Democrats back off on effort to limit Bush's Iran options......why?

[babsbunny]

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/iraq/20070312-1603-us-iraq.html

In Iraq
Democrats back off on effort to limit Bush's Iran options



By David Espo
ASSOCIATED PRESS

4:03 p.m. March 12, 2007

WASHINGTON – Top House Democrats retreated Monday from an attempt to limit President Bush's authority for taking military action against Iran as the leadership concentrated on a looming confrontation with the White House over the Iraq war.
Officials said Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other members of the leadership had decided to strip from a major military spending bill a requirement for Bush to gain approval from Congress before moving against Iran.


Conservative Democrats as well as lawmakers concerned about the possible impact on Israel had argued for the change in strategy.
The developments occurred as Democrats pointed toward an initial test vote in the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday on the overall bill, which would require the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq by Sept. 1, 2008, if not earlier. The measure also provides nearly $100 billion to pay for fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

[pocoloco]

1. Short answer....?

AIPAC

[FrenchieCat]

2. Duh.....ye-ah!

Sad, but true. :(

[sam sarrha]

3. what is that..?? i say pass a specific bill and state why, let them filibuster/veto and let our

position stand in History.. otherwise we will be blamed for doing nothing.. which is what we are doing

[AnOhioan]

4. Just what I was going to say n/t

[aquart]

5. Yes, it's Israel's fault.

Couldn't possibly be that the Blue Dogs from conservative states won't give them the votes?

Nah, the Jews run the world. Israel runs the United States. It's Israel's fault. Everything is Israel's fault.

Lotta slime creeps up from the sewers.

[Crunchy Frog]

6. AIPAC certainly seems to be doing a bang up job of framing Israel.

Maybe it's not such a good friend to Israel as it likes to think. :shrug:

[pocoloco]

7. Maybe they can build a wall to keep the slime in!

[invictus]

9. Strawman argument n/t

[peaches2003]

8. Now it's Iraq AND Iran

Not only are the Dems now afraid to do anything about Iraq, but they are giviing Bush the same power over war with Iran as they did war with Iraq. Why did anyone bother to vote for the Dems in 2006. The hell with them; they are no better than the Repugs. They will lose power again in 2008 and the truth is it doesn't matter.

[Larry Allen]

10. Nancy's War

Our leadership in the House is unfortunately pro-war. History will record Iran and Iraq as the same war. You can't support one without the other, or oppose one without opposing the other.

It can be argued that the Iran war prohibition would have been ineffective because it contained exemptions for if we are attacked, for imminent threat, and for hot pursuit, and because Bush does not feel bound by acts of Congress anyway. But it would have sent a message to the Bush administration and the international community that we are not behind this.

Pulling the Iran war prohibition, in the current context, gives Bush a green light. Since there is no move to repeal the Iraq War Resolution that everyoune regrets, and since Bush intends to use IWR for authority to attack Iran, he now scacely has to stage a phony attack or manufacture propoganda to go forward with this substantial escalation.

An air assult on Iran is frought with danger and I will hold Nancy Pelosi personally responsible for the resulting death and destruction.