U.S. Democrats to back down on Iraq war conditions | Reuters
WASHINGTON, June 16 (Reuters) – Democrats in the U.S. Congress, who came to power last year on a call to end the combat in Iraq, will soon give President George W. Bush the last war-funding bill of his presidency without any of the conditions they sought for withdrawing U.S. troops, congressional aides said on Monday.
Lawmakers are arranging to send Bush $165 billion in new money for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, enough to last for about a year and well beyond when Bush leaves office on Jan. 20.
“It’ll be the lump sum of money, veterans (funding) and that’s it,” said one House aide familiar with the negotiations on the legislation.
The aide was referring to the funding for the unpopular Iraq war, now in its sixth year, and a measure being attached to expand education benefits for combat veterans.
[...] With this bill, Congress will have written checks for more than $800 billion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, with most of the money going to Iraq.
Yes, I know they’re just waiting until the next President gets in there on the assumption it’ll be Barack and they can finally start bringing troops home, but these assholes have rolled over on just about every demand that Bush has made since they took control in 2006. It’d be nice to see some backbone for a change.
Maybe they’re just trying to appeal to the more “Republican-minded” voters, trying to swing the undecided vote towards the Dems, to improve Obama’s chances.
Just a theory.
absolutely right – i used to be a democrat until the last eight years when all they’ve done is back down time after time after time.
pathetic.
Well now, be fair Les. You’re acting as if one of the functions of congress is to act as some sort of check or balance against the absolute power of the executive office…oh wait…
…I wonder what civics teachers are telling kids these days…
I think George Washington would roll over in his grave just for the base concept of the Presidency as being an absolute power that Congress needed to check, as opposed to the other way around.
Follow the buck. Some of the congressmen’s backers are making FANTASTIC profits out of Bush’s little war.