The Quickest Way to End the War

E.J. Dionne Jr. / Truthdig Oct 5, 2007 Would conservatives and Republicans support the war in Iraq if they had to pay for it? This is the immensely useful question that Rep. David Obey, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, put on the table this week by calling for a temporary war tax to cover President Bush's request for $145 billion in supplemental spending for Iraq. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Bush Gets Tightfisted With Sick Kids

Eugene Robinson / Truthdig Oct 5, 2007 To say that George W. Bush spends money like a drunken sailor is to insult every gin-soaked patron of every dockside dive in every dubious port of call. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Bush the Saboteur

Marie Cocco / Truthdig Sep 27, 2007 The president's strategy is to fake out the public so that it believes Democrats in Congress can't perform basic governmental tasks. Is this any way to run a country? Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Biden One-Ups Bush

Robert Scheer / Truthdig Sep 26, 2007 It's not just Bushie loyalists and Republicans who are gunning for more money to be poured (out of taxpayers' pockets) into the Iraq war chest. Take Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.), who is aiming to double Bush's proposed $12 billion in funding for the rapid production of mine resistant ambush protected (MRAP) vehicles -- a proposition which, Scheer argues, is about much more than the security of U.S. troops. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

The Next Cold War?

Staff / Truthdig May 26, 2007 The Pentagon, possibly suffering from a superpower complex, has accused China of spending substantially more on its military buildup than publicly stated In a report to Congress, the US military also warns of advanced nuclear capability and a possible conflict over Taiwan Still, even if China spends two or three times the $46 billion on defense it claims, it couldn't hope to keep pace with the hundreds of billions the U throws at the military every year. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

‘Countdown’ on Democratic Cowardice

Staff / Truthdig May 24, 2007 Keith Olbermann and Newsweek's Howard Fineman vent their disbelief and disgust over the Democrats' war funding capitulation. Fineman likens the move to pushing piles of chips into the pot and then folding when the last card comes up. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Democrats Cave on Timetable

Staff / Truthdig May 23, 2007 The Democratic leadership in Congress is close to a deal with the White House to provide funding for the war without a timetable for withdrawal The legislation will include benchmarks for US aid, close to $8 billion in domestic spending and a minimum-wage increase, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has indicated that she cannot bring herself to vote for a bill that doesn't set a withdrawal date for U troops. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Bush and Democrats to Hold Wheel-Spinning Session

Staff / Truthdig May 2, 2007 President Bush is set to meet with members of Congress on Wednesday to try to work out a compromise on the Iraq spending bill. It's not clear what they could possibly agree on, since Bush has said he won't sign any legislation that calls for a withdrawal, and the essentially nonbinding timetable in the last measure was basically the least the Democrats could do to signal their opposition to the war. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

House Sets Withdrawal Date

Staff / Truthdig Apr 26, 2007 The House has voted 218 to 208 to approve a withdrawal timetable for Iraq, with a pullout set to begin by Oct. 1. The Senate is expected to pass its version of the bill Thursday, sending the measure to President Bush for his inevitable veto. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Kucinich Blasts Democrats

Staff / Truthdig Mar 24, 2007 Not everyone was celebrating the passage of the Iraq spending bill on Friday. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, told Truthdig it's "a disaster for the American people." The presidential candidate went on to explain his dissatisfaction with his party: "It's the same kind of thinking that led us into Iraq -- that we didn't have any alternatives." Dig deeper ( 9 Min. Read )

Dems Divided Over War Spending

Staff / Truthdig Mar 21, 2007 House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Whip James Clyburn are having a hell of a time convincing rebellious Democrats to support the new Iraq spending bill. Conservative "blue dogs" don't like the readiness requirements and withdrawal timetable, while House progressives object to spending "another dollar or another dime to support this war." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

The Forgotten War

Marie Cocco / Truthdig Mar 13, 2007 The war in Iraq continues to divert attention from the mess in Afghanistan, where a resurgent Taliban challenges a half-hearted American effort with increasing boldness. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )