Shut The Fuck Up and Give Me The Money, Bitches

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White House: War bill 'punishes' troops, vows veto
by Mark Silva

Once again, the White House says, Democratic congressional leaders are attempting to tie timelines for troop withdrawals to a war-spending bill.

And once gain, the White House says, President Bush will veto it if it passes.

"Once again, the Democratic leadership is starting this debate with a flawed strategy, including a withdrawal date for Iraq, despite the gains our military has made over the past year, despite having dozens of similar votes in the past that have failed, and despite their pledge to support the troops,'' White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said today.

"And once again, they plan to send the president a bill that they know he will veto,'' Perino said, calling the bill "political posturing... to appease radical groups... I am talking about MoveOn.org and CODEPINK, in particular.''

Nita Chaudhary, campaign director at MoveOn.org, offered this response: "Like most American's, MoveOn members want an end to the war in Iraq but President Bush doesn't seem to agree.''

The House today is working on a $50-billion war bill -- just one quarter of what Bush is seeking for the new budget year for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan -- and attaching goals for troop withdrawals to it. If the president doesn't accept this plan, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has suggested, the president will not be getting his war money.

"This is not money for the president, this is money for the troops,'' Perino said. "And we are urging Congress not to play political games... The Democrats believe that these votes will somehow punish the president, but it actually punishes the troops. This punishes our military planners, our procurement officers and many others who are working on this war effort.

The White House Office of Management and Budget says the bill "unwisely abandons the cause of freedom and stability in the Middle East.'' And OMB today echoed what Perino said at the podium: "If the president is presented with this version of the bill he will veto it.''

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2007/11/white_house_congress_punishes.html

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Iraq Senate GOP Blocks $50B War Funding Package
Measure Would Have Required Bush to Begin Iraq Troop Withdrawals

By Shailagh Murray
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, November 16, 2007; 11:44 AM

Senate Republicans blocked the latest Democratic effort to end the Iraq war, rejecting a $50 billion funding package that would require President Bush to begin withdrawing U.S. troops.

The 53-45 vote fell seven short of the 60 votes needed for the measure to clear Republican procedural hurdles. A GOP alternative, which would have provided $70 billion with no strings attached, failed 45-53, or 15 votes short of the 60-vote threshold.




The Democratic version, approved by the House earlier this week, would have required President Bush to start a phased redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq within 30 days of its enactment and shift the military role to specific missions. Those include protecting U. S. diplomatic facilities, assisting Iraqi Security Forces and engaging in targeted counterterrorism operations. It set a December 15, 2008 goal for completing the process.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) said he may bring the Democratic bill back to the floor in December, but he and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) have asserted that Bush would not receive more war funding this year unless the president accepts Democratic withdrawal terms.

"Our troops continue to fight and die--and our treasury continues to be depleted--for a peace that we seem far more interested in achieving than Iraq's own political leaders," Reid said. "Our bill sets a reasonable goal for the end of combat operations. And it finally ensures that the President will be accountable to the Congress and to the people."

On May 1, Bush vetoed an Iraq spending bill with Democratic conditions, and Congress later sent him a version that forced no change in U.S. policy. But Reid and Pelosi have vowed not to reconsider the funding issue until January, unless Bush makes concessions. In the meantime, they said the Pentagon can draw from its $471 billion annual budget to pay for war costs.

Republicans warned that the military's needs were more immediate. "We should not leave our forces in the field without the funding that they need to accomplish the mission for which they have been deployed," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky). "We need to get our troops everything they need. We need to get it to them right now."

Democrats have tried and failed to pass similar restrictions since January. But while Republican lawmakers concede that the American public has turned against the war, they have been unwilling to use their legislative powers to tie Bush's hands.

The Democratic terms rejected today are less stringent than previous efforts. They set a goal instead of a deadline for withdrawal. But with a veto threat pending, the bill failed to convert any new Republican supporters.

"It's the goal of completing the transition that (Bush) objects to - although it's a goal and not binding," said Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.). "I wish it were binding, but setting a timetable as a goal is better than silence, which leaves in place the open-endedness of our current presence."


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/16/AR2007111600373.html?hpid=moreheadlines