Will Pelosi and Reid cave on the troop withdrawal date?

[MoonRiver]

Knowing them, I fear they will.

It was a wimpy "demand" to begin with, so they should definitely refuse to budge. But we know how that goes. My question is the point of putting that bill on dimson's desk if he's going to veto it, and the Dems will just go along with his bullying tactics? To me, this does not make us look like we're serious about ending the war. Just makes us appear to be flip floppers.

I really hope I'm wrong about this. Reassure me, if you can.

[martymar64]

1. Of course they will

No question about it. AIPAC will make sure of that.

[Tom Joad]

2. They have already caved... these bills as already written do NOT end the US occupation of Iraq

They merely "redefine" the mission.

[MoonRiver]

4. So what was the point of this exercise in futility?

To make the base mad? :shrug:

[DURHAM D]

3. No - but they will need to do some very strategic moves.

If they don't give some ground very carefully the Democrats will own the war going into the 2008 elections. Do you want that?

[MoonRiver]

5. Of course not.

But I don't understand why they did it to begin with, if they were planning to back out.

[DURHAM D]

9. If you don't understand what they were doing in the first place

then you don't understand anything about national politics. For some everything is black and white. Nothing about the current political reality (including the Iraq occupation) is black and white.

[MoonRiver]

11. I understand enough to know that 70% of Americans want us out.

Most of those people are Democrats.

[onenote]

13. do you have a link for your 70 percent claim?

The polls I have seen that ask about setting a withdrawal date of fall 2008 seem to consistently indicate support at around 59 percent. While that is significant, you have to keep in mind that its not evenly distributed around the country. In other words, there states and congressional districts where the percentage favoring a withdrawal timetable are higher than 59 percent and places where it is lower. Democrats tend to favor it in much higher numbers, repubs oppose in higher numbers, and independents seem to fall right around the average -- 59 percent for.

http://www.pollingreport.com/iraq.htm

But if you are a Democrat from a relatively red state or district, you can't just jump on the bandwagon without taking it one step at a time.

[EFerrari]

14. Oh, fer Christsake. The Democrats owned the war as soon

as they got the majority.

Own it. Fix it. Do it now.

[DURHAM D]

15. No - they didn't. But they will if they are not careful.

You have quite a temper. Goodbye.

[EFerrari]

16. Yeah, that's me. Tempered.

lol

[partylessinOhio]

6. Pelosi who?

Leading the group is Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat who is the first female speaker of the US House of Representatives. She plans to address the Knesset, Israel's parliament, on Sunday, her office said.

http://news.monstersandcritics.com/middleeast/news/article_1285113.php/US_lawmakers_to_visit_Syria_White_House_says_"bad_idea

[TwilightGardener]

7. The only way it will pass the Senate is if it's non-binding, as on Tuesday.

I'm not sure what kind of compromise between the withdrawal dates and the binding/non-binding aspect will have to be made, but I'd like to see them send something he will want to veto, for sure. What I'm afraid we might end up with is either a clean bill (total cave) or something like a clean bill plus the Hagel-Webb amendment, which just sorta restricts the mission in terms of troop readiness/equipment (Murtha lite).

[LSK]

8. well a veto-proof majority grow out of thin air?

[TwilightGardener]

10. It's to put pressure on the Chimperor, and to let the American people

see how obstinate he plans to be. I don't think the 'Pugs will help us veto-proof it, but the funding HAS to get done, so someone's going to get blamed for holding up the money--hope it's the Chimp-in-Chief.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

12. I don't understand the "knowing them" part. When did you "know them",...

,...as majority leaders?

:shrug:

Have you acknowledged the ACTIVE turnaround since they've been majority leaders over the last, less than, three months?

:shrug:

I don't know your expectations. However, what I've witnessed to date is a pretty aggressive pursuit of accountability, hearing after hearing after hearing. What I see is a determination to build a solid case against this disgustingly corrupt regime.

What I'm trying to point out is,...well,...try to avoid allowing your personal cynicism to taint a vision for the future. I only say that because, I have to do so, multitudes of us have to do so, each and every day.

Moreover, I am NOT asking you to be idealistic: just hopeful,...always hopeful.