Cutesy pie gimmicks

Yesterday in the House, the Republicans successfully stripped out funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan from a larded-up defense spending bill (Washington Times link);

 The unusual outcome occurred when Republicans used a parliamentary maneuver to sabotage Democrats’ plans to tie the proposed $162.5 billion for the wars to a veto-provoking 18-month pullout timetable, domestic programs and a tax increase.

In the aftermath of the vote, accusations of political gamesmanship were traded across the aisle.

Now it’s pretty obvious that the bill was a trick used by the Democrats to keep their far Left war opponents (the folks who dress like really ugly transvestites) but Wisconsin’s David Obey didn’t see it that way, apparently;

[Obey] said the Republicans “voted for a cutesy-pie gimmick” to try to disrupt the process.

Mr. Obey, who voted against the war funds, bristled at the suggestion that Democrats face criticism for passing a meaningless appropriations bill.

“Why are we subject to criticism for idiocy that the other side committed?” he said.

He said the ploy reflected the disarray of House Republicans, who are scrambling to redefine the party.

“They are panicked. They are confused. They can’t get rid of George Bush fast enough,” Mr. Obey said.

Yeah, that’s what it is, Dave. Or maybe you’re trying so hard to make it look like he’s a lame duck, but using that veto pen makes Democrats look lame for pandering to the scary “peace at any cost” crowd.

Republican John Boehner’s explanation;

House Minority Leader John A. Boehner, Ohio Republican, said the Democratic leaders designed the bill to draw a veto from President Bush and delay the war funds.

“The sooner we blew up this process, the sooner we can get a clean troop-funding bill to the president’s desk that he will sign,” Mr. Boehner said. “So, actually, we speed this process up by exposing the cynicism that was brought to the floor today.”

The way the Republicans killed the funding was absolute genius – all they did was let the Democrats kill the war funds themselves. After all, when someone is bound and determined to make fools of themselves, the best thing you can do is get out of their way and let them;

Two-thirds of the chamber’s Republicans voted “present” on a vote to put war funding into the bill, allowing the measure to fail and highlighting the absence of Democratic support for troop funds. Democrats voted against troop funding by 147-85, while Republicans voted for it by 56-2, meaning the measure failed on a 149-141 vote, with 132 “present” votes, all Republican.

So Obey’s “cutesy gimmick” charge is just blather – the Republicans let Democrats have their way. I’m beginning to like Boehner a lot.

Category: Politics