Democrats selling out their anti-war base just as I expected. Rich pro-war Zionist donors carry much more weight with this party that the desires of average Americans for a quick end to the war.
How many hundreds of US troops and thousands of Iraqis have died since the Dems won the election last November.?
One thing about Bush -- he SUPPORTS his base. The Democrats, by contrast, SELL OUT again and again.
Democrats step back from timelines on Iraq withdrawal
Democratic leaders keen not to be portrayed as unsupportive of troops locked in combat.
By Stephen Collinson – WASHINGTON
Democratic congressional leaders were Monday close to dropping their troop withdrawal timelines from an Iraq war budget, in a move which could ease a standoff with President George W. Bush.
Democratic leaders in the House and Senate were still hammering out details of the final bill with Bush aides, and plan to send legislation to the president this week after a weeks-long showdown over control of the war.
Several congressional sources reported privately that timelines, fiercely resisted by Bush, and the cause of his veto of a previous 124 billion dollar funding bill this month, would likely not be included.
However, the bill, intended to finance the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq until the end of September, would include some benchmarks to force Bush to report on the Iraqi government's progress on security and political issues, sources said.
Signs that Democrats were ready to for now agree to drop withdrawal timelines appeared to reflect a realization that Bush, as commander of chief, has control over foreign wars and foreign policy.
They were also gearing up for future fights, and not seen as keen to be portrayed as unsupportive of troops locked in combat.
"We have moved the ball forward," said one source, a Democratic staffer, on condition of anonymity.
"Whatever bill the president is going to sign is going to contain some kind of benchmarks."
Final drafting of the measure was yet to be completed, or presented to Democratic members of congress, many of whom are fiercely anti-war, the sources said.
Talks between top Democrats, senior Republicans and White House chief of staff Joshua Bolten, broke down in acrimony on Friday, after Democrats renewed their demand for timetables for troop withdrawals in the final legislation.
The White House said it had been prepared to discuss a congressional bill which linked failure to meet benchmarks by the Iraqi government with forfeiture of financial aid and increased reports by Bush to Congress on the war.
Once the Senate and the House of Representatives agree on a merged war budget, Democratic strategists will turn to frustrating Bush's war plans in several defense funding bills due before each chamber in the next few months.
Another confrontation is also looming in September, as General David Petraeus, commander of US forces in Iraq, is expected to report on the progress of Bush's strategy to add 28,000 troops to US forces in the country.
But former US senator John Edwards, running a populist campaign for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, immediately hit out at signs Democrats were stepping away from withdrawal timetables.
"We need to stand our ground against this president," Edwards said in a statement.
"Congress should send him the same bill back to him again and again until he realizes he has no choice but to start bringing our troops home."
Democrats have been searching for a way to censure Bush over Iraq, while satisfying their anti-war political base and voters they believe handed them power in Congress last November in the hope they would bring troops home.
Latest congressional maneuvering on Iraq came as Bush expressed renewed confidence in Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and after another week of carnage for US troops in Iraq.
Bush called Maliki to mark a year since his inauguration, "reaffirmed his confidence in the prime minister and noted the courage he has shown during a challenging and difficult year," said White House spokesman Tony Fratto.
Maliki reaffirmed his commitment to reconcile the country's many warring factions while bringing increased security to the capital, according to a statement from his office.
At least 15 US servicemen were reported killed this weekend and 76 so far this month, putting May on track to be one of the bloodiest months in the four-year-old conflict.
The deaths bring the total US casualty toll since the March 2003 US-led invasion to 3,419, according to a count based on Pentagon figures. |
