assholes. I think they have more important things to do, like passing the terrorist surveillance act. or do something productive for the country instead of stabbing our troops in the back
February 26th, 2008 at 3:45 amthe average adult has about 5 quarts of blood in them
I would like to see gallons of it run down the streets of D.C.
February 26th, 2008 at 4:46 amDitto
Ditto
Ditto
February 26th, 2008 at 5:46 amPurgamentum init, exit purgamentum.
February 26th, 2008 at 6:02 amThe first stop the troops make on their way back home should be the D.C. capital building. That’s a house that really needs to be cleared.
February 26th, 2008 at 6:31 amIf I were Bush my report on al Qaeda would read: Although substantial progress has been made in the middle east theater.
Al Qaeda operations remain fully operational and unchallenged in Washington D.C.
“The coalition, which calls itself the Iraq/Recession Campaign, is seeking to tie the downturn in the economy to the war costs, and plans also to target Republican senators up for reelection”
Anti-American terrorist propaganda group is going to go around nationally and try to smear these local candidates in their elections? If this Bullshit isn’t stopped soon, we are going to have a civil war, no kidding.
February 26th, 2008 at 6:35 amThe traitor-crats are making the war and our soldiers political pawns AGAIN.
Article:
“McCain is making his support for the war a centerpiece of his presidential platform heading into November.”
They’re try to force a defeat in Iraq so their presidential candidates can attack McCain.
“See, the Iraq war was a waste, McCain was wrong. Vote for me.”
Their lust for power is like rabbis infecting their minds.
February 26th, 2008 at 6:46 amRabid dogs get put down don’t they?
Man, how many times do the democraps have to bang their collective heads into the same wall?
is back, yea!
February 26th, 2008 at 7:00 amA quick look at Oscar viewership (didn’t watch, can’t stand those assholes either) shows that most people are tired of hearing the same old tired crap. Let our troops do their job and be grateful for the job they do.
Being self-absorbed and so filled of hate for the United States since ‘75, I think it will have finally turned around on them and by November pro-US people will have wised up and sent them packing. I hope. I live in one of the wealthiest suburbs in the US, (not that I’m rich, they do have “cheap” apartments) it’s called the Main Line, west of Philadelphia. Been here for 300 years. They should have figured that it’s the United States that has handed them everything they have. Why do they insist on being communists, I mean democrats?
February 26th, 2008 at 7:10 amhey, and they’re not defunding berkeley. Wonder who really controls congress, eh?
on a lighter note:
February 26th, 2008 at 7:24 amDe-Fund Congress
Then (Hugh) Time to lock and load.
I’m 99.999999% sure the “troops” would be on OUR side … and {surprised-gasp!} THEY have the guns!!! Big `uns too! Reawwy REAWWY BIG GUNS … and fast planes {inserct Warthog growl here} and choppers! Just one or two JDAMs would turn the Capitol into pretty little white pebbles …
February 26th, 2008 at 7:28 amGreat Pic, Traitor Pelosi should be under a berka though!
February 26th, 2008 at 7:40 amI can not believe these people actually call themselves Americans!! To stab our military in the back like this is a travesty.
I could not agree more! Time to lock and load and clean house in D.C. It is long over due!!
Their little campaign had the effect of making me send John McCain money I wasn’t going to otherwise send.I hope all those “hooked on a feeling” Obama dreamers wake up and smell the Socialist coffee being brewed for them.
February 26th, 2008 at 10:18 amPOD1;
What do you have against rabbis? Nice Jewish “teachers”, who don’t actually infect minds, AFAIK.
The P & R Gong Show continues; they’ve really gone so far down the surrender road they have to carry on, I guess. It’s getting transparent enough that even Dems can probably see what’s going on.
February 26th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
February 26th, 2008 at 12:20 pmI can just hear Pelosi saying, “Treason is the highest form of patriotism…”
February 26th, 2008 at 3:12 pmWhy do I suddenly think using the new gun emo on the dem-topic threads is going to get me in deep shit with the FBI?
(I’ll use the beer emo as my “I’m the victim not the perp” lib-defense … I was drunk, your honor!)
February 26th, 2008 at 4:24 pmWow, we have guns and beer!
Thank you Chad!
Oh, uhm, what they all said already.
We really need to deal with the enemy domesticly now.
February 26th, 2008 at 8:52 pmThat picture gives me the creeps because it is so accurate.
Scary, scary, scary! Go to www.FreedomsEnemies.com to really get an eyeful of Obuma. Civil war, really? I am not very good but I might manage to plug something ha! ha! ha!
February 27th, 2008 at 12:23 am