Democrats may deny funds for Iraq surge

[rodeodance]

Democrats may deny funds for Iraq surge

By DAVID ESPO, AP Special Correspondent
7 minutes ago



WASHINGTON - In a blunt warning to the White House, congressional Democrats said Monday they may seek to deny funds for the type of short-term troop buildup that President Bush is expected to announce for
Iraq Wednesday night.

As Democrats began their first full week in the congressional majority, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (news, bio, voting record) said he would "look at everything" to wind down the war effort, short of cutting off support for troops already deployed.

He said Bush's expected call for an additional $100 billion for the war would receive close scrutiny.

"We have a platform we didn't have before, Leader Pelosi and I, and we're going to ... focus attention on this war in many different ways," said Reid, D-Nevada. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (news, bio, voting record), D-Calif., suggested over the weekend using Congress' power of the purse to restrain any troop buildup.
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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070108/ap_on_go_co/congress_rdp

[derby378]

1. Now THAT'S what I'm talking about

We're supporting the troops - by keeping them here, where they belong.

[Ezlivin]

2. The hell with "may" - how about "absolutely, positively won't"?

I grow weary of all the equivocation. Just for once say "hell no" to these bastards. They only understand force and a firm hand.

[rodeodance]

3. kennedy, obama and Durbin here:

"We ought to insist that the Congress and the Senate take action, so that before we're going to have a surge (of troops), the members of Congress and the members of the Senate will have an opportunity to speak on this issue," said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., who also attended a meeting with Bush on the war.

He noted that Congress could prohibit the money it authorizes for Iraq from being spent on a troop buildup. "It's something that's under discussion," said the Massachusetts Democrat.

Other alternatives have emerged in recent days, although several officials said Democratic leaders had not yet settled on a course of action.

Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the Senate's second-ranking Democrat, has suggested a limit on the number of troops that could be deployed to the war.

"It is time for us to announce we achieved our goals in Iraq and now the American people need to hand this responsibility over to the people of that nation in Iraq," he said.

Sen. Barack Obama (news, bio, voting record), D-Ill., a potential presidential candidate, said that while he opposes any measure that would increase the risk to troops already deployed, "the central question then becomes, is there a way of conditioning appropriations so that the president is constrained and that's something that we're investigating right now."

[MasonJar]

4. And yet on NPR Neil Conan (I think) was saying Nancy had backed

down some. He also had a quote from S.Car.Senator Graham saying new military leaders in Iraq thought the escalation a good idea. (Duh, that's why they got the job) I say too bad, buddy, you lied when you signed up with the 14 senators and then used threats to get the dems to vote for horrible appointees to the bench and then reneged on the deal. You are in the minority now, and I sincerely hope you stay that way. I get plenty pissed at NPR sometimes.

[trashcanistanista]

6. I HATE

Lindsey Graham! Lying, anti-censure, rabid torture mongering scumbag!

[Purveyor]

5. It seems our voices are being heard and realized by those we elected...n/t