The Politico: Liberal Democrats Revolt on Iraq Spending Bill

[DeepModem Mom]

March 05, 2007
Liberal Democrats Revolt on Iraq Spending Bill

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is facing a full-blown revolt from liberal House Democrats over the $98 billion Iraq supplemental bill, according to Democratic insiders. Anywhere between 50 to 75 Democrats are now threatening to vote against the bill because it doesn't go far enough toward ending the war, including setting a date certain for withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from Iraq, said the sources. Pelosi and Democratic leaders are expected to postpone markup of the Iraq bill in the House Appropriations Committee by at least a week in order to buy time to resolve the matter.

Liberals are unhappy with the current proposal being discussed by Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) and the Democratic leadership, which would prevent President Bush from sending more troops to Iraq unless they are certified as being properly equipped, trained and rested to take on combat missions. After weeks of political attacks from Republicans, Murtha softened his original proposal so that Bush can waive the requirements, although the White House would have to report to Congress why they are issuing such waivers. The Blue Dog Coalition, a group of moderate and conservative Democrats from swing districts, also wanted Murtha to revise his proposal.

But as happens so often in politics, if you move too far in appeasing one group, you then alienate another, which is what's happening here. Liberal Dems now don't want to vote for the Iraq supplemental, with many pointing out to Pelosi and party leaders that they never have voted for one before and aren't about to start doing so now just because Democrats are in the majority. These Democrats also want to offer their own alternative proposal to cut off Iraq funding immediately as an amendment to the supplemental on the House floor, said Democratic leadership aides.

Liberal Democrats like Rep. Maxine Waters (Calif.), co-chairwoman of the Out of Iraq Caucus, want to end the war now, so they want a date certain for a withdrawal or pullout or "strategic redeployment," and they want it in the Iraq supplemental or they won't vote for it. "They figure that we won the election on a promise to end the war, and they want to live up to that promise," said a senior House Democratic lawmaker who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "It's a tough place the speaker is in right now, but we'll work all this out."...

http://www.politico.com/blogs/thecrypt/0307/Liberal_Democrats_Revolt_on_Iraq_Spending_Bill.html

[emulatorloo]

1. Is politico a right-wing source? They sure sound like it some times

and MediaMatters seems to think soL

http://mediamatters.org/items/200702150009

<snip>
Politico's baseless, charged rhetoric fueling Republican attacks on Democrats
Two recent articles in The Politico have become the basis for Republican attacks against Democrats: a February 5 piece by chief political correspondent Mike Allen, in which he baselessly claimed that Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) "has a bubble around him," and a February 14 piece by Politico congressional bureau chief John Bresnahan that used the charged label "slow-bleed" to characterize the Democrats' strategy in dealing with the administration on Iraq.

Allen reported that Obama held a February 2 reception for members of the Democratic National Committee to which the press was not admitted, and that Obama refused to answer Allen's questions following the reception. Citing no other evidence, Allen claimed that Obama "already has a bubble around him that is tighter than the one that surrounded Texas Gov. George W. Bush" during the 2000 campaign. Obama has since made several press appearances, and he gave an interview to Roger Simon, The Politico's chief political columnist.
<snip>

A search there on Politico yields:

http://mediamatters.org/issues_topics/search_results?qstring=Politico

A long list of interesting articles

[Dinger]

9. I'll Say They Are

Maybe it's just me.
:shrug:

[Virginian]

12. Here is what Politico says about that

Media matters calls them a GOP shill.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0307/3011.html

Politico responds.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0307/3013.html

[Demeter]

2. Good! K&R!

[Greeby]

3. This is nothing new

The Out Of Iraq Caucus have always voted against these spending bills, it's only now they have some clout in stopping it altogether

[ninkasi]

4. It's time some of our

elected officials pay attention to the will of the people. We voted against this war, and for removing our troops, when we cast our ballots in November. Unless they start paying attention, they won't be reelected, because I think everybody is sick of the war, and Bush, the economy which doesn't help anybody but the rich, and all of the lies. The time for meaningless talk and pontificating is over, we, the people, want some action now.

[fed-up]

5. GO NANCY-Bring them HOME NOW-NOT ONE MORE DEATH nt

[Zhade]

6. Um, she's one of the ones NOT trying to stop the war.

NT!

[w4rma]

8. Yes she is. (nt)

[Brad Alan-Desjardins]

7. This is the time the Democrats must step up to the plate

This is the main reason people voted Democratic in the '06 election, to vote in the party with a new vision on Iraq. With the spending bill coming up soon it will show what type of direction the party will go in, will they be strong and pose hard restrictions on the money going towards the war so it can be ended soon, or will they all become weak and do nothing on the spending for the war cause "it might endanger our troops"

Don't let the blue dog wing of the party control everything, the liberals should be directing everything in the House cause there the basis of the party. The liberals have plans to end the war. The blue dogs are just chickenawks that want to clear cut end to the war.

[DeepModem Mom]

10. Hi, Brad! Thanks for posting, and welcome to DU!

[Brad Alan-Desjardins]

11. Why thank you

I hope my stay here will be long. I am looking forward to some lively debates with all of you as i'm told this blog is famous for it's long drod out debates. Maybe some of you know my cousin who used to post here, Daylin Byak the former two term moderator and contreversial board member?