MoveOn pressures Dems to block military funding; Update: GOP brings the heat on omnibus spending bill; House Dems pull budget offer
Update 12/11 10:52am Eastern. Boehner on Dems: “They need to get their act together, now.”
Update 12/11 8:00am Eastern. Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH), Republican Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO), Conference Chairman Adam Putnam (R-FL) and other GOP leaders will hold a press conference to discuss the Democrats’ massive “Omnibus” spending bill Tomorrow today at 10:30am.
The Examiner advises President Bush: “Don’t go wobbly.”
And the House Dems pulled their budget offer last night, reports WaPo:
A Democratic deal to give President Bush some war funding in exchange for additional domestic spending appeared to collapse last night after House Appropriations Committee Chairman David R. Obey (D-Wis.) accused Republicans of bargaining in bad faith.
Instead, Obey said he will push a huge spending bill that would hew to the president’s spending limit by stripping it of all lawmakers’ pet projects, as well as most of the Bush administration’s top priorities. It would also contain no money for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
“Absent a Republican willingness to sit down and work out a reasonable compromise, I think we ought to end the game and go to the president’s numbers,” Obey said. “I was willing to listen to the argument that we ought to at least add more for Afghanistan, but when the White House refuses to compromise, when the White House continues to stick it in our eye, I say to hell with it.”
House Democratic leaders were scheduled to complete work last night on a $520 billion spending bill that included $11 billion in funding for domestic programs above the president’s request, half of what Democrats had initially approved. The bill would have also contained $30 billion for the war in Afghanistan, upon which the Senate would have added billions more for Iraq before final congressional approval.
But a stern veto threat this weekend from White House budget director Jim Nussle put the deal in jeopardy, and Obey said he is prepared for a long standoff with the White House.
“If anybody thinks we can get out of here this week, they’re smoking something illegal,” he said.
***
Well, I told you last week that the nutroots weren’t going to be happy with the Democrat leadership over its latest retreat from demanding an Iraq withdrawal timetable. Now comes word that MoveOn has launched a pressure campaign today demanding that Democrat presidential candidates filibuster the Dems’ omnibus spending bill over inclusion of military funding for the Army and Afghanistan operations.
Via Politico:
Democratic congressional leaders could have a tough time convincing some anti-war Democrats to back a $522 billion year-end spending bill that includes money for the military, should that money be used for the war in Iraq. MoveOn.org made their job a bit harder Monday by calling on Democratic presidential candidates to filibuster it in the Senate.
“Americans elected a Democratic Congress in 2006 to end the war in Iraq. A blank check for billions in war funding moves us in the wrong direction,” said Nita Chaudhary, Campaign Director on Iraq for MoveOn. “Majority Leader Reid and the Democratic leadership should hold the line they’ve drawn: no war funding without a timeline to end the war.”
Democrats have included $31 billion in the bill for operations in Afghanistan and for additional equipment, according to the Wall Street Journal. The bill will have an additional $17 billion for the Army, and the Washington Post reported that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will try to get that number as high as $70 billion when the legislation makes its way over the Senate.
MoveOn.org will deliver petitions Monday asking the Democratic senators running for president to filibuster the bill if it does not include a timetable for withdrawal. The petitions were signed by 15,000 veterans and military families and will be sent to the offices of Sens. Joe Biden of Delaware, Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, Chris Dodd of Connecticut and Barack Obama of Illinois.
“The Senators who are running for President have talked a lot about their leadership on Iraq — now’s the time for them to show it by blocking this bad deal,” said Eli Pariser, MoveOn.org’s Executive Director. “The 3.3 million members of MoveOn will be watching the candidates and Congress very closely.”
Like MoveOn says: “We bought it, we own it, and we’re going to take it back.”
***
Keep an eye on the internecine warfare. MoveOn.org’s campaign aside, there are other reasons to dislike the omnibus spending bill.
The WSJ counts some of the ways:
On the $522 billion omnibus spending bill, the White House was quick to threaten a veto even before reading it. Yet in an apparent effort to keep channels open, Mr. Bush’s chief of staff, Josh Bolten, called Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) on Saturday to warn him of the forthcoming statement by budget director Jim Nussle.
Mr. Nussle argued that the proposed bill is $18 billion over the president’s budget and accused Democrats of trying to “leverage troop funding for more pork-barrel spending.”
The $18 billion estimate reflects $7.4 billion added to the bill in emergency funds outside the budget. Of that $7.4 billion, $2 billion is money directly requested by the State Department, and an additional $3 billion is for a Republican-backed border-security initiative, for which the Department of Homeland Security has already come to Congress with plans on how to allocate the funds.
Mr. Reid said the administration — not Democrats — is using Iraq to gain leverage. And many Democrats argue that the party would be stronger now if it hadn’t stumbled into a situation where Iraq funding is again attached to the domestic budget.
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I really, really hope they do filibuster but they couldn’t possibly be that stupid.
Can’t hardly wait for the Dhimmicratic convention next summer. Brings back memories of ‘68.
It will be interesting to see just how much of the Democratic Party Moveon owns. Dems will pay dearly for their deal with the devil.
Times are tough when the majority is urged to filibuster.
Vote Republican!
This is cynicism at its finest. Moveon isn’t even exactly asking for a filibuster, rather they want the Presidential candidates to demand a filibuster. It is like they want to throw their weight around behind a meaningless gesture. If the Dem candidates want to stand up for a filibuster of needed funds for military personnel, they can, but it isn’t going to help them in November, and it doesn’t sound as though they will necessarily get anyone else to come with them.
With the surge working so well, it’s just a matter of time before the new Iraqi government gets things in order. That’s what MoveOn is afraid of. The Iraqi government will have a higher approval rating than this Congress!
madchef, they probably already DO have a higher approval rating than this congress.
Sad, but true.
As usual, a win for America is a loss for the Democrat party. They can’t afford success in Iraq, or our winning the War on Terror. The only thing that helps them is to declare defeat, slander the troops as baby killers and rapists, and then bring them home, just as they did in Vietnam. It’s even some of the exact same people from 30 years ago doing it today! Can’t we exile some of these consistent, proven traitors?
Feckless crap weasels, they are.
3.3 million and 100,000 that actually donate. It would be nice for leftists to at least stay within an order of magnitude on their rally/protest/membership numbers.
I still have fond memories of 1968. I watched the festivities in Chicago with an Army Captain. He was delighted when they put the wood to Dan Rather….
Maybe this will boil down to more votes for “Cynthia”?
One can only hope LOL
It’s best I keep my comments to myself as only invectives come to mind.
voices and echos of the 1960’s, as i said on another post, dems are soo 40 years behind. they live in the past.
what happened to their ‘we support the troops’ mantra? that was the only new stance they have had in 40 years. is this supporting the troops? right.. sure it is… with just a little pork for good measure..
Keep it up. This will get a Dem elected in 2008 for sure…
Anything more than the above statement and it back to cuss words.
Thomas Paine, a truly great patriot, once said “Lead, follow or get out of the way.” Democrats (Harry in particular) are completely clueless as to how to do any of these. Leadership is anathema to them (blame Bush for everything, even the failure of the Democrat MAJORITY to accomplish anything, is their idea of leading). They don’t want to follow their pay meisters (MoveOn.org) in their assault on our brave troops (but at least in their defense, that path leads off a cliff). They can’t even get out of the way (something about finding their butts with both hands comes to mind). As long as the smell of pork doesn’t distract Republicans (a big if), Democrats will continue to take public confidence in Congress subterranean.
I hear ya 30. After reading this the first thing that came to my mind is no $h_t and I don’t cuss.
Soap,
This is unbelievable. How can this be?
What about our troops???
I know 30.
How many more things does Murtha and his ilk NEED named after them?
The solution is to introduce Weasel Stomping Day.
On December 10th, 2007 at 2:48 pm, On-my-soap-box said:
I know 30.
How many more things does Murtha and his ilk NEED named after them?
The John Murtha Military Cemetery?
If this Congress was in place in the 1940s, World War II would now be in it’s 66th year.
Speaking of WWII, these people seem to think our negotiated withdrawal from Vietnam was a greater accomplishment than VE Day and VJ Day. It’s hard to believe anyone could be that stupid, but there they are.
Makes one wonder what they would do if they succeed in strangling the military, and then, find out someday that they actually NEED it for something. Too late, then.
That sounds funny until you think about it. He would spend millions to build it and make some kind of stipulation that only he could be buried there.
I do believe the way Islamists are going, we are going
to need our troops here at home and relatively soon.
Too bad the Dems can’t wake up and see what is really
happening in the real world. I guess it’s a lot more fun
in their little dreamlands.
I can’t imagine the resolve of the parents, husbands and wives whose children and spouses are over there.
It would take everything in me not to pay a visit to Capitol Hill and give them a piece of my mind. I can’t believe this is happening.
30 - you’d never be let in the front door. Congress critters only agree to see the “yes men” - all others are not welcome in their magical kingdoms. That’s what they have a staff for - to run interference for them. The only time you’re ever likely to see a senator or representative is when they’re running for reelection. The rest of the time, forget it. As much as I agree with you, it would be like trying to speak some foreign language that only they know.
How far do you think I’d get, for example, if I was to try and argue with Stark-Raving-Mad?
Only solution is to vote against every incumbent ever election, and sooner or later you might wind up with somebody with real common sense in office.
Dingy Harry said (emphasis mine)
Stumbled my rear … they fell flat on their collective faces for the past year … and the Dems are the ones that have tried to continually attach the military funding to some other bill knowing it would get vetoed … they are the ones that have presented over 50 bills trying to include a timeline for withdrawal they either couldn’t get passed or else they got vetoed after got to the President’s desk … I am so tired of the constant rewriting of history, both long past and recent, by the Dems …
I know you are right. I just need to vent. I just can’t believe this is actually happening. I feel helpless. Our troops don’t deserve this.
Might as we argue with a wall or one of our resident trolls.
Translation; I know you are, but what am I?
There’s real leadership for you.
That has to be a classic - may well go down as the defining moment of this congress.
I hear you 30 this just blows me away…
“We would never,” Pelosi told Wolf Blitzer on ‘The Situation Room,’ when asked if House Democrats would consider cutting funding for the Iraq war. “Our troops are in harm’s way. They have been sent there, whether you agree you agree with the resolution to go to war. We would not withhold our funding for the troops there.”
What say you, Madam Speaker? Lying crapweasel.
“We’re not going to cut off funding for the troops,” the 72-year-old Michigan Democrat said on ABC’s “This Week” program. “But what we should do, and we’re going to do, is continue to press this president to put some pressure on the Iraqi leaders to reach a political settlement.”
Lying Crapweasel #2.
30 pcs - somebody is doing what you suggest - this from Gathering of Eagles:
Sounds like Muslim math to me. I tend to believe more like 3.3 members.
Every member of MoveOn.Org needs to be stripped of their citizenship and deported to a Muslim country of my choice. I think they will like living in the “Magic Kingdom” as slaves to their new masters who I am sure will show them nothing but love and tolerance in Saudi Arabia.
That’s about as civil as I can be while they play political games with the lives of the 14 men and women in my Squadron serving in the combat zone. Not to mention the countless other sons, daughters, husbands, wives, sisters, and brothers that protect us all and continue to give the people of Iraq and Afghanistan a chance at determining their own future. Better quit before I really get going on a rant.
God Bless Them. Wish I could join them. And the Dems wonder why active military
generally votes Republican. How can the Dems be this stupid and still remember how
to breathe. (Or do they have instructions from moveon.org? In through the nose,
out through the nose).
You know, the saddest part of the sickening way Dems operate, playing chicken with the security of this country, is made possible by the very people they hate the most….our troupes.
Words fail to express how furious this makes me and most other decent Americans. This crap has to be stopped!!!!!!!! Fund the troupes PEROID!
30 pcs-
As sad as it to say this, I think some of our resident trolls are more intelligent than the libs/rinos in congress right now. Gotta give them credit-they do read MM
GSP
TXRose, didn’t you read between the lines of the story? MoveOn has implanted them with microchips that controls their every move, to include bodily functions, such as breathing.
Now if we could just figure out how to zap those microchips with an E.M.P. it might stop some of this foolishness.
moveon.org
ahahahhahahhahahhahahhahhahaahahahahhahahahahahahahhahaahahahahahhahahahhahahaha
LOSERS.
Once again, it’s about the money. Dems can’t stand money being spent in ways they don’t like. After all, in their minds, it all belongs to them.
The Dem’s fig leaf of “we support the troops, but not the war” is looking a little tattered and frayed. I guess it should look a little tattered after being in near continuous use since the Copperhead Democrat campaign of George B. McClellan in 1864.
The “party of treason” is, unfortunately, still alive and well.
Cpodug, Thanks for sharing this. God’s speed. I wish I could be there.
GSP - fair enough.
Blast!!!!! Forgot about those microchips!
When you make a deal with Satan, eventually you will have Satan come and collect His due.
Just what did the Democrats think would happen? Did they honestly think that Moveon and Soros were going to just be an endless source of money without ever wanting anything in return? When Moveon went public and stated that they bought and paid for the Democrat Party and it was now theirs, did they think it was just a joke and that they would not make good on their claim and that they could just keep collecting money? Because that sure is what it looked like. Especially when that one Senator yelled at that one person outside his office about not knowing what they were talking about when that person was demanding that we pull out. Suddenly all the rhettoric didn’t mean much when it came time to put it to practice.
No, the Moveons don’t know what they are talking about or what it means when placed into practice. They are still operating off of pure emotions and feelings. They are individuals with no training at all in global or local or national politics, but they do know what they think and feel will work and what they think and feel will be good.Only that matters to them and they don;t give a damn who they have to hurt to attain those goals. Nor do those in Congress and the Senate who only care about keeping their seats. Look out Pelosi and Reed. They want you, and if you are not careful…which you aren’t…you may only have a year left. And you can thank that signature in blood on that Moveon document you signed for the problems you are now having…which means you only have yourselves to blame.
Seems like when I see Reid and Pelosi lately, they have a bit of an air of desperation about them. I do know that the last time I saw a picture of Pelosi her
eyelids were pulled even farther up and away from her eyes and Reid, well Reid,
looked so pale and washed out that I don’t think he’s being allowed outside anymore because they are so afraid President Bush might make a recess appointment.
this is a joke. Who believes that any of these appointed and serving senators, who are are still drawing a paycheck to serve, would get off the trail and into the senate to participate in a filibuster? Lots of roll calls are missing the names of the “honorable” senators {I use that term loosely…); you know, they can’t have a record of where they stand on anything.
The pretense is starting to wear thin. Progs hate the troops and they won’t be able to pretend they actually support them for very much longer.
Like Colonel Jessup in that movie “A Few Good Men,” the progs are just dying to say what they really think about the flag-waving, baby-killing mercenaries who make the American Empire of blood-for-oil possible. They believe America is the bad guy, and when the bad guy looses, justice is served. As an agent of injustice, the voluntary citizen-soldier is the root of all evil. Why would they support the troops?
The only kind of soldier progs can stomach is the draftee. The enlistee is a piece of dung in their book because he chooses to serve an unjust institution and obey unjust orders (what if they held a war and nobody came?). The draftee, on the other hand, is a victim, and thus worthy of sympathy and acts of violence perpetrated against the establishment on his behalf.
Praise our soldiers and commend their deeds whenever progs are within earshot and watch them squirm. They support the troops alright. They support the troops when they shoot their officers
When it comes to the progs and their true feelings toward the troops, theirs is the evil that dare not speak its name.
Fund the troops, damnit. It’s that simple.
30, when it comes to the Dhimmicraps, nothing is “that simple.” Whatever it takes to stay in and increase power.
It’s a rather myopic view if this is where they continue to make their stand. Not funding the troops is one of the worse things they can do for their cause and they know it. They have wedged themeselves in pretty tightly between a rock and hard place. The Move On.org folks aren’t budging and neither are we. We’ll see who wins. I pray that it’s our troops. Otherwise, it’s going to get ugly.
If I were POTUS (and I should be), every time the donks added pork to a bill I would call a press conference. I would highlight the pork the dimocraps attached to the bill and I would ask the American people if this is how they want their congress (and I would STRESS Democrat congress who was going to stop all of this) to spend their money. Every time dimocraps pulled crap, I would call a press conference and tell the American people. This is where the POTUS loses me. He has the power to go to the people and inform the public. People, the general populace, has no clue.
As POTUS, I would fix that!
Soap for President.
It’ll take a lot of soap to clean up Washington.
LOL backwoods. Sounds like I might be the man for the job.
No, the problem with this country is that I haven’t been declared Overlord yet. Once that happens and everyone bows down to me, I will be a most benevolent ruler, all bad will go away, all evil will be erradicated and the military will once again be respected and will be an honorable profession, as will mother. Well, you will all see. Just remember, Ret Fire for Overlord.