As I’m sure you’re aware both houses of congress have passed a bill on a narrow margin that provides funding for the ongoing war, provides funding for some pork barrel projects, and sets a timeline for the US withdrawl of troops if certain conditions are not being met. I saw some clips the other day of Bush giving a timeline for Saddam and his sons to leave Iraq or the US would invade. He believed that certain conditions should be met at a certain time before we should invade. They obviouly didn’t heed his warnings and here we sit four years later.
The democratic party is doing two things with this legislation
1. They are playing politics - they want to send a message to the American people that they think the situation is unsatisfactory and that they want a change
2. They are setting conditions for withdrawl provided the Iraqi govt doesn’t meet certain conditions - they are trying to make us reach certain goals (I’ve been trying to find the bill text but have been unable so far)
The President has a choice
1. He can veto the bill and send it back for changes
2. Accept the bill “as is”
We’re all aware that the president is going to veto this bill and that he will quickly tell us how this funding is urgently needed to continue operations in the mid-east. We all should know that we have money until at least June or July so we do have some time left before the allocated budget is gone.
Ok, either way this situation plays out its one side is going to be wrong (obviously). I wonder what would happen if congress would filibuster the defense spending bill. I know that everyone on the ground would suffer as we depend on supplies to keep us going. Congress would want us to move out and would try to cut of funding to force us to do so. Unfortunately, I think those on the ground would be forced to tough it out.
The President wants us to try the surge method under yet another general in charge of combat operations.
Congress wants us to continue fighting if measurable benchmarks are met.
We all seem to want the same thing but we are fighting about the details.
The one thing that annoys me the most about the situation is that while many people are suffering on both sides of the war some people are making money off the war. People are growing rich while pawns in the middle are dying.
Its a raw shitty deal and I wish we could just all hug and be done with it. Its a shame our intolerance for eachother has driven us to this point.
Tags: Bush, Democrat, fun, Iraq, politics, war
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