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 And the War Goes OnPosted on May 24, 2007
With a backdrop of increased sectarian violence, the discovery of a missing U.S. soldier’s corpse and the president’s promise of more troop casualties, Congress has approved $100 billion in funding for the Iraq war. Bush is happy with the bill, but from her comments, it’s clear House Speaker Nancy Pelosi isn’t: “This is like a fig leaf, this is a token, this is a small step forward; instead we should have a giant step forward into a new direction.”
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By madpeasant, May 27, 2007 at 12:50 pm #
Right on “skyrider”- the debate about troop pullout is a smokescreen to keep the sheeple in line. Super Bases are the future foriegn policy of America, and the coalition of the willing for the next generation or two.
The spaceship is running out of fuel, becoming more overcrowded,and polluted while the money controled media feeds us garbage, lies, and bull. We will die from our addiction to oil and ease. I suspect that the majority of the sheeple could not find Iraq on a map if it was the only one colored a different hue of blood red. Let the insanity continue. Support our troops . . . ?
#72742 by skyrider on 5/25 at 12:06 pm
(1 comments total)
Permanent US Bases in Iraq are supported by the Democratic Party Leadership!
ASK THEM YOURSELF! I have asked and received the answer from the Democratic Party Leaders that Permanent US Bases in Iraq are needed for the trading and support of the Iraqi military. If the Democratic Party Leaders will not say they are against Permanent US Bases in Iraq, then they are for them!
There are at least four super-bases in Iraq, none of which have anything to do with withdrawal from that country. Quite the contrary, these bases have been constructed as little American islands of eternal order in an anarchic sea. Whatever top administration officials and Democratic Party leaders say - and they always deny that the US seeks permanent bases in Iraq - facts on the ground speak with another voice entirely. These bases practically scream permanency. One of the enduring mysteries of this war is that reporting on US bases in Iraq has been almost non-existent these past years
Report thisBy Marjorie L. Swanson, May 27, 2007 at 9:30 am #
Just add the Blue Dog Democrats, AKA Democrats in Name Only to the Yellow Belly Democrats and you get most of what resides in Washington D.C. There were 14 “Representatives” of the people in the Senate and 178 “Representatives” of the people in the House. The rest are just taking up space and wasting oxygen. I sent money to Claire McCaskill and I want it back.
Report thisBy James Yell, May 27, 2007 at 9:22 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
There was years of proof that Saudi Arabia furnished the money for terror, paid for the schools which taught religous terror and 9/11 was wholly Saudi lead. So when Dennis Miller said on Tonight Show that he thought we should kill all the terrorists, why then does he support the mess in Iraq? Is it terror to fight an enemy who has invaded ones country without ones country having been a threat to the invading army? In fact we know the invasion was hyped by Bush/Cheney Administration. Plenty of reason to believe it was motivated by wish to steal or control the oil of Iraq, while providing cover to the Saudi complicity in creating the dynamics that lead to 9/11.
What does the right wing think a terrorist is, a person protecting themselves from a brazen, robbery?
Report thisBy Fadel Abdallah, May 26, 2007 at 11:37 am #
The latest U.S. military atrocities comes in the form of a military airlift of weapons to the Lebanese government. Hardly recovering from Israels brutal attack on it last summer, what Lebanon needs most is financial help and diplomatic effors to diffuse the tensions and to rebuild its infrastructure destroyed by evil Israel.
When the average person in Lebanon and the area hears about Americas so-called help to the Lebanese government in the form of a military airlift, the only thing he / she will see is that U.S. is only adding fuel to fire. And the stupid ignorant Americans would continue to say: They hate us for our freedom and democracy! What a bullshit that keeps coming out of this Nazi-like American administration!
Report thisBy Fadel Abdallah, May 26, 2007 at 11:03 am #
In the world of professional politics there is no room for ethics, morality, commonsense, humanity or farsightedness!
There is room only for personal immediate interests, expediency, opportunism, pandering to self-interest powerful lobbies and false rhetoric.
Report thisBy atheo, May 25, 2007 at 5:56 pm #
Jim Mora on the dims:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3NDiMorX-o
Report thisBy skyrider, May 25, 2007 at 4:06 pm #
Permanent US Bases in Iraq are supported by the Democratic Party Leadership!
ASK THEM YOURSELF! I have asked and received the answer from the Democratic Party Leaders that Permanent US Bases in Iraq are needed for the trading and support of the Iraqi military. If the Democratic Party Leaders will not say they are against Permanent US Bases in Iraq, then they are for them!
There are at least four “super-bases” in Iraq, none of which have anything to do with “withdrawal” from that country. Quite the contrary, these bases have been constructed as little American islands of eternal order in an anarchic sea. Whatever top administration officials and Democratic Party leaders say - and they always deny that the US seeks “permanent” bases in Iraq - facts on the ground speak with another voice entirely. These bases practically scream “permanency”. One of the enduring mysteries of this war is that reporting on US bases in Iraq has been almost non-existent these past years
The Permanent US bases fit snugly with other Pentagon plans. For instance, Iraqs 400,000-man military has been replaced by a 100,000-man, lightly armed military without armor or an air force. (In an otherwise heavily armed region, this ensured that any Iraqi government would be almost totally reliant on the US military and that the US Air Force would, by default, be the Iraqi Air Force for years to come.)
As long as KBR keeps building them, making their facilities ever more enduring and ever more valuable, there can be no genuine “withdrawal” from Iraq, nor even an intention of doing so. The administration does not discuss them (other than to deny their permanency from time to time). No presidential speeches deal with them. No plans for them are debated in Congress. The opposition Democrats generally ignore them and the press won’t even put the words “base”, “permanent” and “Iraq” in the same paragraph. It may be hard to do, given the skimpy coverage, but keep your eyes directed at our “super-bases”. Until the administration blinks on them, there will be no withdrawal from Iraq.
_________________
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it. Mark Twain
Report thisBy loveinatub, May 25, 2007 at 3:53 pm #
This is like a fig leaf, this is a token, this is a small step forward, instead we should have a giant step forward into a new direction.
Thank, Nancy! And you helped to craft this PIECE OF SH-T BILL which continues to fund the war! Just so you could vote no against it??? YOU HIPOCRITE! YOU FAILURE! YOU MISERABLE EXCUSE of a first woman HOUSE SPEAKER!
F-YOU to the Dems. F-YOU to the Repubs. The two party system SUCKS!
Report thisBy loveinatub, May 25, 2007 at 3:34 pm #
This is like a fig leaf, this is a token, this is a small step forward, instead we should have a giant step forward into a new direction.
Thank, Nancy! And you helped to craft this PIECE OF SHIT BILL which continues to fund the war! Just so you could vote no against it??? YOU HIPOCRITE! YOU FAILURE! YOU MISERABLE EXCUSE of a first woman HOUSE SPEAKER!
F-YOU to the Dems. F-YOU to the Repubs. The two party system SUCKS!
Report thisBy James, May 25, 2007 at 1:54 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
2 Points
1 The problem isn’t a veto proof majority or peeling off enough Republic Party votes. The problem is the split in the Democrats. The Republic Party is peeling off Democrats. Pelosi may have had to cut deals to get the first bill passed. She may have promised not to out everyone of the Democrats who won’t cut off the funding. She probably had the choice of this bill or have the party siding with the Republic Party to pass it anyway. She probably wont be able to lead if she whips the Democrats by outting them. She could use her bully pulpit to bemoan the state of fear in the Democrats that they will be labeled soft on terror in the 08 election. She could be willing to lose an election in order to represent the views of the Majority. It would have been difficult for Democrats to vote for the war funding if the Left leaning leadership decided to abandon funding. Pressure perhaps needs to be put on the Democrats instead of the former Governer of Texas who is not going to be persuaded.
2 The stakes are high. Political parties have been destroyed by positioning themselves strongly in the wrong direction. Apparently this happened in the War of 1812. And really aren’t we one terror attack away from Dictatorship? Perhaps the Dems are considering issues of Political Life and Death. Afterall 80, 90 percent supported the War to begin with. How hard is it going to be to pull those numbers up when we get hit again which to quote many republic party members ” is 100 percent certain ” I wonder how they know that.
Report thisBy Louise, May 25, 2007 at 1:50 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
Suggest you all visit http://www.democracynow.org and watch the interview with Senator Dennis Kucinich yesterday. (Thursday, May 24th) and today’s interview with retired Major General John Batiste (Friday May 25th)
Then you might want to click on: http://kucinich.us/ And offer your support.
And finally a note to Nancy Pelosi suggesting that perhaps now that it’s perfectly clear the only way the dems can work with Bush is to bend over and take it where the sun don’t shine, she may want to rethink IMPEACHMENT.
Suggest she visit: http://kucinich.house.gov/SpotlightIssues/documents.htm
One other thing needs to be pointed out to Pelosi and all the rest of the Democrats in congress.
You can bet somebody out there is saying, “See, women cant lead any better than men? You want something done, forget about putting a woman in charge!”
I personally do not believe what sex or color a person is affects their ability to function under pressure. But you can bet next weeks Twinkies, a lot of folks do.
Report thisBy Hammo, May 25, 2007 at 1:44 pm #
Do Bush-Cheney and their neocon and war-profiteer associates want a permanent US occupation and permanent US bases in Iraq?
Was that one of the main reasons for the invasion? If so, they plan to stay there for years, decades.
There may be layers upon layers of secret agendas and deception here. Take a look at:
“‘Mistakes’ or ‘plans’ in Iraq, War on Terror?”
http://www.populistamerica.com/mistakes_or_plans_in_iraq_war_on_terror
Report thisBy Jeanine Molloff, May 25, 2007 at 1:37 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
I agree—this SHOULD have been a giant step forward, instead of the cowardly supine position the Dems have adopted. Pelosi, Reid, Clinton, Obama, etc., all KNOW the answer to the mess—REPEAL THE WAR DECLARATION ON IRAQ. FURTHERMORE—DENY BUSH/CHENEY & CO. ANY OTHER WAR DECLARATIONS INCLUDING ON IRAN. CONGRESS MUST DO IT’S CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY. ONLY CONGRESS HAS THE LEGAL RIGHT TO DECLARE WAR—NOT THE EXECUTIVE. ANYTHING LESS IN UNACCEPTABLE, WITH ALL OF CONGRESS IN BREACH OF THEIR MANDATED DUTY. IT’S TIME TO FLOOD CONGRESS WITH E-MAILS, PHONE CALLS, SNAIL MAIL AND LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST—FOIAA REQUESTS(FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT REQUESTS). TIE UP THEIR STAFFS WITH SO MANY FOIA REQUESTS—THAT THEY CAN’T GET ANYTHING ELSE DONE. TIME TO USE THE INITIATIVE AND THE RECALL TO OUST THE COLLABORATORS FROM OFFICE AND REPLACE THEM WITH ELECTED REPS WHO WILL FOLLOW THE CONSTITUTION AND BILL OF RIGHTS. TIME TO REPEAL ALL OF THE UNCONSTITUTIONAL ACTS OF THIS ADMINISTRATION. TIME TO IMPEACH. IMPEACH CHENEY FIRST—THEN SHRUB. TIME TO RECLAIM OUR DEMOCRACY. TIME TO BE AMERICANS ONCE AGAIN. AS FOR ME—I’M READY TO CONSIDER RUNNING MYSELF. SOMETIMES A FLOOD STARTS WITH A SINGLE RAINDROP.
Jeanine Molloff
Report thisBy Casy, May 25, 2007 at 7:11 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
The passage of the Iraq funding bill finally shows what a SPINELESS and GUTLESS majority the Democrats are. They have capitulated their mandate to the maniacal whims of one very dangerous man occupying the presidency. The Democrats are powerless and impotent.
Message to the Democrats in Congress - don’t even try to spin this. WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID!
This politically expedient act of cowardice simply ensures that more American and Iraqi blood will be spilled until September, where it is a foregone conclusion that Bush the Idiot and his minions will find ways of continuting this illegal and immoral war. The Democrats now also have blood on their hands.
For the first time in my life I am truly worried we are headed for a much larger conflagration. It seems not even an electoral mandate can effect a change of course because the Democrats are in such pathetic disarray. Bush can now go after Iran. Who is going to stop him - the Democrats? Give me a break! Like I said earlier, they are SPINELESS and GUTLESS!
Report thisBy madeline boyle, May 25, 2007 at 4:04 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
Bush could give the Medal of Honor to Gonzales and then chop a few heads off and Congress would bow and applaud. Bush has to go if America is to be saved.
Report thisBy RAE, May 25, 2007 at 2:05 am #
It’s unbelievable insanity. The USA has 40 MILLION citizens who struggle daily without any medical coverage - can’t afford it says the administration - while Congress OKs blowing… BLOWING… 100 MILLION MORE on a wa…. NO, NOT A WAR… on an ILLEGAL INVASION OF A SOVEREIGN NATION.
And the US wonders why the rest of the world hates it.
Duh.
Report thisBy atheo, May 25, 2007 at 1:26 am #
And Now It’s a Democratic War
Kerrycrats All!
By DAVE LINDORFF
The defining moment of the disastrous and laughable presidential campaign of John Kerry for president came when he tried to explain his vacillating and spineless position on the Iraq War, saying, of an earlier war funding appropriations bill “I voted for the bill before I voted against it.”
That sleazy, two-faced, slippery effort to have it both ways, to give himself the ability to tell some voters he was “supporting the troops” while telling others he was “against the war,” sank his candidacy faster than any swiftboat cannonfire could have hoped to.
Now Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and a whole slew of so-called Congressional progressives, are trying the same gambit. Pelosi and Reid, too timid to seriously confront President Bush and call a halt to the disastrous war on Iraq by simply refusing to fund it, have orchestrated a bill that provides the president full funding to carry on with the killing for the rest of his term, while allowing those of them who have to confront anti-war voters to claim they voted against their own measure.
“I will vote against this bill,” says Pelosi, who personally crafted this cave-in to Bush and Cheney.
The whole Democratic Party caucus in Congress has morphed horribly into John Kerry clones.
They will be voting against the war funding bill that they engineered, knowing that with Republican support, the bill will pass and go to the president with no strings attached.
The Iraq War is now fully a Democratic War. The hand-off is complete, just as the handoff of the Democratic Vietnam War was handed off to Richard Nixon and the Republicans in 1968.
One can only hope that the Kerrycrats, including Pelosi, Reid, and the rest, will suffer the same fate as did presidential candidate John Kerry, in the coming primaries and the 2008 general election.
Voters remember: It’s not what candidates say; it’s what they actually do, or don’t do.
Report thisBy louis stroud, May 25, 2007 at 1:19 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
everytime bush opens his mouth and speaks, he is lying or trying to cover up another lie, geez, doesn’t anybody but edwards see this?, or do the congressmen and madam congressmen all enjoy the bribes like the exutive branch? get our kids home!! for god sakes, they are just getting slaughtered over there, sending short patrols, with 7 or 8 troops, they need much more than that, the air force is haveing to use their air national guard tankers for hauling caskets home, not enough frieghters? this is not a planned event, we just don’t have enough troops for this kind of war, we use to know not to enter into this kind of war, building to building, street to street, just nuts, bring the kids home and fly the planes, we need a big sand pile anyway, there i have said it.
Report thisBy secretmojo, May 25, 2007 at 1:01 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
It’s great acheivements like these that separate the Democrats from the Republicans. While a Republican Congress would simply fund the President’s unpopular war, this Democratic Congress is brave enough to simply fund the President’s unpopular war.
Report thisBy desertdude, May 25, 2007 at 12:15 am #
Just like Vietnam all over again. The Marines are reporting that they can’t get needed equipment. You mean it could be like Vietnam when supplies ended up in the hands of the Vietnamies. Nothing but a waste of billions of dollars and more US Deaths. The Congress is doing what they want not what the people want. IMPEACH THE PRESIDENT AND THE CONGRESS NOTHING BUT A WASTE OF TAXPAYERS MONEY.
Report thisBy DennisD, May 25, 2007 at 12:10 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
“This is like a fig leaf, this is a token, this is a small step forward, instead we should have a giant step forward into a new direction”. And just who the hell was elected to get us there Nancy? She may not be “happy” with the bill but she sure won’t be the one dying because of its passage either. The country’s leadership bar can’t possibly get measurably lower. Can it?
Report thisBy Esteban, May 24, 2007 at 11:42 pm #
I am ashamed that my representatives have dishonored our valiant troops by not supporting their immediate withdrawal from Iraq. Keeping them there any longer under the delusion that the situation is “winable” is a national disgrace. May all who voted in favor of this continued funding be haunted by the ghosts of our dead and the Iraqi dead.
Report thisBy QuyTran, May 24, 2007 at 11:28 pm #
More Iraq war funding means more troops sacrificed in vain and more innocent people killed.
Report this