TPMCafe has received Democratic Leaders Reid and Pelosi's Response to Bush

[flpoljunkie]

Congressional Dem Leaders To Bush: You Must Negotiate Over Iraq

By Greg Sargent

I've just received a copy of the joint response from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to President Bush's invitation for Congressional leaders to have non-negotiations with him over the future of Iraq:

"The American people want the President and the Congress to work together to bring this war to an end, safely and responsibly. Congressional Democrats are willing to meet with the President at any time, but we believe that any discussion of an issue as critical as Iraq must be accomplished by conducting serious negotiations without any preconditions. Our goal should be to produce an Iraq supplemental bill that both fully funds our troops and gives them a strategy for success.

"With his threat to veto such a plan for change in Iraq, President Bush is ignoring the clear message of the American people: we must protect our troops, hold the Iraqi government accountable, rebuild our military, provide for our veterans, and bring our troops home.

"The President is demanding that we renew his blank check for a war without end. Despite the fact that the President persists in trying to score political points at the expense of our troops, congressional Democrats have repeatedly reached out in the spirit of cooperation. We renew our request to work with him to produce a bipartisan bill that provides our troops and our veterans with every penny they need, but in turn, demands accountability."[/div

[whistle]

1. A very good response, but it would have felt good to have made it

...short and sweet and understandable to Dubya with a simple "Fuck you George, sign the bill!

[gratuitous]

11. Read between the lines

"The American people want the President and the Congress to work together to bring this war to an end, safely and responsibly. Congressional Democrats are willing to meet with the President at any time, but we believe that any discussion of an issue as critical as Iraq must be accomplished by conducting serious negotiations without any preconditions. Our goal should be to produce an Iraq supplemental bill that both fully funds our troops and gives them a strategy for success.

"With his threat to veto such a plan for change in Iraq, President Bush is ignoring the clear message of the American people: we must protect our troops, hold the Iraqi government accountable, rebuild our military, provide for our veterans, and bring our troops home.

"The President is demanding that we renew his blank check for a war without end. Despite the fact that the President persists in trying to score political points at the expense of our troops, congressional Democrats have repeatedly reached out in the spirit of cooperation. We renew our request to work with him to produce a bipartisan bill that provides our troops and our veterans with every penny they need, but in turn, demands accountability."

[opihimoimoi]

2. Typical of Bullies, Bush wants the Congress to come to HIM...when..it should be the other way around

Bush should be going to Congress with Hat in Hand...

I don think we should hold our breath

[Demeter]

3. Bush Trying to Delay the Inevitable--Time Is No Longer His Friend

If he weren't a megalomaniacal fascist, I might feel sorry for the schlemiel.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

4. Excellent term 'blank check'

at the end of the day the American people will be burdened with debt for these silly wars. Dem congress is speaking for the people.

[Botany]

5. Sooner or later every little "tin pot bully" gets knocked down

Bush's days are #ed. The repugs will throw him under the bus and soon.

[PurpleChez]

15. Fuck the bus.

remember...Mousolini ended up dangling from a gas station light pole, if I recall....

[PegDAC]

17. Upside-down, to boot! n/t

[Maryland Liberal]

6. The Surge is working - for now...

If in the end it doesnt work -bring our troops home- but in the meantime - now is not the time to advocate troop withdrawl.

[ProudDad]

8. Define "working"???

Please don't dump right-wing talking points on this board unless you're willing to cite some substantive and reliable source for your assertions.

john mccain's ravings, faux news' bullshit and DOD secy gates are NOT reliable sources.

More honest sources of information point out that the death and injury rates for Iraqis and U.S. personnel remain high.

Of course, if by the "surge is working" you mean that a pair of right-wing lying assholes can parade around a market in Baghdad, about 3 minutes from the green zone, in body armor with a guard of only 5 helicopters, who knows how many snipers and 100 troops (and dog knows how many mercenaries backing THEM up) is "working", well, maybe it is... Especially when you consider the body count of the retaliation the following day was under 100...what progress... :sarcasm:

In case you haven't checked lately, it's nearly 70% of the American People, over 80% of the Iraqi people and most of the aware population of the Earth that's calling for immediate withdrawal. You're in the wrong on this one, bunkie...

[MannyGoldstein]

9. Everything Works - For A While

We have more weaponry, so we can make stuff work at first. Then the enemy adapts, and we have a problem. This is the history of our occupation of Iraq.

Throughout history, this has always been the case in an occupation that is less than totally brutal.

So either we totally lock down the country and kill a tremendous number of people - anyone who so much as litters - or we get out.

[LeahMira]

16. Working?

What do you mean by working? What was the goal? What are the additional troops expected to accomplish? Does anyone even know what any U.S. troops are supposed to be doing in Iraq these days... other than trying to manage to survive?

[whistle]

7. Harry and Nancy, stick to your guns, do not let this idiot Dim-son

....dictate an open ended war program for Iraq! He must agree to phased troop reductions as proposed and he must be held accountable for where and how supplemental war funding is spent, and he must let Iraq know that they have to assume greater responsibility for the direction their country is taking to bring about stability and peace.

It would also be nice to get back some of the wasted funding from the past in the form of taxes and/or fines against the corrupt practices of Halliburton and other U.S. contractors who were profit gouging in the rebuilding efforts.

[noise]

10. A good proposal

Dems fund the occupation with no timetables and no benchmarks on one condition...Bush and Cheney resign.

[19jet54]

12. "I told Congress over 60 days ago..." - W

Did you hear our Prez' speech today? "I told Congress" is an indication that he actually thinks they work for him? I'm sure he speaks like that to everyone as an arrogant bully. No wonder all of our WWII allies are pissed? What a piece of work?

My senator (see picture) is on the right track and has my full support and trust - Give 'em hell Harry!!!

[Puppyjive]

13. For love or money?

This war was never about 9/11.  9/11 was a good excuse.  This
war is all about Saudi Arabia.  We have been protecting the
Kingdom for years. The insurgency is becoming a threat to the
entire Middle East.  The administration does not want to admit
the connection because of it's ties to big oil.  How many
coalition forces are from Saudi or Kuwait?  The Middle East
has the United States over a barrel.  I am sick and tired of
the crap, but I continue to drive my gas sucking vehicle just
like everyone else in our country.  I wish every American
could see what lavish lifestyles the Saudi's live.  We are
infidels in their eyes.  I was very young when I made my first
trip to the Middle East.  After about my 3rd trip, I realized
I was defending a country who's beliefs were nothing even
remotely close to mine.  I remember President Clinton's
picture hanging up at work.  I wasn't allowed to say anything
bad about the Commander and Chief.  I just knew how much I
didn't like him for making us deploy to a country where I, as
a woman, had no rights.  Today, I would hug Bill Clinton and
thank him for getting us all home alive.  He maintained the
peace.  Our current President and the Congress are in a tit
for tat, meanwhile, we are losing life, limbs, and any hope
for a peace.  About 15 years ago, I remember someone from my
hometown congratulate me for being in the military and told me
never to forget this:  He said our biggest threat will be
China, and our government will become inefficient because of
partisan politics.  I often look around my house in search of
something made in America.  It gets harder everyday.  I hope
our next President has more love for people than money.   

[blondie58]

14. but you know, Puppyjives- Money trumps peace

or so says Bush. Personally, I think that phrase is ugly and offensive.

Thank you for your insight. It sounds like you have a lot to add to the board and WELCOME!

[jeff30997]

18. Nah! No way!

Gotta stay the course !

[focusfan]

19. this is like kicking an old horse

democrates have tried to talk to Bush about Iraq but he keeps
ignoring it because he is making a fortune in the oil
industry.I think congress should cut off funding for Iraq and
send our troops home