Posted on 01/23/2007 10:54:07 AM PST by seanmerc
Congress Must Assert Power Over War
Bush Term Will End Before War Does
Helen Thomas, Hearst White House columnist
It's time for Congress to re-assert its sole constitutional authority to declare war. But do the newly empowered lawmakers have the courage?
Both President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney gave TV interviews Sunday to assert their argument that the commander-in-chief has the right to continue the war against Iraq even if it is against the will of the American people and Congress.
The president is obviously playing for time. Bush is losing ground with more and more members of Congress who are resisting the escalation of what is looking like a no-win war. Bush must be finding it very lonely at the top.
Of course, it is up to the lawmakers to cut off his "troop surge" escalation by blocking funding for more troops but not the money in the pipeline to bring the troops home. The lawmakers certainly would be supporting the troops and saving a lot of lives if they did so.
However, Congress may face a fait accompli because the Pentagon has already dispatched some of the 21,500 new troops to take up the battle, long before Congress has been able to act.
The reality is that most lawmakers are spooked by Bush's dire warning that a U.S. withdrawal would be a disaster and would encourage terrorism. They also have fallen into the trap -- so reminiscent of Vietnam -- that we're there, therefore we have to stay there.
No, we don't.
In his Jan. 10 speech to the nation, the president also said that the consequences of U.S. "failure" in Iraq would lead to chaos and the toppling of moderate governments, with radical extremists getting their hands on oil revenues "to fund their ambitions."
Furthermore, he said, "Iran would be emboldened in its pursuit of nuclear weapons" and "our enemies would have a safe haven from which to plan and launch attacks on the American people."
So our troops in Iraq have to keep killing and more Americans have to die to forestall Bush's worst predictions. Some analysts believe that Bush is trying to stay the course for his remaining two years in office and then pass the blame for failure to the Iraqi government and leave the problem of an exit strategy to the Democrats.
In his speech to the nation, it was big of Bush to say, "Where mistakes have been made, the responsibility rests with me."
His first mistake was the disastrous decision to invade Iraq under false pretenses, then to compound the fiasco by inflicting a military occupation on the country which has led to a bloody civil war. The United Nations reported earlier this week that more than 34,000 Iraqis were killed in violence last year.
To hear Bush tell it on CBS-TV "60 minutes," he's going to do what he wants to do in Iraq, no matter what.
"I fully understand they could try to stop me from doing (sending more troops to Iraq). But I've made my decision and we're going forward," he said.
Cheney told Fox News Sunday that congressional criticism will not influence Bush's plans, and he rejected any effort to "run a war by committee."
"The president is commander-in-chief," said Cheney. "He's the one to make these tough decisions."
I've got news for the vice president. The majority of the American people, according to the polls, and a growing sentiment in Congress, cannot be shrugged off as a committee.
What's scary is Bush's vanity. The war cannot be reduced to his personal feelings or popularity. It has caused so much suffering and misery.
He told CBS-TV, "I'm not going to try to be popular and change (my) principles to do so." And what are those principles, pray tell? Could they be to never admit failure?
He also said: "I'm not the kind of guy who says, 'Oh gosh, I'm worried about my legacy.'"
Right, that's already been determined.
(Helen Thomas can be reached at the e-mail address hthomas@hearstdc.com).
I hope they don't. Getting real fed up with our "leaders" sending our troops into battle only to see those same maggots turn right around and cut funding for those same troops.
I'm beginning to think it's high time the military cleaned house in Washington District of Criminals First.
That's the only way I see us able to beat the Mohammedans.
Euwwwwwwww! sick!!!!!
Got a link?
I knew it, I knew it. Someone in this crowd would post that lovely face.
I opened this thread to see the PhotoShops. I am rocking with laughter. Thanks everyone.
So I guess Helen Thomas is on the MoveOn newsletter list too?
Dear MoveOn member,
Tonight, George W. Bush will use the State of the Union to push his outrageous plan for escalation in Iraq.
So today, we're launching our own massive escalation. More pressure on Congress, more voices calling on Democrats to stand up to the president, more Americans opposed to the war.
Our plan will require resources—including skilled staff organizers deployed around the country. It'll cost about $90,000 per month. But if 6,000 of us chip in $15 a month, we can do it. Can you give $15 a month to end the war?
(snipping URL)
We'll bill your credit card each month. You can cancel easily any time—but we'll keep this campaign going until it succeeds.
Polls, rallies, letters—there's a wave building, and slowly, Congress is following. The tide is turning! But too many politicians are still afraid of calling for an end to the war. This is the moment to turn up the heat.
Our plan:
* Increase pressure on Congress to stop the escalation and bring the troops home. Use tactics like town hall meetings, demonstrations, city council resolutions, and petition deliveries.
* Develop rapid-response teams of volunteer leaders who can organize MoveOn members in their area (with our successful Operation Democracy network as a backbone).
* Deploy skilled staff organizers to train and support these leaders, boosting media coverage and recruitment.
We've used organizers to back up members on major campaigns before. The impact is dramatic.
But it takes resources, and so will the other pieces of this campaign. That's why we're asking everyone to contribute $15 a month. It's easy—we'll bill your credit card every month. You can cancel any time (we'll keep going until the war ends). Can you chip in?
etc., hot air, yada and such.
How about some CZJ pix as an antidote?
projectile vomit alert
So....assert your Congressional powers. Cut funding....IF you have the nads.
"Some analysts believe that Bush Johnson is trying to stay the course for his remaining two years in office and then pass the blame for failure to the Iraqi Vietnamese government and leave the problem of an exit strategy to the Democrats Republicans."
Hey Helen, your guilt over Vietnam is showing.
THE WINNER!!!
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