Pelosi says rallying votes for troop surge in Afghanistan will be Obama's job

[IndianaGreen]

Source: Washington Post

Pelosi says rallying votes for troop surge in Afghanistan will be Obama's job

By Paul Kane
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, December 17, 2009

President Obama will have to argue his own case to House Democrats as he seeks support for a planned surge of 30,000 troops into Afghanistan, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Wednesday, adding that she is finished asking her colleagues to back wars that they do not support.

"The president's going to have to make his case," Pelosi told reporters at a year-end briefing on the legislative session.

While the next round of war-funding legislation is not likely to be considered until spring, Pelosi said there will be a test vote in January on support for the troop buildup. Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich (D-Ohio) has said he will offer a privileged resolution next month calling for an immediate withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. The vote is likely to fail because of broad Republican support for the war, but it could reveal the depth of the schism between Obama and his fellow Democrats on the new troop plan.



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/16/AR2009121604161.html?hpid%3Dtopnews&sub=AR

[eleny]

1. Whoa! Good for her.

[IndianaGreen]

2. Pelosi: War votes are votes of conscience

Nancy got tired of carrying water for this White House.

[eleny]

3. What a day for her to assert this

When it rains, it pours.

[Hawkowl]

5. Not a coincidence

She smells blood in the water and she is going to distance herself from Obama's growing unpopularity with the party faithful.

[Jamastiene]

12. Bingo! We have a winner.

That's EXACTLY what she's doing.

[saigon68]

14. HE Will get NO HELP from me and my friends

As a matter of fact there are a Few GOLD STAR MOTHERS who may not help him either.

A Victory for the Military Industrial complex and Draft Dodgers like Cheney.

USA USA USA !!!!!!

[Toots]

15. And you believe her?

There are very few in Congress or the Administration that I consider "Honest Brokers". Mostly they just say what is convenient at the moment.

[Luciferous]

4. Good for her!

[bunny planet]

6. you go Nancy!!!

[Goldstein1984]

7. Good for Pelosi, and good for

a lot of American soldiers and Afghani civilians who maybe won't have to die so the U.S. can try to save face.

[Yuugal]

8. thank you Nancy! nt

[Purveyor]

9. Pinch me quick and tell me this is not a dream... :) eom

[kelly1mm]

10. The Speaker is throwing the President under the bus!!!!! This should be fun to watch. nt

[maglatinavi]

11. Pelosi

About time for someone to get the truth marching forward... What is in the Afghanistan war for us? Their Human Rights, Humane principles are nil...the President signed a law allowing men to imprision wives that refuse to have sex with them. What kind of culture is this, and; what are we sacrificing our troops for? The war started to "smoke" Bin Laden, but Bush/Cheney prevented his being caught. There is no logical reason for the continuance of this war.
:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[Mithreal]

13. The road to hell is all downhill from here on out.

[hughee99]

16. "The vote is likely to fail because of broad Republican support for the war"?

When did bills in the house become "likely to fail" because the minority opposed it? The bill is likely to fail because they won't be able to get the DEM votes for it.

[dflprincess]

18. Think of the difficult spot this puts the Republicans in

if they vote against the bill they're supporting something Obama wants. Their heads must be exploding.

[hughee99]

20. This doesn't bother them at all

the repukes want to prevent Obama from getting something he wants, when what he wants will get Obama or other Dems votes. The repukes are all for Obama doing things that will hurt his reelection chances and those of other Democrats in '10.

The repukes will spin this as them being so clearly right about the issue that they were even able to convince a Democratic president to "do the right thing". Far from putting them in a difficult spot, this will be something they promote.

[Cass]

17. Good for her. This will be interesting.

[PassingFair]

19. Curiouser and curiouser....

Pelosi is not easy to pigeon-hole, is she?

[Baclava]

21. I wonder what that is all about?

Are some congresscritters coming to her asking for protection for the next election cycle?

[No Elephants]

22. Protecting vulnerable Democrats is in her best interests. Members of the minority Party do not

get to be Speaker of the House.

There's a thread in this foum about her protecting vulnerable members. Whether they came to her or her self preservation instinct kicked in when she saw the 2010 handwriting on the wall is anyone's guess. Maybe a bit of both.

[Baclava]

23. "members of the minority Party do not get to be Speaker of the House" - - - good point

You think it's all about self-preservation?

Has it reached that point?