The Iraqi Support Bill
Hey folks,
That is this bi-partisan meeting on the Iraq bill. According to AP- Iraq bill stymied despite talks By ANNE FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writer
The White House and Congress failed to strike a deal Friday after exchanging competing offers on an Iraq war spending bill that Democrats said should set a date for U.S. troops to leave.
"Timelines for withdrawal are just not the right way to go, and that cannot be the basis for funding our troops," said Joshua Bolten, White House chief of staff, after a nearly 90-minute meeting on Capitol Hill.
That’s the problem folks. That right there is the sticking point. The LWL {Left Wing Looneys} and their leaders Traitor Pelosi and Traitor Reid, will not let go of their quest for tyranny. They want to strip the President of Commander and Chief status and micro manage this war. They want complete control. The President, of course, will never agree to this. So our soldiers keep dying without the funds they need because of the LWL playing politics with their lives. This was domed before they even met.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said they offered to grant Bush the authority to waive the deadlines. They said they also suggested they would drop billions of dollars in proposed domestic spending that Bush opposed, in exchange for his acceptance of identifying a withdrawal date.
It’s not as easy as they want you to believe. OK, so they put in a provisions for the President to wave the time lines? So how about, NO TIMETABLES! If they are pointless, then leave them out. Right?
The offer marked the Democrats' first major concessions in a weeks long battle with the White House on war funding.
"To say I was disappointed in the meeting is an understatement," Reid, D-Nev., told reporters. "I really did expect that the president would accept some accountability for what we're trying to accomplish here."
He knows, as well as WE know, exactly what you are trying to do here. Not going to happen. The accountability of the funds NOT getting to the troops is YOURS. Not President Bush. Now the President IS willing to negociate.
For their part, the administration and congressional Republicans said they were willing to consider legislation that sets standards for the Iraqi government and possibly restricts U.S. aid if Baghdad fails to live up to its promises.
In question, however, is whether the White House will accept binding consequences if the Iraqi government fails. Bush's aides say the president should be able to waive those restrictions — an offer Democrats have said is too weak.
According to GOP and Democratic aides, Pelosi and Reid did not reject Bolten's suggestion of setting benchmarks, but also did not embrace it. Their focus was identifying a date U.S. troops will leave Iraq, the aides said.
That’s the point. Do not set timetables.
Also not ruled out is that Democrats will send Bush next week another bill he might reject.
"I was a little surprised that (the) Democratic leaders, at least so far, seem so dug in on that position" of setting a timetable, Bolten said. "Because it's a position that ... the president vetoed and which was sustained in" both chambers.
The Democrats' insistence on a timetable comes as the party is under substantial pressure not to cede ground on the unpopular and costly war, in its fifth year. Particularly in the House, where a large number of members were elected last fall on anti-war platforms, many Democratic rank-and-file say they would oppose any legislation that does not advance the idea of bringing troops home.
{Laughing} They are afraid of George Soros. These little people are afraid of Moveon.org. News Flash Pelosi and Reid. You are United States Senators, NOT Soros Senators. Your responsibility is to ALL of America. This is why Traitors Pelosi and Reid show simply get with the rest of America, support the troops, or step down.
"It is clear that the difference between the Democrats and the president is the issue of accountability," said Pelosi, D-Calif. "He will not accept any accountability or responsibility for what has happened there."
Bunk.
Attending the rare meeting on Capitol Hill were Bolten, White House national security adviser Stephen Hadley and White House budget director Rob Portman, as well as Reid, Pelosi, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Reps. Jerry Lewis and David Obey. Lewis, R-Calif., is the top Republican on the House Appropriations Committee and Obey, D-Wis., is chairman.
House Republican Leader John Boehner, who also attended, mocked the Democrats for offering to eliminate domestic spending — money they once defended as crucial — in exchange for troop withdrawals.
"What a principled stand to take when we're talking about our men and women in uniform in Iraq taking on the enemy in a war that I think most Americans want to win," said Boehner, R-Ohio.
Pelosi said negotiations with the White House were not dead, but she and Reid made it clear they would proceed in drafting a new bill to be voted on next week.
Which will include a timetable, which President Bush will veto. Can you say STALLING?
The Democrats declined to say what their next bill will look like in light of Friday's meeting. But they insisted, as they have done for weeks, that nothing — including a timetable on the war — was off the table.
"Our troops will be funded," she said.
Just like immigration, it really is simple. Enforce the boarders FIRST. No timetables in the bill. Then the troops WILL be funded.
Hey folks,
That is this bi-partisan meeting on the Iraq bill. According to AP- Iraq bill stymied despite talks By ANNE FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writer
The White House and Congress failed to strike a deal Friday after exchanging competing offers on an Iraq war spending bill that Democrats said should set a date for U.S. troops to leave."Timelines for withdrawal are just not the right way to go, and that cannot be the basis for funding our troops," said Joshua Bolten, White House chief of staff, after a nearly 90-minute meeting on Capitol Hill.
That’s the problem folks. That right there is the sticking point. The LWL {Left Wing Looneys} and their leaders Traitor Pelosi and Traitor Reid, will not let go of their quest for tyranny. They want to strip the President of Commander and Chief status and micro manage this war. They want complete control. The President, of course, will never agree to this. So our soldiers keep dying without the funds they need because of the LWL playing politics with their lives. This was domed before they even met.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said they offered to grant Bush the authority to waive the deadlines. They said they also suggested they would drop billions of dollars in proposed domestic spending that Bush opposed, in exchange for his acceptance of identifying a withdrawal date.It’s not as easy as they want you to believe. OK, so they put in a provisions for the President to wave the time lines? So how about, NO TIMETABLES! If they are pointless, then leave them out. Right?
The offer marked the Democrats' first major concessions in a weeks long battle with the White House on war funding.
"To say I was disappointed in the meeting is an understatement," Reid, D-Nev., told reporters. "I really did expect that the president would accept some accountability for what we're trying to accomplish here."
He knows, as well as WE know, exactly what you are trying to do here. Not going to happen. The accountability of the funds NOT getting to the troops is YOURS. Not President Bush. Now the President IS willing to negociate.
For their part, the administration and congressional Republicans said they were willing to consider legislation that sets standards for the Iraqi government and possibly restricts U.S. aid if Baghdad fails to live up to its promises.
In question, however, is whether the White House will accept binding consequences if the Iraqi government fails. Bush's aides say the president should be able to waive those restrictions — an offer Democrats have said is too weak.
According to GOP and Democratic aides, Pelosi and Reid did not reject Bolten's suggestion of setting benchmarks, but also did not embrace it. Their focus was identifying a date U.S. troops will leave Iraq, the aides said.
That’s the point. Do not set timetables.
Also not ruled out is that Democrats will send Bush next week another bill he might reject.
"I was a little surprised that (the) Democratic leaders, at least so far, seem so dug in on that position" of setting a timetable, Bolten said. "Because it's a position that ... the president vetoed and which was sustained in" both chambers.
The Democrats' insistence on a timetable comes as the party is under substantial pressure not to cede ground on the unpopular and costly war, in its fifth year. Particularly in the House, where a large number of members were elected last fall on anti-war platforms, many Democratic rank-and-file say they would oppose any legislation that does not advance the idea of bringing troops home.
{Laughing} They are afraid of George Soros. These little people are afraid of Moveon.org. News Flash Pelosi and Reid. You are United States Senators, NOT Soros Senators. Your responsibility is to ALL of America. This is why Traitors Pelosi and Reid show simply get with the rest of America, support the troops, or step down.
"It is clear that the difference between the Democrats and the president is the issue of accountability," said Pelosi, D-Calif. "He will not accept any accountability or responsibility for what has happened there."
Bunk.
Attending the rare meeting on Capitol Hill were Bolten, White House national security adviser Stephen Hadley and White House budget director Rob Portman, as well as Reid, Pelosi, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Reps. Jerry Lewis and David Obey. Lewis, R-Calif., is the top Republican on the House Appropriations Committee and Obey, D-Wis., is chairman.
House Republican Leader John Boehner, who also attended, mocked the Democrats for offering to eliminate domestic spending — money they once defended as crucial — in exchange for troop withdrawals.
"What a principled stand to take when we're talking about our men and women in uniform in Iraq taking on the enemy in a war that I think most Americans want to win," said Boehner, R-Ohio.
Pelosi said negotiations with the White House were not dead, but she and Reid made it clear they would proceed in drafting a new bill to be voted on next week.
Which will include a timetable, which President Bush will veto. Can you say STALLING?
The Democrats declined to say what their next bill will look like in light of Friday's meeting. But they insisted, as they have done for weeks, that nothing — including a timetable on the war — was off the table.
"Our troops will be funded," she said.
Just like immigration, it really is simple. Enforce the boarders FIRST. No timetables in the bill. Then the troops WILL be funded.
Peter
