Continuing to earn my keep as Vilsack supporter, Bob Johnson supporter, Edwards shill (for those who really want sound ground to attack me, I will almost certainly be a Clark supporter if he runs, even though I rip him TOO), I want to address the central defense presented for Obama's opposition to defunding the Iraq Debacle, that legislative realities make it impossible. To wit:
. . . In the Senate you still need 60 votes. . .
Indeed, count up to 67 to overcome a Bush veto. And this is precisely why Obama is full of shit on this. NO LEGISLATION ending the Iraq Debacle can overcome this reality. That is why Obama's proposal, Murtha's proposal, Sestak's proposal, etc. are all bullshit. I am for defunding the war because it requires precisely NO passage of any laws, rather the ensuring that no laws are passed that fund the Iraq Debacle. The defunding bar is in fact the lowest we can hurdle, and thus the one REALISTIC proposal for ending the Iraq Debacle.
I have written over 20 diaries on this subject and I will not repeat myself again. Peruse them here if you have an actual interest in the subject, not merely an interest to worship the candidate of your choice.
Particularly on the Obama proposal, I wrote this, ooops not that one, I defended Obama on something else there (I am a shitty Edwards shill I admit), this comment:
Unconstitutional [b]ut good politics. I agree, more of the same, but let's talk about FUNDING THAT PLAN specifically, not dictating by policy pronouncement.
The Spending Power is what Congress can use, not diktats on how to run the war.
More than that, Obama's proposal suffers from the 60/67 votes problem. It is sheer fantasy as a REAL proposal. It is clearly good politics. I think it is even good DEFUNDING politics.
But here is the rub, my focus on the politics is to forward the political climate so that NOT funding the Iraq Debacle is politically palatable to the weak kneed Dems. Obama's diss of defunding does not help in that cause. That is what bothers me. It HURTS the chances of ending the Iraq Debacle. And no one with any knowledge would dispute this imo.
Some say defunding is politically impossible too. If it is, the one proposal that does not have to deal with vetoes and filibusters, the one that merely requires 218 House Dems to stand strong, then there is no stopping the Iraq Debacle. But please do not pretend to me that Obama is looking for a realistic way out. By dissing defunding he is harming the most realistic plan of all.
And no, I do not find that smart, as politics or policy. What else it is I leave to you to describe.