Democrats living in a time warp

With resounding military successes occurring everyday in Iraq, with more and more areas of Iraq falling under the control of the Iraqi military and Iraqi police, the Democrats are bound and determined that they want credit for pulling the troops out. So they’ve tied funding to the war to a complete withdrawal of US troops by the end of next year. from the Wall Street Journal’s David Rogers;

The Iraq war debate erupted anew in Congress as the House approved additional military funding but only after Democrats attached conditions that set the goal of ending U.S. combat operations by the end of next year.

Adopted 218-203, the measure gives the Pentagon $50 billion in emergency funds to sustain military operations until next spring, when a more extensive debate is expected after lawmakers receive a new report from Iraq commander Gen. David Petraeus.

But the White House immediately said it would veto the “bridge” funding unless the House restrictions are removed, and the resulting stalemate will almost certainly run into next month — and possibly next year.
 
Republicans accused Democrats of pursuing a “fool’s game” that ignores progress made on the ground in Iraq. Democrats countered that the war’s cost and strain on the U.S. military has become a threat to American security, and strong action by Congress is needed to force a change in policy by the president.

Yea-uh-uh, the Democrats are worried about our security – that’s why they’re coming out against an attack on Iran. The Washington Times’ S.A. Miller and Sara A. Carter reports that Democrats are still living in 2006 when they thought they could control troop deployments (and before President Bush demonstrated to them that they couldn’t);

The bill mimics Democrats’ previous challenges to Iraq policy and likely will stall emergency funds, which would pay for about three months of warfare while lawmakers debate the rest of the $196.4 billion war-funds request for 2008.

The top Democrats — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada — say they will withhold troop funds for at least the rest of the year if Mr. Bush does not accept the pullout timetable.

“There is a growing sense within our caucus that it is time to play hardball,” said Rep. Jim McGovern, Massachusetts Democrat and outspoken war critic. “This is George Bush’s war. He started it. He’s got to finish it.”

Well, then let him finish it, numbnuts. Steny Hoyer still thinks it’s January 2007, according to the Washington Post;

Democrats know that but say that their efforts to limit the war since taking control of Congress in January are a political — and, some say, moral — necessity. “The American people voted for change,” House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) said yesterday. “We ought to extricate American men and women . . . from refereeing a civil war.”

Seein’s how Sunnis and Shi’ites are both engaged in killing al Qaeda, how’s it a civil war, dumbass? Michael Goldfarb (The Weekly Standard blog) writes the Army credits that cooperation with the decline in IED attacks (which occured at about the same time the Washington Post spent a whole week on IED attacks);

So what is the explanation? Meigs reels off the numbers for Noah Shachtman:

What Meigs was able to share, however, were statistics on the number of tips locals gave to coalition forces in Iraq – and number of IED caches found by those troops. As you might expect, there’s a heavy correlation between the two. About 8,500 tips came in September of 2006; by May, the number had peaked at more than 24,000. In August, the figure was approximately 19,200. Similarly, the number caches found – about five per day in September, 2006 – jumped to more than 20 per day in May. After a dip over the early summer, that figure has been steady in recent months, at about 15.

The Times reports that Hoyer is moving the goal post;

“What has not happened is what the administration predicted would happen, [that] an environment would be created where political reconciliation would occur,” Mr. Hoyer told reporters on Capitol Hill. 

As if to answer Hoyer, the Iraqis take up discussing allowing Ba’athists back into the process – one the Left’s prerequisites for success. (h/t Ace of Spades)

Of course, the recurring theme is that the war is Bush’s fault. The Post quotes Murtha;

“We want a plan in Iraq. . . . We want stability in the Middle East,” Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.), chairman of the Appropriations defense subcommittee, said minutes before the vote. “We want to put a plan in place that holds the president accountable.”

The problem is that when it turns out all rosy, the Democrats will be held accountable for their total disregard for the safety of our troops and the nation.

Michele Malkin sums up the whole Democrat effort last night in one simple phrase;

“Stop pestering me, Code Pink! I beg you to stop!”

Michele also listed the linguine-spined cowards of the Republican party who voted with the Democrats;

The 4 Republicans who supported the withdrawal bill: English (PA), Jones (NC), Shays (CT), Walsh (NY)

One voted “present:” Lewis (GA)

And 11 didn’t vote: Bono, Carson, Cubin, Doyle, Hastert, Jindal, Mack, Oberstar, Pearce, Sessions, Weller

Gateway Pundit reports that Democrats are bailing on Pelosi in larger numbers;

Sadly, Speaker Pelosi has failed to pick up any Republican backers to cut and run with the democrats from Iraq since she took over the House in January. And, 5 more democrats bailed on the party since July.

No matter how hard Democrats try to make it George Bush’s war, it’s still going to cost them in the end for their treasonous waivering which has prolonged the conflict – their treasonous waivering which goes back to 1969.

Category: Politics, Terror War