Congress’ Missing Backbone

http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/20080627_congress_missing_backbone/

Posted on Jun 27, 2008

After doing everything but follow the overwhelming anti-war mandate given by voters in the 2006 congressional elections, the Democratic-controlled Congress accepted a war bill late Thursday that will keep U.S. troops in Iraq until at least Jan. 20.

The Guardian: The Democratic-controlled US Congress late yesterday [Thursday] agreed to keep the military in Iraq until George Bush leaves office while also giving $62bn in new education benefits to veterans of the war. The massive war bill faced little opposition after Bush reached a deal with Democrats, exchanging unrestricted war money for the veterans’ education as well as 13 extra weeks of employment benefits for Americans hit by a faltering economy. “At a time when 2m men and women have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan and when our troops have had to endure multiple deployments ... and an unclear strategy, giving them the opportunity to fuel our future economy is the least we can do,” Senate Democratic majority leader Harry Reid said yesterday. Read more

jumpcut.com / anselpixel2

Protesters send Congress a backbone in a 2007 anti-war demonstration. Bush used a $62-billion veterans education program to buy the requisite Democratic votes to ensure the U.S. doesn’t “cut and run” on his watch.