Posted on 12/11/2006 4:42:41 AM PST by IrishMike
Democrats aren't scrambling to endorse recommendations of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, a tactic that largely leaves President Bush alone to salvage the war.
Instead, the party that will control Congress in January plans to focus on stepped-up oversight of Bush's plans for the war.
Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., who will take over the Armed Services Committee, says he'll hold three hearings on Bush's plans for Iraq and is prepared to subpoena documents to review past missteps.
Democrats also are eyeing ways to attach conditions to war funds that won't hurt troops and may even attract Republican support. Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., the next chairman of the Appropriations Committee, is considering a plan to amend the 2002 legislation that authorized the war by adding to it an exit strategy.
To gain bipartisan support, Byrd is expected to identify only broad conditions under which troops should come home rather than set firm dates or issue specific demands.
In the House, members are considering attaching conditions to the next war spending bill, expected to be at least $100 billion and perhaps as much as $160 billion.
"The Congress should not, nor do the American public expect us, to have $160 billion spent without a very substantial oversight and involvement by the Congress in how that money is spent," said incoming House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md.
The Iraq Study Group on Wednesday concluded the U.S. could be out of Iraq by early 2008 if it dramatically increased the number of troops advising Iraqi units and threatened to cut off aid to the Iraqi government unless it met certain milestones.
The panel also suggested asking Iran and Syria to pressure militias inside Iraq to stop sectarian killings.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
I'm waiting for the next several studies and more shows with David Gregory acting serious because now it matters. It will be a while for these studies to ferment, but I predict that they will all subtly say that W was right all along.
Classic CYA from the world's most deliberative body. Both rats and rinos in 2008 will be able to spin their support for the war if things go well, or slam the administration if the war continues to go poorly.
No wonder the Senate is a poor source for Presidents.
We know the DBM/dems did not win these past elections because people voted FOR
but rather against repubs. Remember people wanted a "NEW" direction and if all the
DBM/dems are going to do is dredge up the past by investigations and not focus on any
"NEW" plans that either WIN the war in Iraq, or any other alternative but pulling out and
losing then people are going to be sorely disapointed in them...
Remember the DBM/dems have NO plans!!!
The Democrats have no clue what to do.
Oh, but they'll rip W a new one cause he doesn't endorse it.
Get ready for impeachment.
The Dems, the gift that keeps on giving, just, like Herpes.
They don't need to. That's why they're not embracing the ISG report. Why bother? If the President fails, they stand to win big. Why actually take a position that could screw that simple equation up?
I think they get a l;ot more done in Iraq than they do in congress. Can the exit strategy and let me know when they have reformed social security and revised our tax code.
The Congress would straighten out Social security in a heartbeat if they were on the receiving end of it instad of getting their lucrative Congressional retirement packages.
Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., said he was reluctant to embrace the report because it doesn't recommend pulling out troops fast enough.
Murtha, who next month takes over the House panel that oversees defense spending, said he doesn't want to cut off funding for troops but will use the next war spending bill to press for more oversight.
Murtha said he wants to reinforce a ban on torture, bar the president from building permanent bases in Iraq and establish a congressional committee to investigate misuse of Iraq reconstruction spending.
"I think they'll pass and I think we'll put them in strong enough terms to send a signal" to the president that Congress opposes his Iraq policy, Murtha said.
Let jazusamo or me know if you want on the Murtha Watch Ping List.
"Get ready for impeachment."
And a year with Dick Cheney as President? OK.
It won't happen for exactly that reason. The other option is to impeach and acquit (like Clinton). That won't happen either. Instead, wack jobs will just threaten impeachment for 2 years.
Holy crap!
FMCDH(BITS)
That pretty much sums it up, but I think the dems are following the advice of the ISG--hold tons of meetings, invite your friends and the press, all the while claiming that you're "doing something". That's what passes for leadership today.
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