No Withdrawal TImeline in New Funding Bill

The timeline for required US troop withdrawal from Iraq has been dropped from this, the third attempt at passing a war funding bill that is to the liking of King George.

Many politicians on both sides of the aisle view this bill as a compromise; but the only things that have been compromised are their political futures, national security, and the lives of every soldier and civilian who will die in Iraq between now and the next funding bill in July. The new congress was elected last November to get us out of Iraq. They have now joined the ranks of the Bush Administration in betraying the American people.

Reid and other Democrats tout the provisions of the bill that set benchmarks that must be met by the Iraqi government with regard to their development as a democratic society in order to warrant further reconstruction aid, even though Bush would have the authority to spend the money regardless! Sure, the minimum wage hike and domestic spending has been left in, but this is not the primary issue! They have not accomplished what they should have.

Congress has had six months to do the job they were elected to do. They have failed. And now we are supposed to believe that it's all okay, that this is "the beginning of the end" of Bush's Iraq policy because timelines for withdrawal will be back on the table come the next appropriations bill in July or the next in September - two to four months from now. This is unacceptable! The Democratic congress has done what they assured us they would not; they have given this president yet another blank check.

There is but a glimmer of hope, that this bill may not pass (however unlikely). There are several individuals who deserve recognition for their unwavering refusal to sign-on to this madness:

"I’m not likely to vote for something that doesn’t have a timetable or a goal..." ~ Nancy Pelosi

"I cannot and will not simply give this President another blank check." ~ Chris Dodd

"I cannot support a bill that contains nothing more than toothless benchmarks and that allows the President to continue what may be the greatest foreign policy blunder in our nation’s history. There has been a lot of tough talk from members of Congress about wanting to end this war, but it looks like the desire for political comfort won out over real action." ~ Russ Feingold

"The so-called compromise under discussion in Congress that would give the president another blank check to continue his failed war is a serious mistake. Full funding is full funding, no matter what you call it. Every member of Congress who wants to support our troops and end the war should oppose this proposal. If you're in Congress, and you believe this war is wrong, I urge you to use every power you have to stop it if it's brought up for a vote. Block the blank check. And I urge all Americans who want this war to end to tell your representatives in Congress that you will support them if they stand up to the president. Tell them you understand that when the president vetoes a bill that funds the troop and ends the war, he is the only person in America stopping support for the troops. It is time for this war to end. As I have said repeatedly, Congress should send the president the same bill he vetoed again and again until he realizes he has no choice but to start bringing our troops home. Anything less is everything he needs to prolong the war. ~ John Edwards

Contact your Congressmen here or here and let them know how you feel.

Also, be sure and check out Keith's Special Comment on this fiasco; he's as pissed off as I am.