Barney Frank: The Defense budget was passed already

[LSK]

Bush already has plenty of money so there is no defunding the war right now.

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=2&vote=00261

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll510.xml

[orpupilofnature57]

1. Barney and his com-padres don't want to be too free with, it's him

IMPEACH him.

[Critters2]

2. Then vote NO on any future "supplementals"

That's what I'd like to see. Not that I expect to.

[Greeby]

3. Sadly, Barney was one of only 19 in the House to vote no on this

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll305.xml

It's perhaps no wonder that, according to his children, Ike originally called it the Military-Industrial-Congressional Complex

[IndyOp]

4. Shit. Shit. Shit. I don't understand - Why would Feingold vote yes?

And what has Kucinich been talking about de-funding? That bill passed in 2007 and Kucinich has said that there is enough money in the pipeline to get the troops out and that Congress should not vote for any more funding -- is Kucinich talking about a supplemental?

:shrug:

[NewJeffCT]

5. Not only for 2007

I'm sure if he has money for 2007, he can issue a signing statement allowing him to ignore the lack of funding for 2008 and use money from other parts of the budget because of his superpower as commander-in-chief. Not only that, he'll send troops there with no body armor, no bullets, etc and force a vote on supporting the troops.

[Generator]

6. Saw that

Was gonna post, "WE ARE FUCKED." American people that is. You don't get what you voted on, you only get what the decider decides. Oh and the Dems can't do a damn thing about it either, was the way I took what Frank was saying. We need a mass movement. A draft. A revolution. The congress isn't going to change a thing. We have thugs in power and it's hopeless to pretend to work with thugs. (Cheney, and Bush)

And saw Mr. Newsweek's thoughts-the Chimp is going to run Iraq (and our budget and our soldiers) into the ground, just like he decided to five years ago. Nothing is going to change that. Nothing.

[LSK]

7. im still willing to wait through the coming hearings

Biden is supposedly doing 3 weeks of hearings on Iraq. Im sure Conyers has plenty on tap too.

[riderinthestorm]

13. The only way to stop the occupation is to remove Bu$h and Cheney.

Impeachment anyone?

[IndyOp]

8. President will likely ask the Congress to approve 97.7 billion dollars

in supplemental spending for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan which will be in addition to the Pentagon's $560 billion dollar budget. According to some estimates, U.S. taxpayers will pay close to 2 trillion dollars for a doomed war in Iraq.

THIS FUNDING CAN STILL BE STOPPED.

[LSK]

9. when? this summer?

[IndyOp]

10. I got the statement from Kathy Kelly's article on Counterpunch -

She doesn't say when...

"Leave Now or You Will Die Like a Dog" - Wrapped Around a Bullet
By KATHY KELLY January 3, 2007

http://www.counterpunch.org/

[IndyOp]

11. Kucinich says up to $160 billion will be asked for in Spring...

Kucinich, who announced his candidacy on Tuesday, has consistently maintained that the $70 billion which Congress appropriated for the war just two months ago should be used to: bring the troops home now, fund a plan for international coalition forces to secure Iraq, and provide for reconciliation of the Iraqi people and reconstruction of their country, without privatization mandates.

"The new Democratic Congress must stop the President from escalating the war. We must not appropriate any new funding. Up to $160 billion for the war will be asked for in the spring. That would bring the total for the war for FY 2007 to $230 billion. This amount is almost double the $117 billion spent in all of FY 2006.

"The news reports that up to 50,000 more troops could be sent to Iraq, together with a request to double the funding for the war, clearly points to an escalation of the Iraq war at a time when it is widely stated by military and policy experts that the war cannot be won militarily.

"The Democratic Congress has a mandate from the people to stop the war, bring the troops home, and help Iraq take a new direction. We cannot do that if we appropriate more funds which set the stage for a sharp escalation of the war.”

http://kucinich.us/node/1032

[riderinthestorm]

14. The spring is too late already. The "surge" (escalation) will already be happening

and Dems who vote against the under-armed, broken military will pay hell if they renege on the men and women over there.

I believe the escalation will be full-on by February at the latest. This will ensure maximum Dem participation in funding come spring when the atrocious state of our military is laid bare for all the world to see. :cry:

[IndyOp]

15. If the Dems are very, very resolute that the ONLY money available

for occupation of Iraq & Afghanistan is what has already been budgeted then they have much more power to demand that the $$ in the pipeline be used to get equipment and troops out rather than to escalate.

Another angle: The $$ appropriated in the Fall may have been to cover what had already been spent. That means that the $$ that may be requested in Spring will be to cover what will happen over the next few months - so Congress could really tie up *'s plans if they slam on the brakes.

And, yes, they have to do more than stop the funding -- but stopping the funding is a very, very important step and we must begin pushing them hard, now to adopt this stance.

[riderinthestorm]

17. Oh, I know what you're saying but Bu$hco will extract the $$ elsewhere if Congress

won't play. Executive orders will ensure the $$ is there, have no doubt. This isn't the Vietnam-era anymore and that route has been shut down (de-funding), imho that's why Pelosi et al have already said that it isn't an option, they know BFEE already can scavenge the funds elsewhere.

[IndyOp]

19. Congress has allowed its power to be diminished to an extreme -

and the only way to TAKE BACK THE POWER is to stand up and do it. You gain power by demanding it, by taking it, and by doing it over and over again. Congress must make demands - some will fail, but others will succeed and power will return. Keep eyes on the prize: Congress is a co-equal branch of government to the President.

[riderinthestorm]

20. And you think Pelosi and Reid are the tigers to take it back?

No fucking way. :cry:

They won't. I'm sorry but they just aren't inspiring me at. all. Conyers and Leahy will make some dents but they aren't leadership dammit.

[IndyOp]

21. When Congress was sworn at the start of Nixon's second term...

They said impeachment was off the table. The People demanded dramatic change, members of Congress and Leaders were swayed. They are not Gods.

[riderinthestorm]

22. Thanks for the pep talk.

:hug: (takes deep breath).

I am one of those who believes that impeachment is our only honorable way forward. We MUST investigate and impeach, we absolutely have enough evidence of high crimes and misdemeanors.

But I am not persuaded that Dem leadership can be pressured, even by us. Hell, even on DU (our most educated Democratic population bar none) there are MANY folks who believe impeachment is a bust, a time waster, a "revenge-seeking" ploy etc. etc.

4 days of partying by Dem leadership this week instead of getting tough immediately. I am not amused....

[LSK]

23. heres a little more peptalk

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/01/01/biden-to-begin-three-week_n_37575.html

[Puregonzo1188]

12. Why did Bernie Sanders vote yes? (n/t)

[orpupilofnature57]

16. To cut the legs off of victims ( soldiers ) would only help Shrub at his Game.

[IndyOp]

18. Voting against funding helps soldiers - they come home before their legs are blown off.

No Game.

[Disturbed]

24. Dems won't do a damn thing about it.

It is Busholini's War. He will do what he damn well wants to do.

[orpupilofnature57]

25. If your Shrub it's one of many games , a result of being raised by

Bureaucrats, and never experiencing the result of a forward area.And by the way ,when did you here about 20,000 troops Coming instead of going?