Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Senate To Vote at 11:00 AM on Cloture

The Senate will vote at 11:00 AM To end debate on the Reed-Levin Bill that would require troop withdrawal within 120 days.
Sixty votes are required to end the Republican filibuster against the amendment sponsored by Senators Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and Jack Reed (D-R.I.), and Democrats are expected to fall short.

At most, Democrats are likely to muster about 52 votes with the help of three Republicans, Olympia Snowe of Maine, Chuck Hagel of Nebraska and Gordon Smith of Oregon.
This filibuster to stop a vote on ending the war is being conducted by the same people who insisted and got an up or down vote on two Supreme Court nominees. The Republicans have one set of rules for themselves and a completely different set for everyone else.

The facts is that this war in Iraq is not winnable because no one knows what winning is. The Bush administration is responsible for the worst foreign policy disaster in our history. The effects of this war on the region will be felt for a generation long after this fool has left office to go back to doing what he is most qualified to do - nothing.

In 2008 we must all make our voices heard and hold to account those lawmakers who put party over country and special interests over the public interest. Only when lawmakers realize that we are paying attention and will hold them to account will the political situation in this country improve. There are no good options left in Iraq which is the result of a bad policy coming home to roost. The violence will increase no matter when we leave. The question is how many of our troops will die needlessly trying to prevent the inevitable.

The people of Iraq deserved better than a policy based on revenge. Saddam Hussein is dead as George W. Bush wanted but the people of his country will suffer for a generation. His people and our troops are now being used as pawns in a deadly game of chess where there can be no winner.

No comments: