Dems abandon war authority provision

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

How nice. We mustn't "tie the president's hands" in dealing with Iran. And, we must give him more funds for Iraq. Brilliant!! That'll certainly curtail Shrub and Shotgun's warmaking. And, maybe Cheney will stop saying nasty things about our "leaders".

Thanks for nothing.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070312/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_iraq_31

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 (news, bio, voting record) 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 Iran-related proposal stemmed from a desire to make sure Bush did not launch an attack without going to Congress for approval, but drew opposition from numerous members of the rank and file in a series of closed-door sessions last week.

"I didn't think it was a very wise idea to take things off the table if you're trying to get people to modify their behavior and normalize it in a civilized way," said Rep. Gary Ackerman (news, bio, voting record) of New York.

Several officials said there was widespread opposition to the proposal at a closed-door meeting last week of conservative and moderate Democrats, who said they feared tying the hands of the administration when dealing with an unpredictable and potentially hostile regime in Tehran.

[leftofthedial]

1. goddamned democrats

are little better than repukes

[KennedyGuy]

3. I actually think that they perfer being in the Minority..

That way they can bitch and moan and naver have to take a stand.
This is beyond pathetic and a sure ticket back to minority status in 08.
get used to it..more to come.

[MannyGoldstein]

13. That's Their Strategy - And We Are Enablers

The strategy of most of today's 'Democrats' is to simply suck a little less than the Rethugs. They are for the war a little less. They screw the Middle Class a little less. They favor gutting the Constitution just a little less.

And we have ourselves to blame - we fall for their crap over and over, and bizarely insist on voting in primaries for people with abysmal voting records - because they have good hair, nice pants suits, or they lie real nice and we don't mind that they lie.

How insane.

[leftofthedial]

14. our political system is designed to allow us to choose between

two different groups of shills for the plutocracy

it has nothing at all to do with "governance" as we all seem to understand it and everything to do with promoting the status quo.

[NRaleighLiberal]

2. Odd. I don't think that the idea of the 06 election outcome was Retreat..

to see that word paired up with the word Democrat makes me boil. What the hell are our so-called newly elected, energized "Leaders" doing? Oh, I know...keeping their powder dry until they really, really need it.

Disgusted in Raleigh

[Raven]

4. This is a real debacle

do we need to call these people? (I've already done that!)What are they thinking? My NH political group is already planning to run a candidate in 2008 against the asshole we worked for in 2006. What the hell happens when these people get to Washington?

[EV_Ares]

5. Why am I not surprised. Would just as soon they not start anything

anymore, always reading bout retreats.

[lumberjack_jeff]

6. The justification of not doing this is trust.

If the administration is not trustworthy, then failing to explicitly denying permission is a viewpoint wholly without merit.

What the fuck is the matter with them?

[nuxvomica]

7. Whoops! They're doing it again

Don't they remember that they were lied to about Iraq and just maybe they're being lied to about Iran? Fool me once... you know the rest.

[regnaD kciN]

11. Even more so...

This time, Bush doesn't even have to go to the trouble of lying to get his war.

:grr:

[MADem]

8. All those protesters should have spent more time bugging the conservative Democrats

instead of harassing the liberals who were onboard on this issue. Oh well. It didn't have a prayer of staying in anyway, like it or not, if you look at the issue pragmatically.

The bright spot is that Robert Gates has experience NEGOTIATING, in secret (and illegally, too, but never mind that) with Iran. I don't think he's all that eager to try to fight a war we simply cannot win, due to our lack of personnel, on a THIRD front, against a nationalistic nation that is led by a Supreme (religious--not the midget mayor) Leader who is as pragmatic as he is.

[DemKR]

9. Memo to clueless blue dogs:

It's NOT necessarily the war itself being opposed, it's whether or not he needs to seek Congressional authorization!!! Aka...the CONSTITUTION!!!

Un-freakin-believable.

[regnaD kciN]

10. Blank Check, Part II...

:puke:

And more proof that, just like with the NRA, all AIPAC (which, in case they hadn't noticed, is far from representative of the mythical monolithic "Jewish vote" :eyes: ) has to do is say "jump," and our, ahem, leaders will respond with "how high, sir?"

:argh:

[BayCityProgressive]

12. Pathetic God damned mother fucking

Democrats. They are good for nothing. Christ! They wonder why leftists are leaving the party and vote for people like Senator Sanders or Ralph Nader!?!?!!? WHEN DID ISRAEL BECOME MORE IMPORTANT THAN OUR LIVES AND MONEY!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!? AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I AM SO SICK OF THIS SHIT. WE HAVE A ONE PARTY STATE BECAUSE THEY REFUSE TO CHALLENGE BUSH IN ANY MEANINGFUL WAY.
:mad: :argh: :grr: :nuke: :banghead: :rant:

i JUST TOLD MY MODERATE VOTING PARTNER ABOUT THIS AND HIS REACTION WAS A SHAKE OF THE HEAD AND A "WHY DO WE EVEN BOTHER VOTING FOR THEM"

[Mr. Ected]

15. 70 Percent of Americans Are Unrepresented In Washington

How can we reclaim our country, people?

[BayCityProgressive]

16. pass

recall and IRV initiatives in local cities and states so that we can pick between more than just the D/R dictatorship.

[newburgh]

17. You crazy!? Mentioning Nader and IRV on DU! Duck and cover!

Taking advantage of one eensy-beensy incident... (ah, I voted for it before I was against it again)

:hide:

[FourScore]

18. So...whereISmyparty? n/t

[Individualist]

19. That's complicity

DLC has corrupted the party.