Chief Bones
Forums Grumpy Old Man
On July 12th the House passed HR 2956, the Responsible Redeployment from Iraq Act, by a vote 223-201. The legislation, sponsored by Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton, would begin the responsible redeployment of U.S. troops within 120 days and complete redeployment by April 1, 2008. The President would have to report to Congress why troops should remain in Iraq for limited purposes such as to fight terrorism or to train Iraqi forces.
> 10 Democrats joined 191 Republicans and voted ‘NO’ on the bill:
Barrow (GA)
Boren (OK)
Carney (PA)
Holden (PA)
Kucinich (OH)
Snyder (AR)
Taylor (MS)
Ellsworth(IN)
Marshall (GA)
Matheson (UT)
> 4 Republicans joined 219 Democrats and voted ‘YES’ on the bill:
Jones (NC)
Duncan (TN)
Emerson (MO)
Gilchrist (MD)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
IF/WHEN the bill goes to the President for his ‘chop’ … GW will slash his signature across the cover letter section of the bill marked “VETO”
… and …
send it back to the House and Senate where neither the Democrats (or) the Republicans will have the intestinal fortitude to over-rule him by the required 2/3 majority (politics as usual).
Because I can’t see this resolution being signed into law, the ONLY reason for the Democrats and disgruntled Republicans to be pushing this type of resolution, has the stench of posturing politicians … even the dumbest Representative or Senator can figure this one out (so can we) … politicians are (again), trying to make points with the voters through ‘POSTURE’ instead of ‘SUBSTANCE‘.
IF there were any possibility that passing these resolutions would help hasten the return of our troops (and NOT result in the rapid fall of Iraq to terrorist forces), I would be %110 in favor of the resolution. Since no possibility exists (at this time), I am NOT in favor of any deadline (I am completely dead-set against this posturing deadline also).
Even though most Democrats, many Republicans and a majority of the American citizens want the Iraq War to end tomorrow, I am in favor of waiting until the final report in August is released (whether the troop increase is working), before putting in place a Withdrawal Date and forcing the President‘s hand - I would wish for my representatives (Republican and Democrat alike), to do the same.
Less than 2 months ago, our politicians agreed to wait till the final report in August before they would move to place a withdrawal date on a piece of legislation designed to force the President’s hand … looks like they couldn’t wait.
THIS IS NOT THE BEST TIME FOR A FIRM WITHDRAWAL DATE -
IT CAN ONLY BRING HARM TO OUR TROOPS AND TO THE CITIZENS OF IRAQ.
However … It is time to inform the Iraqi government that our patience/ support is not inexhaustible - they MUST begin meeting benchmarks (or) they are going to find themselves holding the bag with NO support from the United States.
> 10 Democrats joined 191 Republicans and voted ‘NO’ on the bill:
Barrow (GA)
Boren (OK)
Carney (PA)
Holden (PA)
Kucinich (OH)
Snyder (AR)
Taylor (MS)
Ellsworth(IN)
Marshall (GA)
Matheson (UT)
> 4 Republicans joined 219 Democrats and voted ‘YES’ on the bill:
Jones (NC)
Duncan (TN)
Emerson (MO)
Gilchrist (MD)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
IF/WHEN the bill goes to the President for his ‘chop’ … GW will slash his signature across the cover letter section of the bill marked “VETO”
… and …
send it back to the House and Senate where neither the Democrats (or) the Republicans will have the intestinal fortitude to over-rule him by the required 2/3 majority (politics as usual).
Because I can’t see this resolution being signed into law, the ONLY reason for the Democrats and disgruntled Republicans to be pushing this type of resolution, has the stench of posturing politicians … even the dumbest Representative or Senator can figure this one out (so can we) … politicians are (again), trying to make points with the voters through ‘POSTURE’ instead of ‘SUBSTANCE‘.
IF there were any possibility that passing these resolutions would help hasten the return of our troops (and NOT result in the rapid fall of Iraq to terrorist forces), I would be %110 in favor of the resolution. Since no possibility exists (at this time), I am NOT in favor of any deadline (I am completely dead-set against this posturing deadline also).
Even though most Democrats, many Republicans and a majority of the American citizens want the Iraq War to end tomorrow, I am in favor of waiting until the final report in August is released (whether the troop increase is working), before putting in place a Withdrawal Date and forcing the President‘s hand - I would wish for my representatives (Republican and Democrat alike), to do the same.
Less than 2 months ago, our politicians agreed to wait till the final report in August before they would move to place a withdrawal date on a piece of legislation designed to force the President’s hand … looks like they couldn’t wait.
THIS IS NOT THE BEST TIME FOR A FIRM WITHDRAWAL DATE -
IT CAN ONLY BRING HARM TO OUR TROOPS AND TO THE CITIZENS OF IRAQ.
However … It is time to inform the Iraqi government that our patience/ support is not inexhaustible - they MUST begin meeting benchmarks (or) they are going to find themselves holding the bag with NO support from the United States.