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Durbin Takes The Iraq Pledge: No Funding Without End Date For Debacle

By Big Tent Democrat, Section War In Iraq
Posted on Fri Sep 07, 2007 at 10:11:59 PM EST
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AP:

The No. 2 Democrat in the U.S. Senate said on Friday he could no longer vote for funding the war in Iraq unless restrictions were attached that would begin winding down American involvement there.
"This Congress can't give President (George W.) Bush another blank check for Iraq," said Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin, who has always opposed the war but until now voted to fund it. "I can't support an open-ended appropriation which allows this president to continue this failed policy," he said in a speech at the left-leaning Center for National Policy.

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    Durbin Takes The Iraq Pledge: No Funding Without End Date For Debacle | 5 comments (5 topical)

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    Lemon pledge (5.00 / 1) (#2)
    by joejoejoe on Sat Sep 08, 2007 at 01:27:20 AM EST
    All Sen. Durbin did is pledge to not vote for any more funding. He didn't say anything about blocking funding or "not funding". Here are the Senators who voted against funding during the last Iraq supplemental, HR 2206.

    NAYs ---14
    Boxer (D-CA) Burr (R-NC) Clinton (D-NY)
    Coburn (R-OK) Dodd (D-CT) Enzi (R-WY)
    Feingold (D-WI) Kennedy (D-MA) Kerry (D-MA)
    Leahy (D-VT) Obama (D-IL) Sanders (I-VT)
    Whitehouse (D-RI) Wyden (D-OR)

    There's Obama if you're looking for him.

    I'll stipulate Obama's 67 votes plan is a non-starter if you'll stipulate that "not funding" isn't going to happen on this appropriation. Both are possible in theory, neither are probable or even likely in practice at this moment in time.

    So what next?

    I want to see some leadership on getting ANY binding check on the Iraq War. Who is willing to fight for the Webb approach to require rest and reset for those returning from Iraq? I want to see a unified Democratic caucus that passes the same bill requiring tours with rest at least equal to time in country (Iraq or Afghanistan). If Bush vetoes it, send him the same bill again. If the caucus fails to stick together, I want individual old fashioned filibusters from Dodd, Clinton, Obama and friends.

    Durbin's "pledge" changes the vote from 80-14 to 79-15. What ELSE is he prepared to do?

    Instead of putting your boot in Obama's ass for voting the right way with what you consider the wrong strategy why don't you save a kick for Majority Leader Steny Hoyer who said:

    "Clearly, we don't have the numbers to override the president's vetoes, as has been clearly demonstrated," said House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.), "nor do we expect to for a long time."

    Well why bother showing up, "Leader" Hoyer?

    I don't know WHAT Obama is going to do in the next few weeks, just like I don't know what Dodd, Clinton, Durbin, Reid, Pelosi or any of them (except Hoyer - he's on the record as a loser) are going to do in the few weeks. I do know I don't give a rat's ass about HOW they do it, just that they DO it. What is the Democratic Congress prepared to DO?

    Because if Democrats can't make a stand for something as basic as rest for the those returning from Iraq while facing Mr. 30% this Democratic Congress is almost useless. With or without Durbin's vote (or Obama, Clinton, Dodd, Kerry, etc.).

    Schedule: Senators make Jaw-Jaw (5.00 / 1) (#5)
    by joejoejoe on Sat Sep 08, 2007 at 06:15:31 AM EST
    The Univision Democratic debate is this Sunday at 7 PM so I'm sure the upcoming Iraq testimony and appropriations will be a topic of discussion.

    I also saw on C-Span that Gen. Petraeus and Amb. Crocker will first address the Senate Foreign Relations committee on Tuesday, then the Senate Armed Services committee later the same day. So Chairman Biden and Sens. Dodd and Obama will get first crack at Petraeus and Crocker. Sen. Clinton is on the Senate Armed Services committee and will get a chance to ask questions later that day.

    Petraeus and Crocker will address a joint House Armed Services/Foreign Affairs committee hearing on Monday.

    Parent

    Yeah but (5.00 / 1) (#3)
    by LarryE on Sat Sep 08, 2007 at 04:52:30 AM EST
    Durbin started out good but the shirt-tail of the article undoes most of it. He said
    he would not use his leadership post to demand other Democrats follow his lead.

    So great. One vote, good. But that's all it is. When it comes to Iraq, the Democratic leadership continues to insist on being no such thing.

    Talk talk talk talk talk (none / 0) (#4)
    by Edger on Sat Sep 08, 2007 at 05:29:29 AM EST
    and yap yap yap yap yap....

    Never mind what we do. Look how good we sound.

    "Vote for us cuz we make all the right noises."

    That about sum it up there Dick? You running for ex-Senator for Illinois next year?

    How can Democrats lead next week? (none / 0) (#6)
    by robrecht on Sat Sep 08, 2007 at 09:02:01 AM EST
    Here's General Petraeus' letter to the troops.

    I fear the Democrats have already lost or conceded this debate in the face of the successful Bush-Petraeus PR campaign.

    As Bresnahan says, "Democrats will have to walk a fine line -- they must undermine what Petraeus and Crocker are saying without looking like they are personally impugning either man."

    How could they possibly do this without looking like wannabe political spoilers?

    Do you see a link to an in-depth discussion of Iraq on Hillary's front page?

    I'm tempted to think there is no way the Democrats can lead next week.  Help me out here and show how I'm wrong.  Are they just going to hope that things start looking worse in Iraq again?

    One thing I liked about Durbin's speech was his reference to his own independent diplomatic contacts in Iraq and the charge that the administration was redacting their reports to make sure they had a positive spin.  

    Are there sufficient sources with a more credible analysis of the military and political situation in Iraq?

    Republicans will even claim the beginnings of dramatic political progress in Iraq, eg, this from the CSM.

    Durbin Takes The Iraq Pledge: No Funding Without End Date For Debacle | 5 comments (5 topical)

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