Democrats Cave Again

It really is time for a third political party.

Democratic lawmakers and staffers privately say they're closing in on a broad budget deal that would give President Bush as much as $70 billion in new war funding.

The deal would lack a key provision Democrats had attached to previous funding bills calling for most U.S. troops to come home from Iraq by the end of 2008, which would be a significant legislative victory for Bush.

Democrats admit such a move would be highly controversial within their own party. Coming just weeks after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, vowed the White House would not get another dollar in war money this year, it would further antagonize the liberal base of the party, which has become frustrated with the congressional leadership's failure to push back on Bush's Iraq policy.

I don't understand why the Democrats constantly cave into this fool. His approval rating is 28% while the Democratically controlled Congress is even less. Don't they realize it is so low because they are seen as useless wimps.

It is time for a third party in this country. One that represents the good of the middle and lower classes. It is really sad to say that the best party for the future of this country right now is the Democrats. What does that say for the Republicans and the political process in this country when our best hope is a party of scared fools who can't stand up to the most unpopular and worthless President we have had in our history?

Lessons of the Day

Today I hope most Americans finally realized that this war will never end as long as the Republicans can continue to stop the vote. Today we learned that an up or down vote on confirming conservative hacks for the Supreme Court is necessary but that doing everything humanly possible to avoid an up or down vote on ending this war is just another day at work for these freaks.

As more and more of our brave soldiers are killed in the endless quagmire called Iraq please remember that these Republicans and Joe Lieberman (just switch parties already Holy Joe and make it official)have the blood of every single additional soldier lost on their hands. Had they just followed their own stated principles of an up or down vote the end of the war could have been in sight. Instead more will die, our deficit will grow and we will be considered pariahs in the international community.

2008 can not get here soon enough.

Defense Authorization Bill Pulled

Finally the Democrats are showing some balls. It is being reported that Harry Reid has pulled the defense authirozation bill until the Republicans allow a vote on the Reed-Levin bill. I will post more details as they become available. Finally someone is following the will of the American people.

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.

Senate To Pull An All Nighter

The Senate has rolled in cots and will stay in session until they get a vote on a proposal to get our troops out of Iraq.

Republican leaders are using procedural tactics to block the measure from moving forward on the Senate floor.

Senators are debating a plan, proposed as an amendment to a defense bill, that calls for a U.S. troop pullout from Iraq to begin within 120 days and completed by next April.

Senator Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat, is a key sponsor.

"The Bush administration's current policy is straining our military, inhibiting our ability to fight the war on terrorism, diminishing our standing in the international community, and rapidly losing the support of the American public," he said. "In sum, it is a policy that cannot be sustained."

This will most likely not accomplish its stated goal but it will highlight for the American people the intractable Republican position. Hopefully people will finally relaize that this war can not end until there are 60 votes to get any proposal to the Senate floor and 2/3 of each house to override a sure presidential veto.

The republicans will use the argument that they need to stay to fight Al-Qaeda in Iraq. We must continually remind them that this terrorist group did not exist prior to our invasion of Iraq. The basis for the war was all lies and the execution of the war a complete disaster. How many more must die before the Republicans will do the right thing and end this disastrous war.

Inherent Contempt

With the Bush administration using commutation of sentences and executive privilege to hide its criminal behavior the question becomes how can you uncover the truth with so much stonewalling. Today Harriet Miers attorney said she will not be showing up tomorrow in response to a Congressional Subpoena, at the orders of the President. Yes you read that right, she will not even show up. Apparently the Bush administration feels they are above the law but Congress has a seldom used tool in their arsenal. That tool is called "Inherent Contempt".

Under this process, the procedure for holding a person in contempt involves only the chamber concerned. Following a contempt citation, the person cited for contempt is arrested by the Sergeant-at-Arms for the House or Senate, brought to the floor of the chamber, held to answer charges by the presiding officer, and then subject to punishment that the House may dictate (usually imprisonment for punishment reasons, imprisonment for coercive effect, or release from the contempt citation.)

Concerned with the time-consuming nature of a contempt proceeding and the inability to extend punishment further than the session of the Congress concerned (under Supreme Court rulings), Congress created a statutory process in 1857. While Congress retains its "inherent contempt" authority and may exercise it at any time, this inherent contempt process was last used by the Senate in 1934, against the Postmaster-General. After a one-week trial in the Senate floor (presided by the Vice-President of the United States, acting as Senate President), the Postmaster-General was found guilty and sentenced to 10 days imprisonment.

The Postmaster General had filed a petition of Habeas Corpus in federal courts to overturn his arrest, but after litigation, the US Supreme Court ruled that Congress had acted constitutionally, and denied the petition in the case Jurney v. MacCracken

It is time for Congress to take swift action against these criminals and restore the rule of law to the executive branch of our government. Write and call your representatives and tell them about this seldom used tactic.

Reid Says Republicans Are Obstructionists

From Senator Reid:

Too many congressional Republicans have stood in the way of legislative progress Senator Harry Reid said Saturday.

“The immigration vote we had this week was just the latest example,” the Nevada senator said in the weekly Democratic radio address. “With that bill, we had a rare chance to make progress on one of the country’s top problems. The overwhelming majority of Democrats voted to move forward on a bill even President Bush supported, but just a handful of Republicans joined us.”

Reid was also critical of Republicans regarding legislation currently pending in the Senate. “The ethics reform bill passed by a vote of 96-2, but now Republicans are blocking it. The 9/11 commission bill passed with heavy Republican support, but they are also blocking this critical legislation.”

In his remarks, Reid said putting partisan politics aside was the best way forward. “This can start next week with the Defense Authorization Bill, which is a new opportunity to change course in Iraq.” The bill is expected to include measures that would seek to hasten a pull out of U.S. troops from Iraq. “While a growing number of Republicans are saying the right things on Iraq, we’ll soon find out if they have the courage to vote the right way also.”

The goal of the Republicans at this point is to stop any progress by the Democratic Congress. By creating the appearance of a "Do nothing" Congress they feel they can regain lost seats in 2008. What the American people need to understand is the procedures by which the Senate operates. It takes 60 votes to advance any legislation and the Democrats simply do not have the votes.

There are only 49 Democrats and two independent Senators. Bernie Sanders from Vermont is a reliable vote for the Democrats but then there is the asswipe from Connecticut. Joe Lieberman is a Democrat in name only and sides with President Bush on many issues. Everyone needs to remember that when issues important to the American public are not addressed.

John Edwards Statement on the Iraq Funding Compromise

This statement was just released by Senator John Edwards:

"The so-called compromise under discussion in Congress that would give the president another blank check to continue his failed war is a serious mistake. Full funding is full funding, no matter what you call it. Every member of Congress who wants to support our troops and end the war should oppose this proposal. If you're in Congress, and you believe this war is wrong, I urge you to use every power you have to stop it if it's brought up for a vote. Block the blank check.

And I urge all Americans who want this war to end to tell your representatives in Congress that you will support them if they stand up to the president. Tell them you understand that when the president vetoes a bill that funds the troop and ends the war, he is the only person in America stopping support for the troops. It is time for this war to end. As I have said repeatedly, Congress should send the president the same bill he vetoed again and again until he realizes he has no choice but to start bringing our troops home. Anything less is everything he needs to prolong the war."

Bravo Senator Edwards. It is time that the Democrats grow a spine and stop this senseless war!!!!.

Are The Democrats Caving?

There are multiple reports that the Democratically controlled Congress will be sending a new war funding bill that will not include timetables for withdrawal from Iraq.

Party officials said Monday the next war spending bill most likely will fund military operations and not demand a time line to bring troops home, although it will contain other restrictions on Bush's Iraq policies.

I can understand the desire to make sure that the troops in the field are funded but the prior bill funded them completely. It was President Bush who vetoed that bill and put the safety of the troops at risk. Giving the President what he wants will do nothing to help end this disaster. The Democrats were put in control of both houses of Congress to get us out of this war. They need to stand firm and understand the American people are with them. If they roll over and play dead, to a President with the lowest approval ratings in a generation, they will cease to be relevant.

Bush Approval At An All Time Low

Those approving of the job done by President Bush has slid to its lowest level since his inauguration

President Bush's approval rating slipped to new lows in the most recent Harris Interactive survey, but he's not alone: For the first time since the series began, all of the political figures and institutions included in the survey have negative performance ratings.

Of the 1,001 American adults polled online April 20-23, only 28% had a positive view of Mr. Bush's job performance, down from 32% in February and from a high of 88% in the aftermath of the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The current rating is his weakest showing since his inauguration.

My question is who are these 28%? The results for Congress were not much better. This poll shows that most Americans are completely disillusioned with our political system.

Poll Results here.