Given that their majority is much too slim to override a presidential veto, they are forced into the unenviable position of considering whether to hand over the funds to enbale President Bush to continue his war, despite the fact that nearly every metric out there tells us that things continue to head in the wrong direction, or be seen as depriving our soldiers the tools to fight and protect themselves. More than just a bumper-sticker philosophy, "supporting the troops" is a sticky issue indeed. There are some 160,000 of our own men and women on the ground in Iraq. To date nearly 3,500 have died, and over 26,000 have been wounded in what was supposed to have been a low-casualty, pay-for-itself repeat of the first Persian Gulf War. Here's Joe Biden:
"I believe as long as we have troops in the front line, we're going to have to protect them. We're going to have to fund them."Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have not signaled how they will vote. Chris Dodd will go against the funding bill. John Edwards is shouting on the sidelines for everyone to stand firm and just say no. What makes this moment doubly difficult is the sense that President Bush is simply running out the clock.
He's going to stick to his guns no matter what. His trademark stubbornness will forever be a banner headline from his tenure, and his bullheadedness in Iraq has given rise to a dizzying succession of paradoxes. He led us to believe our invasion was an inextricable part of the fight against terrorism. Quickly, we learned (some of us, anyway) that this wasn't the case. But now, as a result of the lawlessness that followed the toppling of Saddam Hussein, we have indeed turned Iraq into a haven for al-Qaeda. While this latter fact is often pointed to as reason for why we cannot switch course and re-deploy our forces, I would submit that Pakistan (among other places) is also a haven for al-Qaeda, that at this very moment there are operatives in that country who are plotting to do horrific things on U.S. soil, and yet we feel no similar imperative to plunk down 160,000 troops within Pakistan's borders.
But what is real support for our troops? Of course, more body armor helps. More trucks and weapons, too, and all that is required to adequately fight an multi-faceted insurgency. No doubt, if you're a soldier and you have to be "in theater," you want the best equipment available. Then again, what of the overal situation on the ground? What has four-plus years of occupation brought us? Well, the last six months have seen the highest death rates for U.S. soldiers since the start of the war. Another metric? For the first 23 days of May, 321 unidentified corpses have turned up in Baghdad. That number is as high as all the bodies found in January, the month the surge, which was supposed to quell sectarian killings, began.
What to do then, if you're a Democrat in Congress? Like your Republican colleagues, do you wait and see what September brings? Or do you go all in for symbolism, and damn the consequences of being seen as endangering U.S. soldiers. One thing is clear, you sure could have been dealt better cards.
Reader Comments ( Page 2 of 2)
16. The Dems are a bunch of gutless bas-----.
Larry Hauck at 9:41PM on May 24th 2007
17. Well, it's official. The Democrats do not have a backbone. They have caved in the pressure from this president and they have forgotten the reason why they were elected in the first place. Fortunately for us, The next election is in 2 years and is time to vote the useless congressman that voted yes on this coward of a bill.
ematos3 at 10:40PM on May 24th 2007
18. Can you say Draft. I can.
Rap at 12:53AM on May 25th 2007
19. The real suckers are the American people, generally, and the right-wing, racist fundamentalist hypocrits who, when they and Rev. Hoggard hit that Methamphetamine pipe, started "jumpin' up 'n down (they didn't know) thought they were worshipping God. Oh, and the architects of this foolishness: Reagan (in hell now), and Jerry (Porky Pig) Falwell
(in hell too--roasting on a spit),may they both roast in peace (RIP)! What a cookout! Truth is, they have subordinated this country to an unelected, irresponsible, criminally co-conspirative corporate technostructure who are running to the bank with bags of gold, while the hearses are running(non-stop) to the cemetary with our son's and daughter's bodies "full of lead as if they were pencils. Bush stole, like a 'thief in the night" the elections he could never have won fair and square. Nostrils full of cocaine and methamphetamine talking about "God need my help, He told me to start a war. Liar! God don't need this little bastard's help! He don't know God, never will, th' cokalcoholic! While our fellow Americans are bearing the brunt of sacrifice, their 'commander-in-thief' is in Texas "milking" male horses. Yeah! Laura said he "milks 'em all the time" and he loves to eat "dirty Rice, too". Your fellow Republican, Bush's partner, hitting that methamphetamine pipe, jumping up 'n down like Tricknologist and False Prophet Rev. Cecil Williams of Glide Church, after he has hit the crack pipe and had his 'huggermuggers' rob some tourist; said, "The Lord revealed ta me He wanted me to choose better 'hims' for worship, so he went to the gay male massage parlor and chose the "hims" he love to worship. Once he went 'black', he always went back! Bush: "God told me ta start a war! Now look at where we are at! His buddy, Malickit(PM, Iraq) said: "George, my government needs money to rebuild our infrastructure, about $12 bil, in cash; your "commander-in-thief", who never even showed up for active duty, but got and honorable discharge, said: "Okay,sir, Melickit I'll send th' money in cash by C-130 Cargo Planes, Im a war president, report to the oval office in a week. When Bush called him a few weeks later and was told "th' money dropped out of Ayatollah Azaholladadullah's back pocket. Bush, like his old wimpish daddy said: "Gee whiz assadadullah! I'll send th' defacto Preident of th' Uknighted Suckers over to view, first hand, our share of th' loot. You know'em the little beady-eyed bastard that 'tried ta' shoot th' man in th' back, missed, and hit 'em in th' face. Put our share in Halliburton's bag, then tell Assaholelah Dadullah ta kil' som'body and pretend to be dead so we can claim victory in the lovefest with terrorism. The truth is, Bush's mouth is so full of lies that his throat smells "like and open grave". He and his Republican cohorts on the Supreme Court, in the old Republican congress, in the corporate technostructure, and his boot licker at #10 Downing Street in the U.K., have acted as a cartel in an extra-constitutional manner to thwart the wisdom, will, national sovereignty and self determination of the American people. They have subjugated the the church to huggermuggers and pedophiles to make the corporate church the greatest betrayors of Christological ideals. They have committed crimes against humanity that only future generations will know, and will question why no one acted to stop this "kristallnacht" of wrong against the American people in the years of our quiet desperation. It doesn't make any difference which Democrat wins. The truth is"The genocidal and fascistic Republican Party, and Bush (Jacking off males horses in Texas) are 'unfit to rule'!What a losing hand!"
Wolfgang Pit Bullington,III at 1:16PM on May 26th 2007
20. IAM ASHAME TO BE A DEMOCRAT BECAUSE YOU CHOSE TO HELP THIS PRESIDENT ON THIS WAR PATH.YOU ARE ALL THE SAME
AZGUITAR at 8:53AM on May 30th 2007
21. Iam ashame to be a democrat.they do not have a backbone or pride.
AZGUITAR at 1:33PM on May 25th 2007
22. What a bunch of two faced cowards. They put their own political future ahead of the needs of the nation and they will continue to.
I notice that the demcrats that defend the votes defend them in typical liberal fashion, "attack the
the person if you can't defend your position."
The two faced cowards that are fighting it out for the "honor" of running for the presidency should be ashamed of themselves. The only true democrat is
Bill Richardson. The others are pretenders. Cowardly pretenders.
samstar at 11:18PM on May 27th 2007
23. David,
I cannot believe the demecrats that voted for this funding bill. After all the talk about getting our troops out of Iraq they go and vote for the bill to keep them there. The people of this country has spoken. We want out troop out. I would not vote for anyone that voted for this bill. I would like to see a list of the ones who voted for the bill on both side.
Thank you.
Ellen at 9:17AM on May 28th 2007
24. # 5 Carla Meyer
I wrote # 2 and to keep it short and simple, different wars.
I know, not to your nephew, who is in danger in the war zone.
North Vietnam wanted us to leave so they could invade the South and unify the country under communism. North Vietnam had no intrest, desire or capability to attack the U.S. after we left Vietnam.
Democrats advocate we leave Iraq.
During the Clinton years terrorists attacked the World Trade Center for the FRIST time in 1993, killing six, intending to kill thousands.
The truck bomb in the lower level parking garage of The World Trade Center in 1993 was intended to blow out the foundation and bring the entire building down instantly. At 2 or so in the afternoon when the bomb went off the building was full and the death toll would have been double or triple 911.
They attacked us again and again over the next several years in Saudia Arabia, our embassies in Africa, and the U.S.S. Cole. Terrorists plotted and planned to kill Americans for 8 Clinton years. They succeeded many times in the 90's and again in a big way on 911.
(Yes Bush was in office. Bush had only made personnel changes, he had yet to pass his own budget. He was working with what Clinton had left him.)
(Even though he was president for nearly ten years before Pearl Harbor history has not blamed FDR for what happened. Bush was president for only 9 months before 911. Clinton ignored terrorism for 8 years dispite attack after terrorist attack. I think history will be kinder to Bush than Clinton.)
So do you really believe we will be safe if we leave Iraq?
We already tried that under Clinton for 8 years.
"THE CLINTON YEARS SAY OTHERWISE"
While we may have differences in politics I truly hope your nephew is and returns home safe.
PETE at 10:32PM on May 28th 2007
25. now that the president got what he needed i hope they help to pass the inmigration bill with strings atach.
nubado at 8:50AM on May 30th 2007
26. NOW THAT THE PRSIDENT GOT THE MONEY HOPEFULLY THEY WILL PASS THE INMIGRATION BILL OF SAME KIND.
azgutar at 8:52AM on May 30th 2007