Posted on 09/13/2002 4:17:21 PM PDT by GeneD
Filed at 7:01 p.m. ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Despite President Bush's call for quick action, several Senate Democrats maneuvered on Friday to put the brakes on a vote to give congressional backing to a possible military strike on Iraq.
Robert Byrd of West Virginia, the Senate president pro tempore and chairman of the powerful Appropriations Committee, said in a floor speech he would object to a vote on the use of force against Iraq before the Nov. 5 congressional election.
``This senator is not, now or ever, going to be stampeded. Has to be voted on before the election? Forget it,'' Byrd, a master of the Senate's rules and procedures, said.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin said that before voting to authorize a U.S. military strike, Congress should pass a resolution calling on the United Nations to enforce its own requirements that Iraq disarm.
``We should speak with one voice as a Congress to the U.N. urging them to act, to set a deadline and to authorize force to enforce those (weapons) inspections if Iraq does not voluntarily comply,'' Levin, a Michigan Democrat, said.
``For us to get engaged in a distraction, a debate as to what will happen if the U.N. doesn't do that, is to take away from the strength of our urging the U.N. to act,'' he said.
Sen. John Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat, said he favored a resolution similar to Levin's proposal. A spokeswoman for Senate Majority leader Tom Daschle, a South Dakota Democrat, said he had not yet evaluated the plan.
BUSH CRITICIZES LAWMAKERS
Bush, who was at the United Nations on Friday after addressing its General Assembly on Thursday, criticized lawmakers who want the United Nations to act first on Iraq before they vote to authorize U.S. military force.
``If I were running for office, I'm not sure how I'd explain to the American people -- say, vote for me, and, oh, by the way, on a matter of national security, I think I'm going to wait for somebody else to act,'' Bush said.
``I don't imagine Saddam Hussein sitting around, saying, 'Gosh, I think I'm going to wait for some resolution.' He's a threat that we must deal with as quickly as possible.''
On Thursday, Bush told the United Nations that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was amassing weapons of mass destruction that threaten the United States and its allies. He challenged the United Nations to make Iraq comply with U.S. disarmament demands, and said action was inevitable if Baghdad failed to do so.
A number of Democrats and some Republicans argue Congress should give the United Nations a chance to enforce its requirements for Saddam to disarm before authorizing a unilateral U.S. military strike.
They also say Bush has not made a compelling case that Iraq poses an immediate threat, and that lawmakers should not have to vote on a resolution that could lead to war in the tense period before elections where control of the Senate and the House of Representatives will be decided by a few seats.
``No convincing case has been made in the press or in this body that we must act to give the president authority to invade a sovereign body now, or before the election,'' Byrd said.
Other senators said Iraq's rejection on Friday of an unconditional return of U.N. weapons inspectors showed that Congress must quickly give Bush the military clout he wants against Baghdad.
``The Congress needs to go ahead and give the president the authority he needs,'' Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott, a Mississippi Republican, said.
Lott dismissed the plan floated by Levin.
``How many times do you have to say you've got to do something?'' Lott said. ``We've got language stronger than that on the books right now.''
Hm, now why could that be?
Could it be that Rush Limbaugh is right, and the Dems really want this thing off the agenda right now, since it is absolutely stupefying their attempts to tie Bush to corporate greed and the economy?
Hey, Dems (you sh*t-faces!) Don't you know, "it's national security, stupid!"
Democrates -- Dangerous to our National Security and to Your Children!
Too bad no-one at the RNC is man enough to state the obvious Truth!
Senile old fool! Bush has set up the bait, and this dummy has stepped right into the trap.
Go ahead, Byrd. Don't be "stampeded" until after the Elections, making your oh-so-important deliberations that mean absolutely ZERO. I can think of no better way for a bunch of sound asleep voters to wake up and smell the coffe about what the Dems are really all about. It's all about their jobs and power, not about the safety and well being of America.
Go ahead, Sucker,... make our day! This will be the only story in the headlines until Election Day!!
Haven't they had 11 years to enforce their requirements? U.N. resolutions aren't worth the paper they're printed on.
With pleasure, especially when "Dasshole" is pronounced correctly. Three syllables, the first is "D".
It means the same thing as "Clymer", only smaller of course.
True perhaps. But we all owe Senator a debt of gratitude for singlehandedly preventing amnesty for illegals!
This is all part of the setup strategy (or, rather, strategery!) by Bush.
Just like the UN, pretty soon, the RAT controlled Senate will notice they have also been checkmated.
Let 'em rant - it adds fuel to the fire for election day!
Hey! Democrats..IRAQ..It's NATIONAL SECURITY..STUPID!
He probably thought he was voting for a dozen unnecessary new federal buildings in West Virginia.
Senator Imperial Wizard of the KKK Byrd. Hypocrite or statesman? You make the call.
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