GOP Engineers Sham Vote on Iraq

The fierce debate on the Iraq war that began in Congress on Thursday will culminate on Friday with a nonbinding resolution that includes: labeling the Iraq war as part of the war on terror, and opposition to setting an “arbitrary” withdrawal date. Democrats decried the vote as an election-year sham.

AP:

House Republicans engineered an election-year debate on Iraq to show support for U.S. troops and force lawmakers, particularly Democrats, to take a position on withdrawing American forces from a conflict that is in its fourth year.

The debate culminates Friday, when the House votes on a nonbinding resolution that praises U.S. troops, labels the Iraq war part of the larger global fight against terrorism and says an “arbitrary date for the withdrawal or redeployment” of troops is not in the national interest.

“When our freedom is challenged, Americans do not run,” House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., said.

“This war is a failed policy of the Bush administration,” countered House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California. “We need a new direction in Iraq.”

Link