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Maher Presses Rahmbo On Not Funding The Iraq Debacle

Starting at 5:30. Rahmbo is pathetic and dissembling, just like Pelosi. Transcript here. The key parts, via andgarden:

MAHER: Yeah, I don't think he's going to go there. But, let me ask you this about funding the war, because the Congress has an 11% approval rating. Now, I know that's not the same thing as saying the Democrats have an 11 - but it is a Democrat-controlled Congress - and I think the reason why is because people thought when the Democrats got in, in the 2006 election, that they would do something to stop the war. [. . .]

MAHER: Now, President Bush has asked for another, I think, around $200 billion to keep the war going. Okay, and I hear all the time-

EMANUEL: This would be - make it $680 billion.

MAHER: Okay.

[. . .]

MAHER: But, what I hear all the time is Democrats would love to stop the war, but we don't have the votes.

[. . .]

MAHER: But, to keep the war going, Bush has to get money. And the only place you can get money is from the Congress. That's in the Constitution, some of which, I believe, is still in effect. [laughter] [applause]

[. . .]

MAHER: So, why don't you not just bring a funding bill? You're the only ones who can bring up the bill. Why don't you just do that?

EMANUEL: No, well, if the question is why we just don't bring up - don't bring up the funding - first of all, that's not a way to get the kids out of there. Bill, I'm telling you, that may sound good and be a little sound bite, but the fact is, you have - I have constituents there. Let me tell you what's a part of this. Okay, this is a very tough call for a lot of members of Congress. At least a number of those who oppose this war: $48 billion of the recent request is for the best Humvee now to protect kids.

We made a real argument when this war started that we had kids go over there with no Kevlar vests; parents were buying their own Kevlar vests for the United States Army. Humvees that were not protected. This is the best Humvee. You have constituents over there, kids over there; they're serving - no, wait a second-do you not get that Humvee there that can save a life?

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Bring them home! [voices overlap]

MAHER: But-but-

EMANUEL: No, no, wait a second. I'm all for bringing them home. You want to know how you bring them home? We need a new president, because this president will not-[applause] [voices overlap]-that's what we need to do.

[. . .]

EMANUEL: Here's what you've got to do, though. What we need to do - you know, we have sent up there - there's been three vetoes by this president. One was the end of the war-

MAHER: I know.

EMANUEL: Wait a second. One was-

MAHER: [overlapping] He's - we know you don't have the votes for that.

EMANUEL: Okay.

[. . .]

MAHER: I'm saying, don't send the bill to begin with.

[. . .]

MAHER: It seems like you're playing a game of "chicken" with who supports the troops, and you guys always blink. It's about - come on - it's about being attacked on "you're not supporting the troops." That's what you just said to me is that we're not - and I'm saying, instead of sending them the best armor so they can go out and get killed with the best armor-

[. . .]

MAHER: [overlapping]-somebody has got to starve the beast. [applause]

[. . .]

EMANUEL: [overlapping] And that is - and that is - and that's exactly what - that is exactly - that is exactly what we did. Which is, we sent up there exactly that, to have a firm date-

[. . .]

EMANUEL: [overlapping]-one of the first things we did in the Congress was a firm date to get them out, and the President totally vetoed it. And we're going to continue to send that up there until we get a president who's going to work with the Congress to bring those kids home. That's exactly what we've got to do. [scattered applause]

HAMILL: But, Rahm, why can't they do pieces of this? Why can't they de-fund Guantanamo? They close Guantanamo down, take the money-[applause]

EMANUEL: [overlapping] Absolutely.

HAMILL: [overlapping] Nobody can say that's hurting the troops in Iraq.

EMANUEL: [overlapping] No, I absolutely agree with that.

HAMILL: [overlapping] It's saving our reputation.

EMANUEL: No disagreement with that.

MAHER: [overlapping] As long as the war goes on, I think the Democrats say to themselves, "We win votes every day, because it's an unpopular war." Which is sort of almost more cynical than they're probably-

EMANUEL: [overlapping] No, that is not - that is not - absolutely not, Bill. That's wrong.

DYSON: [overlapping] Well, whether they intend - well, here is the point - whether they - whether they intend to or not, the reality is the consequence is as - right?

EMANUEL: [overlapping] You don't think - you don't think - wait a second. You don't think Jack Murtha, when he came out his position about redeploying was - knew that - he was just doing it, letting this war go on, and everything like that. People aren't doing that for that reason. People ran - the people we got - some of the Iraqi war vets that ran - and then decided to go - and there were Democrats, some of them weren't by party, before that, we Democrats - they ran because they knew this party that wanted to end this war and bring these kids home. And that is exactly what we have to do.

< Pelosi's Pathetic Doubletalk On Iraq | Do You Know a Gang Member When You See One? >
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  • Display: Sort:
    Can we arrange for Bill Maher (5.00 / 2) (#1)
    by Edger on Sun Sep 30, 2007 at 10:28:23 PM EST
    to introduce Bush at his next speaking engagement?

    "And joining us tonight is an a$$hole..."


    Or Pelosi... (5.00 / 1) (#2)
    by Edger on Sun Sep 30, 2007 at 10:37:59 PM EST
    And not a whit of imagination in sight (5.00 / 2) (#9)
    by Dadler on Mon Oct 01, 2007 at 11:28:05 AM EST
    The sad and infuriating beat goes on.  As if the Dems couldn't start pounding the airwaves with a withdrawl plan: we don't need more Humvees, we need to turn the Humvees their around, drive them to the airport and fly our kids home.  The Dems should be saying, LOUDLY, that unless we want a Saigon-like evacuation, we better start getting this withdrawl right and now.  Lay it on the table, go to the mat, ignore the f*cking 29 percenters and go right for the other 71.

    But there is no opposition party in this country, hasn't been for some time.  

    Now I had to go change the name of my blog again (none / 0) (#3)
    by chemoelectric on Mon Oct 01, 2007 at 03:19:48 AM EST
    At least I got to play with new fonts. I really wish I could put something positive up there, instead. Though at least I don't have to put up a picture of Rahm "But But But But ..." Emanuel. That would be simply too unpleasant.

    These people are simultaneously condescending and cowering.

    Rahm loves him some Iraq War. It elects Dems. (none / 0) (#4)
    by joejoejoe on Mon Oct 01, 2007 at 03:26:23 AM EST
    When Rahm Emanuel brought up Rep. Murtha to deflect Bill Mahrer's charge that Democrats don't act on the Iraq War because they benefit politically it made me want to puke. Here's Rahm Emanuel the day after Jack Murtha announced his plan for immediate withdrawal from Iraq.

    WaPo 11/18/05: Murtha's Democratic colleagues reacted warily to his remarks, while Republicans pounced. Rep. Rahm Emanuel (Ill.), head of the House Democrats' campaign effort, said, "Jack Murtha went out and spoke for Jack Murtha." As for Iraq policy, Emanuel added: "At the right time, we will have a position."

    Rep. Emanuel is EXACTLY the kind of craven Democratic leader that Maher was describing. Don't take my word for it, here's Emanuel in his own words:

    AP 4/12/07: A memo from a top House Democrat says party leaders must not yield to White House pressure on Iraq and should cast President Bush as increasingly detached from public opinion. [...]

    In a memo to party leaders, Rep. Rahm Emanuel says that as long as Democrats continue to ratchet up the pressure on Bush, the president loses ground.

    If Bush continues to refuse to negotiate, his "continued insistence on a blank check for the war will only further damage his standing with the American people," wrote Emanuel, D-Ill., a member of the House Democratic leadership.

    Emanuel said he believes Democrats should continue to push to negotiate with the president. Despite differences, "there are areas of agreement that should offer fertile ground for negotiation and compromise," he wrote.

    "The president loses ground" is NOT the same as "withdrawing from Iraq". Emanuel sounds a hell of lot more interested in winning political games than actually doing anything about the disaster in Iraq.

    Emanuel helped undercut stronger confrontation on Iraq funding the 110th Congress this Spring and continues to undercut it today.

    The Politco 9/27/07: In closed-door caucus meetings, members say, Democratic leaders like Reps. Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) and Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) have carried the day by warning that there is no appetite for such tactics in the districts of vulnerable Democrats, upon whom the party's new majority status depends.

    I hope the press picks up more on how craven the House Democratic leadership has been in this debate. They have it coming. Iago gave better advice to Othello than Emanuel and Hoyer give to Speaker Pelosi.

    It's a bloody disgrace.

    No profanity please (none / 0) (#6)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Mon Oct 01, 2007 at 09:58:15 AM EST
    A---le word not acceptable here.

    Get me rewrite (5.00 / 3) (#7)
    by Ellie on Mon Oct 01, 2007 at 10:23:51 AM EST
    Officer, I have a poetic license and I wasn't speeding much, however ...

    Here, let me innoculate you.  You really are an an unspeakable orifice through which bodily waste ideally flows as undeterred as this implausible excuse-making emits from you. There: you lived. Now do your effin' job.

    Now BTD don't go telling me that the term "effin'" isn't allowed either, because I only now got the blood pressure down from the Rahm-sparked head explosion. Not being able to call him an @ after episodes like this is bad enough.

    Parent

    effin (5.00 / 1) (#8)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Mon Oct 01, 2007 at 10:32:54 AM EST
    is fine.

    Parent