GOP pulls cheap political stunt on Iraq
They just don't get it.
How dumb do House Republicans think the voters are?
Totally crazed by the call yesterday by a Democratic hawk and decorated Vietnam vet, Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., for a withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, the GOP reacted angrily, along the lines of "You want a vote on withdrawal? Fine, we'll give you one right now -- only it won't even be on your own proposal. We'll make it the most extreme position we can think of, and then see how you like it."
AP reports:
Murtha offered a resolution that would force the president to withdraw the nearly 160,000 troops in Iraq "at the earliest practicable date." It would establish a quick-reaction force and a nearby presence of Marines in the region. It also said the U.S. must pursue stability in Iraq through diplomacy.So the only "cut and run" resolution is from the Republicans. It will probably be defeated uninimously, because no one -- no one -- has called for US troops to leave today.
But House Republicans planned to put to a vote — and reject — their own resolution that simply said: "It is the sense of the House of Representatives that the deployment of United States forces in Iraq be terminated immediately."
Maybe, when Congress returns from its recess, cooler heads will prevail and we can have a real debate on Iraq, how to disengage, and when.
If that happens, it will be because Republicans home for Thanksgiving actually listen to the voters in their home states, who want a plan for withdrawal. The polls get worse and worse, but the Republicans remain in denial. People want out -- not today, but, as Murtha proposed, "at the earliest practicable date."
What we are seeing is the tyranny of the majority. It is a full-scale Republican meltdown. This may have seemed like a stroke of genius while the anger-fueled adrenalin was flowing. But I predict the Republicans will come to rue the day they exposed themselves with this shabby, cheap trick.
posted by xoff @ 5:32 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Ummm... cheap stunt? Congress essentially voted on the Feingold "Lets Leave Because I Said So" plan.
Today, tomorrow, on a date certain, in a month certain - whatever... show us your plan or stop complaining already.
Here is the Murtha resolution, which the Republicans were afraid to debate, instead introducing their own sham "get out tonight" resolution:
Whereas Congress and the American People have not been shown clear, measurable progress toward establishment of stable and improving security in Iraq or of a stable and improving economy in Iraq, both of which are essential to "promote the emergence of a democratic government";
Whereas additional stabilization in Iraq by U, S. military forces cannot be achieved without the deployment of hundreds of thousands of additional U S. troops, which in turn cannot be achieved without a military draft;
Whereas more than $277 billion has been appropriated by the United States Congress to prosecute U.S. military action in Iraq and Afghanistan;
Whereas, as of the drafting of this resolution, 2,079 U.S. troops have been killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom;
Whereas U.S. forces have become the target of the insurgency;
Whereas, according to recent polls, over 80 percent of the Iraqi people want U.S. forces out of Iraq;
Whereas polls also indicate that 45 percent of the Iraqi people feel that the attacks on U.S. forces are justified;
Whereas, due to the foregoing, Congress finds it evident that continuing U.S. military action in Iraq is not in the best interests of the United States of America, the people of Iraq, or the Persian Gulf Region, which were cited in Public Law 107-243 as justification for undertaking such action;
Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of American in Congress assembled, That:
Section 1. The deployment of United States Forces in Iraq, by direction of Congress, is hereby terminated and forces involved are to be redeployed at the earliest practicable date.
Section 2. A quick-reaction U.S. force and an over-the-horizon presence of U.S. Marines shall be deployed in the region.
Section 3. The United States of America shall pursue security and stability in Iraq through diplomacy.
Yes, I am fully aware of the Murtha Resolution.
We should pull them out “at the earliest practicable date.” Perfect. And that practicable date would be – when?
We leave a small force there to react to the bad guys. Sounds safe. No lives will be lost there.
Then we build security and stability through diplomacy. That sounds reasonable too. We can send people from the state department to work with the armed thugs.
Great plan. Lets vote.
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