Posted on 03/29/2007 9:42:34 PM PDT by Red Steel
WASHINGTON (AP) — President George W. Bush accused congressional Democrats Wednesday of meddling in Iraq war policy and setting a deadline for a U.S. pullout that would have disastrous repercussions for both countries.
As the Senate resumed debate Wednesday on a bill containing a spring 2008 timetable for bringing American troops home, Bush argued again that such a step would result in a needless delay of funds for troops. But Democrats are insisting that he’ll have to accept some sort of timeline to get the money.
“Why doesn’t he get real with what’s going on with the world?” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said after Bush’s speech. “We’re not holding up funding in Iraq and he knows that. Why doesn’t he deal with the real issues facing the American people?”
Bush said Wednesday that the Democratic strategy move will not force him to negotiate. He said again that he would veto any funding legislation that includes a withdrawal timeline.
“The consequences of imposing such a specific and random date of withdrawal would be disastrous,” Bush said in a speech at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association meeting. “Our enemies in Iraq would simply have to mark their calendars. They’d spend the months ahead plotting how to use their new safe haven once we were to leave. It makes no sense for politicians in Washington, D.C. to be dictating arbitrary timelines for our military commanders in a war zone 6,000 miles away.”
Bush broadly defended his new war plan, which involves sending 21,500 additional U.S. combat troops to Iraq to help secure Baghdad and troubled Anbar Province. He said two months of joint operations with Iraqi troops have seen some early successes but “it’s going to require a sustained, determined effort to succeed.”
“If we cannot muster the resolve to defeat this evil in Iraq, America will have lost its moral purpose in the world and we will endanger our citizens,” the president said. “If we leave Iraq before the job is done, the enemy will follow us here.”
Bush accused legislators of engaging in little more than “political statements” even as money for troops will run out next month.
“If Congress fails to pass a bill to fund our troops on the front lines, the American people will know who to hold responsible,” Bush said.
But Reid and other Democrats say they won’t back down.
“This Congress will hold him accountable for the conduct of this war and we will have legislation that will give him every dollar he asks for for our troops and more, but with accountability,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, speaking as she received an endorsement from the National Organization for Women for her presidential race, called on Bush to back down.
“He is willing to veto the will of the people who elected this Congress to start bringing our troops home,” she said. “The president should listen to the will of the people and the experience of those who have been working on this for years and start redeploying our troops.”
The bill finances operations in Iraq and Afghanistan but requires Bush to begin bringing home some combat troops right away with a nonbinding goal of ending combat missions as of March 31, 2008.
The House last week passed a similar bill by a 218-212 vote. That bill orders combat troops out by Aug. 31, 2008, guaranteeing the final spending measure negotiated with the Senate will include some sort of timetable on the war.
Senator John McCain, a 2008 Republican presidential aspirant, called the vote “a very bad decision.”
McCain, appearing on NBC’s “Today” show Wednesday from Orlando, Fla., said the war “was badly mismanaged. But there are signs of progress everywhere. ... I am confident that given the opportunity, we can have success. The consequences of failure are catastrophic because if we come home, bin Laden and Zarqawi, they are going to follow us.”
Senate Republicans tried Tuesday to strip out the withdrawal language but failed in a 50-48 vote. One Democrat — Senator Mark Pryor of Arkansas — sided with Republicans in opposition to the public deadline, contending such a measure would broadcast U.S. war plans to the enemies.
“Congress should not define how long our enemy has to hang on to win,” said Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)
Senator Chuck Hagel delivered the deciding vote by joining antiwar Republican Gordon Smith of Oregon in breaking ranks and voting with Democrats to put a nonbinding end date on the war.
“Is the cost worth what we are attempting to accomplish? Is the cost worth the high price we are asking others to pay? Ultimately, that is the question we should always ask ourselves,” said Hagel (R-Neb.) in a floor speech on Wednesday.
I'll believe it when I see it that George Bush doesn't cave on a veto threat, and the media and the Democrats will attack and saying he defunded the troops and they won't pass another bill. Take it or leave it and if the troops have to come home sooner because the President chose to veto the funding.
If the President then goes along with the Amnesty Act - McCain/Kennedy bill or their 2008 Budget/Tax Increase Act he will be remembered as the guy who blew 90% approval rating and never fought back against the RATS.
Petitions to sign:
For military:
http://www.appealforcourage.org
For civilians:
http://www.johnmccain.com/involving/petition.aspx?guid=2a68ffa6-4b14-4dec-871b-cbf1f798a756
If you haven't seen this yet:
A campaign by active-duty troops asking Congress to drop plans for a withdrawal from Iraq. Lt. Jason Nichols, a 33-year-old naval projects officer who has been in Baghdad since mid-January, said the goal is to keep lawmakers focused on letting the military finish its mission in Iraq, and not prematurely declare failure
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7392499685041821301&hl=en
Bush is a softy when it comes to shredding the Dims , but he is also a man of his word . He said he will veto and I totally believe he will . If he doesn't, then I will quote Bush verbatim : "fool me once,shame on , shame on you .... fool me , can't get fooled again" ...
http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/bushvideos/youtube/bushfoolme.htm
.
NEVER FORGET
BUSH is courageously preventing a repeat of:
Pictures of a vietnamese Re-Education (SLAVE LABOR) Camp
http://www.Freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1308949/posts
.."JOURNAL from the FALL".. MoviePremieres = Little Saigon CLARITY
http://www.Freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1806248/posts
NEVER FORGET
.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
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