White Flag Dems Watch: Senate passes troop funding bill with no nutroots strings attached
The Democrat meltdown continues–and finally, a Senate defense bill will get to the president’s desk. With no timetable strings attached. Code Pinkos will be seeing red (hat tip – Jim Hoft):
The Democratic-led Congress authorized more Iraq war spending on Friday, sending President George W. Bush a defense bill requiring no change in strategy after failing again to impose a timetable for U.S. troop withdrawals.
The defense policy bill, approved 90-3 by the U.S. Senate, also expanded the size of the U.S. Army and set conditions on the Bush administration’s plan to build a missile defense system in Europe.
The measure already had passed the House of Representatives and now goes to Bush, who is expected to sign it into law. It authorizes Pentagon programs expected to cost $506.9 billion during fiscal 2008, which began in October.
Next stop…appropriations:
The bill authorized another $189.4 billion for the Iraq and Afghan wars, for which Congress has already approved some $600 billion. But it does not deliver the new money. That is done by appropriations legislation at the center of a big dispute on Capitol Hill.
Reax:
“I was pleased to see … no policy changes to the Petraeus plan,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, referring to U.S. Iraq commander Gen. David Petraeus whose plan for a temporary boost in U.S. troops in Iraq has been credited with reducing violence.
“The effort (to change course in Iraq) is not over,” Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, a Michigan Democrat, said after the vote. But he did not know what the next step in that struggle would be.
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Trackbacks
- Captain's Quarters
- Defense Spending Bill for Fiscal Year 2008 Passes at ROK Drop
- Bloodthirsty Liberal » Mukasey at the Bat
- Iraqi People Continue To Say No To Violence Plus Dems Go Spelunking — Pirate’s Cove
- Blue Star Chronicles
- Right Voices » Blog Archive » Merry Christmas: Troop Funding With No Strings Attached
- Congress does the right thing
- Wake up America-
- AMERICAN NONSENSE » Defense authorization bill sent to Bush– without time lines
- Classical Values
- Michelle Malkin » House guts border fence
- c6239d00a824b6e68e7a
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What’s Grand Kleagle Byrd’s beef? Bill didn’t include a missile defense system for West Virginia?
Close…it didn’t have a missle defense system for West Virginia with his name on it!!!
Tiger thats funny and I am shocked that my two Washington senators Murray and Cantwell voted for this and now I am expecting an earthquake. Anyway its great the troops well get what they needed.
Gee look who’s not voting… what a surprise.
Somebody answer this one for me. Why is it that senators that decide to focus on their efforts on getting themselves elected as the next POTUS continue to receive a paycheck from the government (read: the people) even though they do nothing? Where else but in the US Congress/Senate would you expect to be paid…even when you don’t show up for work.
Overall this is good news. The Dem’s smoke and mirrors show is over for the moment. However, I am worried about this:
What conditions? Why? I realize the administration doesn’t want to offend Putin, who is terrified of an invasion by Latvia, but this sets a potentially bad precedent.
No conditions on defense, none, ever.
___________________________
For President, Thomas Sowell; for vice-president, Walter E. Williams.
April fools!
and we wonder why they advocate socialism?
but…but…San Fran Nan said only Republicans liked war…I cannot comprehend those D votes…does not compute…heh…they really are the party of defeat.
Speechless … I guess surrender isn’t an option afterall. Or maybe it was the thought of those 200,000 union workers being laid off that wasn’t going to work as planned.
Just imagine if the Internet had been around during Vietnam. The Democrats couldn’t have done what they did to our troops then.
Do Clinton, Dodd, B. Hussein, Boxer, Biden McCain vote on ANYTHING anymore?
HELLO?
If the democrats would do what’s right without having to be dragged kicking and screaming into it I wouldn’t have such a low opinion of them.
Unfortunately, the troops won’t get the money quite yet. The money laid out in the bill still needs to go through the appropriations process. So this battle isn’t quite over yet if I understand correctly.
Jim C
This may not be over yet. They could still attach strings to the money in appropriations. In fact, wouldn’t it be easier to do it there?
Jim C
It’s about time. Even though the Air Force had stated that it wasn’t going furlough it’s civilian workers, I wasn’t too sure about it. At least I get to keep getting paid.
But of course…this is politics as usual. How else would they answer to their left wing loon lib nutbag freak base?
Those abstaining from voting sure are telling though. Still, it does bode well that perhaps our troops will be able to get their equipment. Now if we can just figure out a “legal” way of dealing with the sedition in Washington.
Preemptive strike: impeach Clinton! No, not that one, the other one. Actually, if we can do it retroactively too…
as it should be (image: feebz rubbing her eyes) – with no timetables.
absolute miracle.
all partisanship aside…thank you Democrats (for once).
That aside, we have a long battle ahead of us. It will be an uphill battle from here on out.
Thank you to the troops who kept us proud and were steadfast, while these political shananigans were deveoping.
Careful what you wish for. The alternative may be better. In fact consider that it might be worth paying these people double to go home and not vote on anything.
Tennessee Dave
Glad to here it but I am puzzled. Thought everyone in the Air Force was a civilian anyway.
Tennessee Dave
Glad to hear it but I am puzzled. Thought everyone in the Air Force was a civilian anyway.
Thankfully, no. I hope they stay out on the campaign trail until 2012.
If Clinton doesn’t make it, then onto Plan B. Get her OUT of the senate once and for all next time around.
Clinton and Obama continue to refuse to vote on anything!
LC
I agree … I have long said that when they decide to run for another office while still in office they should have to resign their current position … Wouldn’t it be nice if we wanted to try to get another job we could have immunity at our current jobs to not show up for work and if we didn’t get the new job we just come back to work …
I would suspect that removing that safety net would also help keep a lot of the “pretenders” out of the races if they didn’t have their current position to go back to …
I am glad to see them get this passed … only 2 months + past due … wish I could pay all my bills on that kind of a schedule …
I can guarantee this is only a lull in the attack though … they will not stop trying to lose this GWOT …
I just wish they would apply such passion and steadfast resolve to winning … these clowns could not have survived during WWII … someone would have strung them up from the nearest tree …
Now we have to keep a close eye on the Appropriations Committee …
I checked…gravity is still working. Can’t figure out just what is wrong in the universe. Has there been some sort of shift is the SPace/Time Continuum that went unnoticed by NASA and Stehen Hawking?
Well Merry Christmas. Congress did what it was supposed to. Hooray for our troops who now don’t have to worry about this while they worry about staying alive while fighting our battles for us.
OK, this should disqualify all of these people from being Commander-In-Chief. They have an opportunity to do something meaningful that they have been elected to do, and they disappear. How can they lead when they don’t even participate? They all have no credibility to become CIC at this point. Their career is more important to them than the safety of our military. They should be ashamed.
I don’t get it. How do platitudes by the usual crowd of non-voters actually support the troops?
I say that your pay as a member of congress should be tied to your vote. No vote, no pay. How embarassing for them that they feel the need to conceal their own record. Or just not establish one.
And McCain is running for Pres.? I guess that should have read “WAS”
Buh bye Johnnie Boy. I would have thought a former POW that was tortured the way he was would have had better sense and higher regard. That’s what I get for thinking.
Have any of these losers voted on anything? Serious, how selective are they being? Do they only abstain when there is a potentially controversial vote, or are they not participating in ANY votes? Anyone know?
About freaking time!
Clinton and Obama have always been senators “in name only”. The office has been nothing more than a stepping stone to a campaign for the Presidency. They have never attempted to represent the people who voted for them. I doubt they even know what the voters want, and could care less. Clinton, especially, is guilty of this; probably couldn’t point out New York state on a map. So, only realize 98 senators on the Hill, not 100.
Here’s my take, they probably phoned home and talked to the Big Giant Head, also know as the Reidman, and found out they’re wasn’t any need for them to come and vote. Had there been a chance that their vote would have meant something, Clinton, Obama, Dodd and Macain would have just materialized on the Senate Floor, voted, and poof, gone again.
Also, because they didn’t vote, they probably will have some cover from the nutroots. On the other hand, the Dems out front on the trail will probably still have to face some criticism from the crazies.
And here is the best question for them to
answerlie about!!Finally, TexasTiger and Right_On, you 2 are a hoot. Thanks for the chuckles.
So, the miserable, cowardly punks finally did something. I for one am totally underwhelmed. I wish there was a way we could cut their pay by 7/8’s for poor job performance.
Keep in mind the budget was due back in October.
Byrd is so far gone, he doesn’t know what day it is, where his pants zipper is, or where he is on a given day, let alone awareness of what Bill he is voting on.
almeehan
When they started voting on a military “Support Bill” Grand Wizard Byrd thought they said an additional “Ore Mill” and he figured W.Va. could name another one after him
Scary thought of the day…
25 years from now without term limits they may all be in the same condition.
Bush wins again. So much for Democrat leadership .
Huckabee should think twice before condemning the President. I doubt that he could fare as well against the Democrat Extremist Congress.
Yeah. And this is the lame duck president who wasn’t going to be able to accomplish anything with a democrat congress. Democrats and the media have been underestimating Bush right from the start. The man is a lot more savvy than a lot of people ever realized.
I wish the Democrats had more backbone.
Here is a question: What’s the difference between nutroots and wingnuts?
Nutroots are wrong about everything.
Wingnuts are adorable patriotic Americans, and they are usually right, especially when nutroots are concerned.
That help you out?
Eggcellent! That’s how Mr. Burns from the Simpsons says it.
Over one hurdle, praying about the next one.
Go United States Armed Forces!!!
That is what he’s really saying.
Curious silence on the left today – probably holding their fire for the appropriations debate.
But that too, is all but over. Basically, the Democrats want to spend about $22 billion more than Bush – they’ll compromise on that and then they’ll surrender again.
Republicans won’t get any political credit for this – at least its not showing up in the polls – but this is truly a remarkable turnaround.
If I were a Kossak, I would be steaming hot mad…
All I can say is that I hope everyone in the White House reads the fine print in that bill and then reads it twice and a third yet again. Somehow the silence to which Rick correctly alludes sounds an awful lot like a con man holding his breath for that critical moment as pen touches contract.
There ought to be a law requiring that senators/congressmen running for President are REQUIRED to vote, or they must resign their senate/congressional seat to someone who will actually continue to represent his/her constituents.
This crap with Obama (and in the last election Kerry) not voting on anything is a crime against those who voted them into office.