April 4, 2007
In the past two weeks, both houses of congress responded to President Bush's call for $100 billion to continue funding the troops in Iraq. The response however did nothing to support them. In fact, the Democrat majority loaded up the bill with various pork projects to entice some of their party's members to go along. The reason for the bribe was that included in the funding bill were deadlines for troop withdrawal from Iraq and a number of more centrist/conservative Democrats were opposed to that inclusion. The Democrat leadership knew that this provision would mean a veto from the President who has been saying for years that any telegraphing of a withdrawal would play directly into the hands of the terrorists.
It is important to remember that the Democrats claimed their victory in the 2006 election was a message from the American people that it was time to come home, yet they also promised to not cut spending for our troops in harms way. Also recall that the Democrats were pledging to put an end to excessive pork barrell legislation. Both of these campaign promises have already been violated because the atmosphere in Washington remains one of PARTISAN POLITICS, and in this case the troops be damned. This absurd and outrageous behavior is all the more unsettling because the congress has decided to go home for two weeks to celebrate the religious holydays of the season. Left in the lurch are the troops, since even after the return to work, the house and senate will have to compose a unified bill that can be submitted to the President. There is no possibility of overcoming the veto, and this process could easily extend into May. In the meantime, the President will have to scramble around and divert funds from other endeavors to keep the troops properly maintained in the field.
Is there any sanity left in our so-called leaders? Whether or not you agree with the troop surge, it is undeniable that everyone knew the President was going to do it, and he would stick with it and not give the enemy any deadline. On the other side of the aisle, the Democrats say that Americans want us out of Iraq. Why then will they not craft a bill to do just that? Senator Obama, on the campaign trail this week stated that congress will return from its recess and vote for a clean funding bill as the President has asked for. This has caused a huge outcry among those in the Democrat left wing. Senate majority leader Harry Reid has now stated he might just propose a bill to begin troop withdrawal.
No compromise has been achieved even in a time of war. The Presidential election is not only soaking up huge amounts of money, but also every last vestige of responsibility. This quest for power is overwhelming and there is nothing these elites won't do to gain it; and they expect us to elect one of them next year! If we, the American people, do not put an end to this insanity, we must count ourselves as an integral part of it. If you believe that electing a Democrat or Republican in the next election is a way to solve problems and move ahead, you are going to be very disappointed, and our country will continue to suffer.
To Be Continued
April 23,2007
As we enter into the final week of April, there is of course, still no funding bill. Worse however, is the atmosphere being exhibited by Democratic leaders. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has accused the President of being in denial and has stated his personal opinion that Secretary of State Rice and Secretary of Defense Gates believe, as he does, that the war is lost. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would not make time for General David Petraeus when he spoke to the house members while in Washington this week. If this partisan insanity doesn't stop, the consequences will be total failure in Iraq and a severe weakening of U.S. foreign policy around the world. What the end game of this partisanship is of course, is raw power, and you can only guess at what the Democratic party thinks it is gaining. If they believe that the 2008 election favors a Democrat victory, why in the world would they want to do such tremendous harm to the authority of a Democratic President who would be the Commander in Chief?
The answer is, as I have been saying, pure power politics, not the welfare of the nation! The goal is win in 2008 no matter what, even to the point of harming our troops by giving the enemy every reason to continue to perpetuate the violence. Al Qeada understands the lesson of Viet Nam; get the body count up and the troops out. If the Democrats honestly believe the war is lost, why not vote to bring home the troops now? Senator Dick Durbin (D-Il) couldn't adequately answer that question when it was posed to him by Chris Matthews on the 'Hardball' show, and Matthews is a liberal partisan and opponent of the war.
The only way we can change this situation is to not elect either a Democrat or a Republican to the Presidency in 2008. If we do, this insane partisanship will continue with consequences far into the future for our children and our nation. It is up to us, we need to take action! Do not let this next election be one more choice of the lesser of two evils!
In the meantime, the "surge" is about 2/3 of the way done and reports of progress are mixed. Guys on the ground say that the Iraqi Army is doing much better, Al Qaeda is breaking up into smaller groups (apparently a good thing), and the civilian population is begining to work with the coalition forces. Car bombings continue however, with a massive attack inside the Parliment offices last week, and Iraqi citizens of course, bearing the brunt of this terror.
To Be Continued
May 25, 2007
A month has gone by, and at last there is a bill to fund the troops through September. There are no deadlines, but the pork spending remains. In the meantime, the surge is having some positive effects, which should not be surprising. American soldiers are the best in the world, and if they are given the support they need, they can accomplish whatever task is set before them. So the long summer begins, with everyone's eye on September, when General Petraeus is scheduled to give a report on the progress and status. We will have to see what has happened by then, but I remain optimistic about our troops' ability to get it done.
Winston Churchill at the early part of WWII - "We have not journeyed across the ocean, across the mountains, across the prairies, because we are made of sugar candy."
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