Well, it appears that our fearful leaders are about to betray their principles. No timeline. No benchmarks.
WASHINGTON (AP) - After weeks of refusing to back down to President Bush on setting a timetable on Iraq, House Democratic leaders face having to explain to their party's rank and file why they've now relented.
Party officials said Monday the next war spending bill most likely will fund military operations and not demand a timeline to bring troops home, although it will contain other restrictions on Bush's Iraq policies.
On May 1, Bush vetoed a $124.2 billion bill that would have paid for combat in Iraq and Afghanistan through September as Bush requested, but demanded that troops start coming home this fall.
Democrats say they hope to send Bush a new bill by the end of the week he will sign, and troops in combat will get the resources they need without disruption.
"
I'm frustrated" with the war, said Rep. Joe Baca, D-Calif., a member of the Blue Dog coalition, a group of conservative Democrats. "But we realize too we have a responsibility to fund our troops and make sure they have the right equipment."
But Democratic leaders first will have to sway a large number of Democrats who want to end the war immediately - or pick up enough Republican votes to make up for the losses. Earlier this month, 171 House members voted to order the withdrawal of combat forces from Iraq within nine months.
http://home.bellsouth.net/...
I don't know that I have a helluva lot more to add to this except to note that every last Democrat who votes for this bill needs to be exposed to a primary challenge. What do these people stand for? Capitulation? Continuing the war crime indefinitely?
It appears that the Dems aren't even sharp enough to extract a political price from the President for this. They could pass a series of bills with no strings that extends the funding for one month terms, with riders in every case that would force Bush's hand on issues, like stem cell research, negotiations with drug companies, veteran's pay, that Bush would otherwise veto.
But it appears that the Democrats are going to do what Democrats have done in the past. Roll over and play politics as usual.
Guess the screams of hundreds of thousands dead Iraqis, tens of thousands injured and dead soldiers and their families aren't enough to give them the resolve to act like leaders.