Democrats to try again on troop withdrawals (William Jefferson D-La opts for retreat)

NOLA ^ | 11/16/07 | Bruce Alpert

[Libloather]

Democrats to try again on troop withdrawals
But House bill likely doomed to failure
Friday, November 16, 2007
By Bruce Alpert

WASHINGTON -- Congressional Democrats are making another stab at imposing a timeline for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq, but once again they are likely to be blocked by Senate Republicans.

"We got to keep trying," said Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, after the House voted 218-203 late Wednesday to tie $50 billion in new money for Iraq and Afghanistan to a phased pullout of U.S. troops. "That's what the American people back home want us to work on. The war has done too much damage to our Army and to our reputation around the world."

But the measure has virtually no chance of enactment. Either Republicans in the Senate will block passage, or the bill will be sent to President Bush for a promised veto, which would stand little chance of being overridden.

Pressure on Democrats to relent, as they have on previous Republican demands to drop troop withdrawal timelines from war spending bills, increased Thursday with Defense Secretary Robert Gates saying he will direct the Army and Marine Corps to begin laying off employees and terminating contracts unless Congress approves war financing quickly.

"There is a misconception that this department can continue funding our troops in the field for an indefinite period of time through accounting maneuvers, that we can shuffle money around the department," Gates said. "This is a serious misconception."

Vitter calls for fast action

Sen. David Vitter, R-La., argued that this is not the time to impose troop cuts because he says the surge in troops ordered by President Bush is succeeding in reducing sectarian violence. Military decisions shouldn't be made by "armchair generals" in Congress, Vitter said, but by the "real generals in the field."

[Libloather]

Simply amazing. A not-yet-convicted felon, many times over, is still allowed to make policy. And he's worried about "our reputation around the world"? I maybe more worried about his reputation around the world - once behind bars.

[PROCON]

“”We got to keep trying,” said Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans”

Yeah, to keep the heat off of you and your other DemoRat friends..Totally amazing!!/sigh

[Beagle8U]

William Jefferson wants to put a freeze on Iraq war funds...

[PROCON]

Truer words were never said/LOL

[DJ Frisat]

Precisely why is this crook still a Congressman? Oh, I forgot - he’s a Dem.

[Galactic Overlord-In-Chief]

Adam Sharp, spokesman for Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., said late Thursday that the senator is reading the Democratic financing proposal and wants to see a Republican alternative, to be offered by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., before discussing how she'll vote.

*Cough *Weasel* Cough*

[Cobra64]

William Jefferson wants to put a freeze on Iraq war funds...

I thought he was in jail for stealing:

[CutePuppy]

Hopefully, because it’s better if his trial takes place in 2008 in the middle or near the end of the campaign season - reverse of 2006, when the theme of the campaign was Republican “culture of corruption”?

We need Mollohan and whoever else on Democrat side at the same time, too.

[Beagle8U]

Is that Jefferson’s cold hard cash?

[dersepp]

Jefferson should love the armed forces. Even as people in his district were drowning due to their government (blue at local, state, and federal level at that time) were drowning from institutional lack of preparedness, hizzonner was doing what?

Why, he was having a contingent of national guardsmen in two large vehicles help him remove personal items from his home. And when they got stuck, a helicopter was sent to assist him instead of pulling his constituents from rooftops.

You will burn in hell, ^sshole.