House defeats Kucinich resolution to withdraw from Afghanistan

[AnOhioan]

Source: The Plain Dealer

The result of Wednesday's House of Representatives debate was never in doubt. Nobody expected Congress would approve Rep. Dennis Kucinich's resolution ordering President Obama to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan by year's end.

The point was to give members of Congress three hours to officially sound off on U.S. military involvement in the Middle East.

"Regardless of your support or opposition, this resolution is about ensuring meaningful and open debate," the Cleveland Democrat told colleagues on the House floor. "This is going to be the first opportunity to evaluate critically where the authorization of the use of military force has taken us in the past eight and a half years."

Backers of Kucinich's measure said the U.S. has spent close to $1 trillion on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars that could have buttressed domestic needs like housing, jobs, health care and education.

Read more: http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2010/03/house_defeats_kucinich_resolut.html

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Of course the resolution failed. After all, there were only only 65 Representatives, 60 of those being Democrats, who are intelligent enough to realize that we are, in fact, creating a more unstable region simply by being there.

[flvegan]

1. Complicit, bought and paid for assholes. n/t

[Oregone]

2. Get Kucinich up Against the Wall!

Clearly this was a right wing plot to make Democrats look like right wingers! Good thing they stood their ground, and, um, looked tough on terror. Get him up against the wall!

[LakeSamish706]

3. Interesting how we have a majority in the House and only 60 Democrats really want to end

our occupation of Afghanistan! I'm totally disgusted with this party.

[onenote]

4. one of them was stupak, so are we lovin' him now?

[LakeSamish706]

5. I'm loving anyone that wants to see this senseless occupation over with.

Many so called Democrats talk about wanting it to end, but talk is cheap obviously.

[BeatleBoot]

18. So you support Bart Stupak?

He's holding up HCR by opposing a woman's right to choose.

[Dogmudgeon]

38. Amazing

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2010/roll098.xml">Stupak DID vote with DK. So did five Republicans.

I guess the popular all-or-nothing, angel-or-devil division isn't what it used to be.

--d!

[Sgent]

8. Good

Like most Democrats, I'm perfectly ok with us being in there... Iraq was a different story, we had no business there, but Afghanistan is were we belong until its done.

[LakeSamish706]

9. "Until it's done" and what is done? Define that for me! Tell another

million or so get killed we can stay there with a crooked Afghan leadership? Makes perfect sense to me "NOT".

[laconicsax]

10. Don't forget what it is we're fighting for over there.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6798358.ece

President Karzai has approved a law that critics say condones marital rape, opening a rift in the international community as it debates how best to respond without disrupting Thursday’s presidential election.

The schism emerged when donor countries met to discuss the law after learning it had come into effect late in July despite condemnation of an earlier draft by Western leaders including President Obama and Gordon Brown. Canada and several European countries favour making a strong public protest over the Shia Personal Status Law which, among other things, permits Shia men to refuse to give food to their wives if they do not have sex with them.

But the United States and Britain are now opposed to any strong public protest because they fear that speaking out could disrupt Thursday’s election, according to two sources familiar with the donors’ meeting.

Remember, Obama says that it's fundamentally important to continue fighting for this government. Every day we're over there is another day we're officially supporting marital rape.

[pundaint]

22. Has an empire ever been done in Afghanistan without being done as an empire?

What is "done" anyway?

[Moochy]

34. No not like most democrats. Most democrats don't support the war.

the first poll I found...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/19/AR2009081903066.html

[wildbilln864]

47. see post #9! n/t

[timtom]

40. Oddly enough,

That's exactly what I changed my party affiliation to on Facebook: "Disgusted"

[Freddie Stubbs]

42. Sounds like 60 Democrats haven't read our party's platform

[KingOfLostSouls]

6. Is it election season?

how convenient, dennis. where was this last year?


must be election season, gotta get those coffers filled.

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

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[fascisthunter]

7. Business comes first in the Democratic Party

and today it's more obvious.

[2Design]

11. Love this part - we are doing it now so our children don't have to - same words different battle

California's Duncan Hunter, a U.S. Marine who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, said the House floor discussion would "make America weaker" and undermine U.S. troops and their families.

"What we are doing in Afghanistan right now is going to make it so my children won't have to go and fight the same Islamofascists we are fighting," Hunter said.

http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2010/03/house_defeats_kucinich_resolut.html

They said that during WWI and WWII and this isn't even a war - just politicians murdering the young

[bvar22]

12. Meet Hamid Karzai.

Meet Hamid Karzai
or as Obama calls him, "The Government of Afghanistan".

He was appointed by Bush the Lesser to run Afghanistan.
He is one of the most despicable criminals in The World,
But NOW we like him so much
that our children fighting and dying in the deserts of Afghanistan to keep him in power.

Commanded in Chief
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20091221/engelhardt

[pjt7]

13. Can Kucinich

call this up for a vote every three months or so?

[RoccoR5955]

15. The war isn't about him, it's about the OIL,

and the pipeline that they want to run through Afghanistan.
All you have to do to find out is FOLLOW THE MONEY!

[pjt7]

16. don't forget the heroin

.

[WriteDown]

44. Obama's had his eye on that sweet heroin money for a long time. nt

[Robb]

19. Get your facts straight.

There is no oil. Nothing significant anyhow.

The pipeline they wanted to run is no longer likely.

Feel free to peruse my journal on the subject.

[mbperrin]

24. Don't know why you think the pipeline is off the radar.

First hit on Google:

http://www.thestar.com/article/679670

Published On Wed Aug 12 2009

Afghanistan and the new great game
Prized pipeline route could explain West's stubborn interest in poor, remote land

Since the 1990s, Washington has promoted a natural gas pipeline south through Afghanistan. The route would pass through Kandahar province. In 2007, Richard Boucher, U.S. assistant secretary of state, said: "One of our goals is to stabilize Afghanistan," and to link South and Central Asia "so that energy can flow to the south." Oil and gas have motivated U.S. involvement in the Middle East for decades. Unwittingly or willingly, Canadian forces are supporting American goals.

[Robb]

27. Too late.

Take the time and read this, it's something of an update. Nutshell: I wouldn't give a dollar to anyone asking me to invest in TAPI.

[mbperrin]

30. Not a date in sight on this "update." Believe I'll stay with readily

available sources from 2009 and 2010; thanks, anyway.

[Robb]

31. Since you're so fond of Google, Google "Yolotan."

Everything changed in December. Do your best to learn what you can.

[WriteDown]

43. Obama's had his eye on that sweet oil money for a long time. nt

[Robb]

20. Amusingly frightening pictures aside

...Obama has done more to go around Karzai than support him. Your assertions that Obama loves him, or whatever you're after, are not supported by reality.

[bvar22]

29. The REALITY is...

Obama is pouring more money and blood into the deserts of Afghanistan IN SUPPORT of the Karzai Government.
Can YOU document your claim that Obama has tried "to go around Karzai"?

[Robb]

39. Do you read the news?

Do you pay attention?

Tell me you at least noticed the big "Taliban infighting" story this week. All the fighters "defecting" to join the government against the Taliban.

Riddle me this, my Afghanistan "expert": you think Mamor Malang is joining up because he's a Karzai fan? Anyone in Hizb-e-Islami would slit Karzai's throat -- or anyone in his family -- with all the second-guessing you'd give to peeling a banana.

They're signing on because they know Karzai's on the outs. Same goes for across the country. Karzai's former presidential opponents are getting press... why? We barely heard a peep from them in eight years and two elections.

Pay attention.

[DCBob]

17. 65-to-356

Kooch needs to find another issue.

[unkachuck]

21. we need to find another congress....n/t

[pundaint]

23. With this government, almost anything they address is likely to be something they're

getting wrong. Wars of Aggression such as this one, will continue to rank high on the list, however.

[EFerrari]

26. So we can have our useless stupid assed wars in peace!

[Tsiyu]

45. Typed with all the humanity of an end table?

And the compassion of a chain of E. Coli?

:shrug:


In the not so very distant past, * sigh * a President was elected by a populace sick of war. They very clearly, directly and repeatedly said they wanted their sons, daughters, wives, husbands, fathers, mothers, and so on.... to come HOME.

They have not moved on this issue, even if the beltway and media exist in a complete and total state of denial that we are even IN any wars currently.

Your flat affect, Aren't-I-So-Hip-And-Glib remark is not amusing, insightful or appreciated.

[IndianaGreen]

25. Those House members that voted to continue the war, have become war criminals

by their actions (or inactions in this case) they have become complicit in every war crime, every crime against humanity, every civilian casualty in Afghanistan.

[Name removed]

28. Deleted message

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[IndianaGreen]

32. The Congress is the one that voted to keep US from The Hague's jurisdiction

where there is no death penalty. In the US, the death penalty is the maximum penalty for murder.

[earcandle]

33. Lets keep those 60 Democrats in place and can all the rest in November! Deal?

Time to get our power back.

[New Dawn]

35. Exactly, that is why votes like this are important.

To show the country how bought off Congress is.

[emilyg]

37. Deal.

[SimonPhoenix]

36. A resolution sponsored by a failure failed.

Not surprising.

[timtom]

41. I'll be glad when you're tombstoned, you rascal, you.

<Oops! Too late! Already gone.>

[Alamuti Lotus]

46. Fair enough; they've made the bed they'll be buried by. Enjoy.

[Amonester]

48. So they're going to vote on cutting $$ and Medicare soon?

"entitlements"

Guess what those votes will be.