U.S. Congress restricts Bush on Iraq spending

[sabra]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N26377365.htm

U.S. Congress restricts Bush on Iraq spending

WASHINGTON, Sept 29 (Reuters) - The U.S. Congress on Friday moved to block the Bush administration from building permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq or controlling the country's oil sector, as it approved $70 billion for funding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The restrictions included in a record $447 billion military funding bill were a slap at the administration, and Republicans have stripped them out of legislation in the past.

Democrats and many Republicans say the Iraqi insurgency has been fueled by perceptions that the United States has ambitions for a permanent presence in the country. They have called on Bush to make a policy statement that the United States has no such plans.

U.S. President George W. Bush has not said either way whether the United States wants permanent bases, but U.S. officials have predicted a lengthy U.S. military presence in Iraq.

[Richard D]

1. Doesn't this make them . . .

. . . enemies of the state? Send those congress critters to the dungeon!

[Egnever]

2. Ignore the man behind the curtain!

Democrats and many Republicans say the Iraqi insurgency has been fueled by perceptions that the United States has ambitions for a permanent presence in the country. They have called on Bush to make a policy statement that the United States has no such plans

I find it amusing that absolutely no one will talk about the huge embassy going up there. Here they are asking the administration to make statements saying they have no plans for permanent bases while completely ignoring one of the biggest indicators that we have no intention of ever leaving.

News these days seems to have an amazing ability to present a story while completely ignoring the realities on the ground.

It boggles my mind.

[mom cat]

3. Didn't they pass this restriction earlier?

[leftyladyfrommo]

4. hey will do some sort of end run and get it anyway.

Bush and the boys are not going to let Congress get in their way.

[Marie26]

5. Second-guessing the

commander-in-chief's decisions in a time of war? Don't they know they have no right to do that? Ask Gonzales.

[Moderator]

6. kick

[Tesha]

7. AP: Senate Approves (by 100-0) $70B for War Spending

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/09/29/national/w074740D20.DTL

Senate Approves $70B for War Spending

By ANDREW TAYLOR, Associated Press Writer

The Senate unanimously approved $70 billion more for military
operations in Iraq and Afghanistan Friday as part of a record
Pentagon budget.

The bill, now on its way to the White House for President Bush's
signature, totals $448 billion. It was passed by a 100-0 vote
after minimal debate.

Approval by a comfortable margin came despite intense partisan
divisions over the course of the Iraq war, which is costing
about $8 billion a month. Another infusion of money will be
needed next spring.

The House-Senate compromise bill provides $378 billion for core
Pentagon programs, about a 5 percent increase, though slightly
less than President Bush asked for. The $70 billion for Iraq an
d Afghanistan is a down payment on war costs the White House has
estimated will hit $110 billion for the budget year beginning
Oct. 1.

Congress has now approved $507 billion for Iraq, Afghanistan and
heightened security at overseas military bases since the Sept.
11, 2001, attacks, according to the Congressional Research Service.
The war in Iraq has cost $379 billion and the conflict in
Afghanistan now totals $97 billion.

<more>

[Skink]

8. Imagine if that read Senate approves 70 billion for education.

[gatorboy]

9. Get used to it.

The Dems are scared of those "Democrat ____________ voted against military spending to protect our country..." ads that would eventually pop up.

They're going to spend this country into bankruptcy much like the Soviet Union....

[Tesha]

10. Your use of the future tense may not be correct. :-(

> They're going to spend this country into bankruptcy much like the Soviet Union....

Your use of the future tense may not be correct. :(

Tesha

[ConcernedCanuk]

21. Very astute Tesha - if all the markers are called in, the US is bankrupt

.
.
.

And that's just financially . . .

As far as the rest of the World is concerned

The USA is already morally and socially bankrupt.

The only thing the US has going for it right now is it's Military Might.

Bullies never last

Someone shoulda taught them PNACers that . . .

or more of your VOTERS?

(sigh)

[nebula]

11. Proves once and for all...

After all is said and done, the Dems and Repubs are one and the same.

[Zynx]

13. If you believe for one moment the Democrats would have run this

country the same way that the Republicans have the last six years, you are horribly deluded.

[Tesha]

16. In what way would it have been suicide for, say, Jim Jeffords? (NT)

[aquart]

12. Republicans set the agenda and Democrats bow down.

How nice.

[Zynx]

14. It would have been political suicide to vote against this.

Particularly since they lumped Afghanistan and Iraq spending together.

[Tesha]

18. In what way would it have been political suicide for, say, Jim Jeffords?

NT

[fshrink]

19. Political suicide is necessary to change.

If at least some do not put their principles first, the entire system regresses toward the trendline, which in this country is close to what would be the extreme-right in other countries.

[screenplaya]

15. Bush's Plan to Kill Social Security

Throw trillions of dollars down the tubes in this quagmire and SS is really in crisis. We are not spending money we have, we are borrowing for this disaster and probably 40% will get funneled to Bush friends, cronies and warmongers.

[catzies]

22. Exactly right and welcome to DU!

They've always wanted to dismantle the New Deal and crush the government down so much that you could "drown it in the bathtub," to use Grover Norquist's immortal phrase.

People who hate the government suck at running it, don't they?

[Up2Late]

17. This is Great, but I think they are too late to stop permanent bases.

"...moved to block the Bush administration from building permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq or controlling the country's oil sector..."

I think they already gave them the money for most of this over the last few years.:banghead:

[bemildred]

20. What a pantload.

"Congress continues to give Bush anything he ask for" is closer to the facts.