House Votes for Withdrawal From Iraq
Washington Times ……..for complete article
The House measure passed 223-201 in the Democratic-controlled chamber despite a veto threat from President Bush, who has ruled out any change in war policy before September.
Describing a document produced by his administration at Congress’ insistence, he said there was satisfactory progress by the Iraqi government toward meeting eight of 18 so-called benchmarks, unsatisfactory progress on eight more and mixed results on the rest.
To his critics _ including an increasing number of Republicans _ he said bluntly, “I don’t think Congress ought to be running the war. I think they ought to be funding the troops.”
Democrats saw it differently.
A few hours after Bush’s remarks, Democratic leaders engineered passage of legislation requiring the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops to begin within 120 days, and to be completed by April 1, 2008. The measure envisions a limited residual force to train Iraqis, protect U.S. assets and fight al-Qaida and other terrorists.
The vote generally followed party lines: 219 Democrats and four Republicans in favor, and 191 Republicans and 10 Democrats opposed.
Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, R-Mo., voted for troop withdrawals for the first time, contending that while she still opposes a swift pullout, “staying in Iraq indefinitely is equally unacceptable.”
“The report makes clear that not even the White House can conclude there has been significant progress,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. “To Bush and others who seek more time for the administration’s policy to work, she said, “We have already waited too long.”
Republicans sided with Bush _ at least for now. The bill “undermines Gen. Petraeus, undermines the mission he has to make America and Iraq safe,” said the House GOP leader, Rep. John Boehner of Ohio. “What we have here is not leadership, it’s negligence.”
Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., who announced his intention to seek a change in policy last week, issued a statement that said the administration’s most recent assessment “confirms my worst fears that while the Iraqi government is making some progress on some benchmarks, it’s not moving fast enough to make meaningful or lasting progress.”
Even so, it appears the president’s allies have the support to block a final Senate vote in a showdown expected next week.
If the report changed any minds in Congress, it was not immediately apparent.
“It is time for the president to listen to the American people and do what is necessary to protect this nation. That means admitting his Iraq policy has failed, working with the Democrats and Republicans in Congress on crafting a new way forward in Iraq and refocusing our collective efforts on defeating al-Qaida,” said Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.
But Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, said Congress has already decided it will be September before the administration’s strategy can be evaluated properly. “Certainly the young soldiers and Marines risking their lives today on the streets of Baghdad and Ramadi would agree _ and they deserve our patience.”
Wild Thing’s comment……..
If Al Queda had business cards, Reid would have one in his wallet. The best weapon for al Qaeda is a Democrat in a leadership position.
Duncan Hunter ripped Harry Reid and the Dems yesterday (Thursday) on the floor of the house. He critisized those Democrats who insist they “will end this war” and withdraw troops.
He said, “They keep saying they will end the war. But by pulling our troops out of Iraq, they are not ending the war – they are only abandoning the battlefield!”
We support the troops AND a surrender… we support the troops AND a retreat… we support the troops AND humiliation … we support the troops AND islamofascism! – The DNC, CAIR, ACLU Hollyweirdos, NOW, Code Pinkos and NAACP
Democrats Message To Terrorists Friends ~ Mark Down April 1st, 2008
You can’t win a war this way!
It’s almost like those socialistic dummycraps want
to be under Islamic rule and Sha’ria laws.
Why?
What is so wrong with America that they think we have to belong to something else, which is worse than anything you could ever hope for?
I guess some Nobel Laureate told a crowd that she could “kill Bush.” I think that’s treason right there and she ought to be arrested, tried and shot.
You don’t say things like that. You can think it, but don’t say it. It’s things like that that incite riots and make people believe we are so very bad.
But it was akay when Bubba bombed a baby food factory in Iraq and an aspirin factory.
We’re still in Bosnia with no bullets because of him!
So I think we need to stay the course–back off a wee bit, let the Iraqis start taking more control and show them how it’s done.
Pulling out now is simply UNACCEPTABLE!!!!
I was born 8 days after the Japs surrendered. Almost 62 years ago and we havn’t been allowed to win a war since. I don’t think in my lifetime I will ever see an American Victory. When I left Vietnam we were winning, in two years, we were doing the same thing, trying to sneak out the back door and hope no one noticed.
This is truly sad, the greatest nation ever, and we take a back seat to scoundrels, money grabbers, and politicians, whose sole purpose is to get re-elected and the country be damned.
This was proven during the Amnesty Bill fight.
But it is not just the democrats, they see a political haymaker, and are going after it. If Bush had been consistant with his policies, especially securing the border, at least half the country would still be behind him. But we keep getting double messages, as to what we are fighting for.
Bush has told us on the one hand we must win this war, whatever it takes, then he won’t secure the border, any fool can see a double standard here.
He has not been forthcoming with the American People, he has not been honest with the border and securing the nation. If our enemy was a tad more devious we would be in serious trouble, as it is we almost give them a free hand to do whatever they want.
Congress is the most disgusting. To them it is all about them, not the people who sent them there or the country, but it is about them. About getting their porkbarrel projects passed and getting re-elected.
It’s interesting that Congress is expecting the Iraq government to achieve certain benchmarks in only 6 months but congress, itself, cannot achieve the reform promised to the American People.
We won the war with Iraq but then changed the war to a war against terror. You can’t fight a method, only a people. Did we declare war on aircraft and aircraft carriers or did we declare war on Japan, a nation and people? Did we fight Germany or did we have a war on the Blitzkrieg?
I watched the debate in the Senate for a bit and then I switched to the House. (It really helps packing go fast! what with my blood boiling and all…)
I loved the Rep who said this is like the movie, “Groundhog Day”.
Of course, the Dems can’t ever move an inch towards a victory in the war. After all, this is Bush’s War and there is no way they are going to allow Bush to have a victory. If this succeeds, the Dems will be History’s bad guys. (Not that they aren’t already.)
So they are willing, and remember this is the party of compassion, to screw over our troops and turn their backs on an Iraqi genocide. Well, why not – they did over 30 years ago with the Vietnamese and Cambodians and seem to be sleeping quite well at night.
I must say the air in my house was quite blue by the time of the vote. 22 frickin’ votes!
At least Rep Ginghrey from GA apoligised to all the families of the military and the troops for the behavior of the Democrats. I stood up and applauded and will be writing a thank you email to him.
The Democrats are some of the best politicians bribe money can buy( some sorryass R’s also). If they cared as much about America’s future as they care about special interest bloc votes, we would have strong moral leadership. Instead it is is selfishness, greed and ego on a grand scale.
It seems to me that there have been numerous mistakes made in the way we have fought this war. That is the way warfare is. You learn, adjust and drive on. We have had some great successes and we need to capitalize on those. Instead, the politicians, and their allies in the media, academia, Hollyweird, et al, dwell on the problems and pull the rug out from under our troops. At the same time they profess to support the troops which is pure bullshit.
All this waffling, waivering and bemoaning is like another front for the enemy. We are at war. There was no choice on our part. It started when our embassy in Teheran was attacked in 1979. This is truely a war for our survival. The troops are fighting superbly. The Home front, especially it’s leadership is failing.
I’m with all of the above, especially Mark and Bob where the lack of determination and communications (Mark), converges with the idiotic construction “The War on Terror” (Bob).
I even found myself agreeing with John Kerry….silence, forgive me Lord…when two years ago he said that the expression “War on Terror” was a diversion from the realities of WHO we were fighting. Of course, within a gnat’s wink he came out with some other contradictory, witless idea, but at least one of his speech writers was right.
What ails us now, is that mediocrity at all levels of leadership has left America without a heroic narrative or robust imagination about itself. Not the kind of thing The Left bleats about all the time…nationalism, militarism, all that bullshit. Something else. Something that leveled everything in the 1960’s, the toxic egalitarianism that infected not only our ideas about people, but our ideas about ideas.
Step back from the immigration bill and take a long look. Whatever its ethical and national failings, it was composed by the worst clot of unimaginative dullards to ever occupy public office. It was literally the lowest, dimmest and most stupid piece of legislation to hit the table since Prohibition.
Until most Americans stop being grocery clerks, we’ll continue to send errand boys to govern us.
PS:
…and the war in Iraq is no exception. Think of what a truly heroic and creative country could do to our enemies there. The kind of country Britain used to be, the Romans, and others.
And the Brits are taking studies about Winston Churchill out of their middle school curriculum. Also, they are deemphasising French, German and Spanish language in favor of Arabic, Chinese, Russian and whatever they speak in India and Pakistan.
The Third World is taking over by default as well as numbers. Humankind is marching backwards.
TomR:
A town not far from me, Norwich, CT, has announced that its schools are dealing with sixteen “dialects” and languages. I know that sounds fantastic. Norwich is home to Pacific Islanders, Burmese, Tibetans, Somalis and many immigrants other than South and Central Americans. From the standpoint of convenient entry, these folks are probably here legally.
Darth that is just exactly right, double talk or whatever it is called. I have zero tolerance for anyone that gets in my face and even comes close to saying the mantra of the left about this.
Lynn, I heard about that, your right. She was horrible and another one of those Nobel Peace Prize winners or what you said, and she like so many of them never should have won anything.
They said she is from Ireland or someplace like that.
OH Mark, you are so right, every word you said rings so true.
Bob, that is a good way to say it because we have had sine 9-11 also to secure our borders and here we are still waiting for that to be done. Then they want a time limit on Iraq. sheesh
Yankeemom I bet the air did turn blue like you said. It would have been for me too. Your right they did this same kind of thing during the Vietnam war too. It is like they are following some kind of horrible vile, disgusting how to book.
Tom, it sure is bullshit, they don’t support our troops at all. And your right it is not just the dems but also some Republicans are joining them. This whole thing makes me so angry.
Rhod….”Think of what a truly heroic and creative country could do to our enemies there.”…..oh I want that so much.
Tom and Rhod….about the schools that is so freightening!!!!