Democrats Don't Support Troops

Me | March 20, 2004 | MarvntheMartian

[MarvntheMartian]

On March 17, 2004, H. Res. 557, a resolution presented at the House of Representatives that "commended the members of the United States Armed Forces and Coalition forces for liberating Iraq and expressed its gratitude for their valiant service.", despite fierce opposition by the Democratic Party, passed 327 ayes, to 93 noes.

The following 90 Democrats, 2 Republicans, and one Independent, couldn't find it in their hearts to put politics aside and voted AGAINST commending the United States Armed Forces and Coalition forces for liberating Iraq, and REFUSED to express their gratitude for our Armed Forces' and Coalition forces" valiant service.

Neil Abercrombie (D-HI) Gary Ackerman (D-NY) Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) Frank Ballance (D-NC) Xavier Becerra (D-CA) Chris Bell (D-TX) Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) Robert Brady (D-PA) Corrine Brown (D-FL) Lois Capps (D-CA) Lacy Clay (D-MO) James Clyburn (D-SC) John Conyers (D-MI) Elijah Cummings (D-MD) Danny Davis (D-IL) Diana DeGette (D-CO) William Delahunt (D-MA) Mike Doyle (D-PA) Anna Eshoo (D-CA) Lane Evans (D-IL) Sam Farr (D-CA) Chaka Fattah (D-PA) Bob Filner (D-CA) Barney Frank (D-MA) Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) Alcee Hastings (D-FL) Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) Michael Honda (D-CA) Jesse Jackson (D-IL) Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) William Jefferson (D-LA) Paul Kanjorski (D-PA) Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-MI) Jerry Kleczka (D-WI) John Larson (D-CT) Jim Leach (R-IA) Barbara Lee (D-CA) Sander Levin (D-MI) John Lewis (D-GA) Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) Denise Majette (D-GA) Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) Edward Markey (D-MA) Robert Matsui (D-CA) Karn McCarthy (D-MO) Betty McCollum (D-MN) Jim McDermott (D-WA) James McGovern (D-MA) Kendrick Meek (D-FL) Gregory Meeks (D-NY) Juantia Millender-McDonald (D-CA) George Miller (D-CA) Alan Mollohan (D-WV) James Moran (D-VA) John Murtha (D-PA) Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) James Oberstar (D-MN) David Obey (D-WI) John Olver (D-MA) Major Owens (D-NY) Frank Pallone (D-NJ) Ed Pastor (D-AZ) Ron Paul (R-TX) Donald Payne (D-NJ) Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) Nick Rahall (D-NY) Charles Rangel (D-NY) Steven Rothman (D-NJ) Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) Bobby Rush (D-IL) Olav Sabo (D-MN) Linda Sanchez (D-CA) Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) Bernard Sanders (I-VT) Janice Schakowsky (D-IL) Bobby Scott (D-VA) Jose Serrano (D-NY) Hilda Solis (D-CA) Fortney Stark (D-CA) Ellen Tauscher (D-CA) Mike Thompson (D-CA) John Tierney (D-MA) Edolphus Towns (D-NY) Tom Udall (D-NM) Chriss Van Hollen (D-MD) Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) Peter Visclosky (D-IN) Maxine Waters (D-CA) Diane Watson (D-CA) Melvin Watt (D-NC) Robert Wexler (D-FL) Lynn Woolsey (D-CA)

NOTE: Mrs. JONES (Democrat) of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, on the vote on House Resolution 557, I spoke on the floor in opposition to H. Res. 557 and by MISTAKE voted "yes" on the floor. I seek the record to be clear that I intended to vote "no."

[Cicero]

Republicans Jim Leach and Ron Paul?

[Texas Eagle]

Ron Paul voted no? Isn't he really a Libertarian anyway?

[Texas Eagle]

2 stupid Republicans. That's all the cover the RATS need.

[rrrod]

not in my opinion..i think the guy is just goofy

[ladyinred]

This is beyond belief!!!! How could they not vote to say job well done to the troops? My God this is just frightening to me. Ron Paul? Isn't he some sort of hero around FR?

TRAITORS!!!!!

[Texas Eagle]

Republicans Jim Leach and Ron Paul?

Well, let's give them the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they voted for it before they voted against it.

[Uncle Miltie]

Libertarians do not regularly support the War On Terror.

Ron Paul, CATO and others equivocate in the face of the destruction of civilization.

[Just Lori]

Republicans Jim Leach and Ron Paul?
Well, let's give them the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they voted for it before they voted against it.



Huh? They want to get in Kerry's good graces? (not like he really has any)

[Texas Eagle]

Huh? They want to get in Kerry's good graces? (not like he really has any)

Zackly. Anyone with any amount of grace wouldn't call secret service agents "Sons-o-b*tches".

I used to live not not too far away from Spanaway. A stinky little town called Tacoma. Is it still there?

[lizma]

You can't more self-centered than this.

My 9yo daughter popped in and asked what I was reading. When I told her she said "It's just not right." To turn your backs on people laying down their lives for you is about as disgusting as you can get.

Chriss Van Hollen (D-MD) is my rep. The soccer moms (usually demos)I know are in full support of our soldiers. I'm going to make sure they know about Chriss's view.

[elcid1970]

These are not nice people. Nor decent people. They are worthless trash.

[LiberalBuster]

The following 90 Democrats, 2 Republicans, and one Independent, couldn't find it in their hearts to put politics aside and voted AGAINST commending the United States Armed Forces and Coalition forces for liberating Iraq, and REFUSED to express their gratitude for our Armed Forces' and Coalition forces" valiant service.

This piece of legislation was itself an election-year/polticial exercise. The fact that 90 people voted against it tells you that there are only about 20% in Congress that are willing to stand up for what they believe rather than be guided by the current political winds/hysteria. What congress needs is more people willing to follow their conscience rather than cast their vote out of fear of being labeled as some sort or extremist of anti-American.

[TalonDJ]

We sure as heck don't need more people that 'follow their hearts' if their hearts are leading them some place we sure as heck don't want to follow. They can go stand up for what they believe some placed else. Having conviction is commendable but does not win them my vote.

[bin2baghdad]

I, too, was incensed when I first heard this and I still support the resolution. To be fair, though, the resolution was not a simple "we support the troops" statement. That was point 4 of a 4 point resolution. The first point said, in essence, that the military action in Iraq made the US safer by eliminating Saddam. I agree with that point, but it is a point of contention. I think we do the country a disservice when we don't tell the whole story.

[treeclimber]

this is of no surprise. They are so predictable in their stance against all things American.

[LibertarianInExile]

Full text of the bill:

Relating to the liberation of the Iraqi people and the valiant service of the United States Armed Forces and Coalition forces.

Whereas Saddam Hussein and his regime committed crimes against humanity, systematically violating the human rights of Iraqis and citizens of other countries;

Whereas Saddam Hussein's terror regime subjected the Iraqi people to murder, torture, rape, and amputation;

Whereas on March 16, 1988, Saddam Hussein's regime had and unleashed weapons of mass destruction against Kurdish citizens, killing nearly 5,000 of them;

Whereas as many as 270 mass grave sites, containing the remains of as many as 400,000 victims of Saddam Hussein's regime, have been found in Iraq;

Whereas rape was used to intimidate the Iraqi population, with victims often raped in front of their families;

Whereas the regime punished the Marsh Arabs by draining the marshlands, which created hundreds of thousands of refugees and caused an ecological catastrophe;

Whereas the Iraq Liberation Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-338), passed by the House of Representatives by a vote of 360 to 38, made it United States policy to support efforts to remove from power the regime headed by Saddam Hussein;

Whereas with the Iraqi regime failing to comply with 16 previously adopted United Nations Security Council resolutions, the Security Council unanimously approved Resolution 1441 on November 8, 2002, declaring that Iraq `has been and remains in material breach of its obligations under relevant resolutions, including resolution 687 (1991), in particular through Iraq's failure to cooperate with United Nations inspectors'; and

Whereas on October 10, 2002, the House of Representatives passed the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 (Public Law 107-243) and on March 19, 2003, the United States initiated military operations in Iraq: Now, therefore, be it


Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

(1) affirms that the United States and the world have been made safer with the removal of Saddam Hussein and his regime from power in Iraq;

(2) commends the Iraqi people for their courage in the face of unspeakable oppression and brutality inflicted on them by Saddam Hussein's regime;

(3) commends the Iraqi people on the adoption of Iraq's interim constitution; and

(4) commends the members of the United States Armed Forces and Coalition forces for liberating Iraq and expresses its gratitude for their valiant service.

END TEXT


I can see where all Rats would vote against this because of

(1) affirms that the United States and the world have been made safer with the removal of Saddam Hussein and his regime from power in Iraq;

I can see where anyone who values freedom of religion would vote against this bill because of

(3) commends the Iraqi people on the adoption of Iraq's interim constitution;

The Iraqi interim constitution states

"Islam is the official religion of the State and is to be considered a source of legislation. No law that contradicts the universally agreed tenets of Islam, the principles of democracy, or the rights cited in Chapter Two of this Law may be enacted during the transitional period. This Law respects the Islamic identity of the majority of the Iraqi people and guarantees the full religious rights of all individuals to freedom of religious belief and practice."

That sucks. Go try being a missionary there in a few years and see what that latter clause gets you. A nice Muslim rail to ride right out of town.

Of course, there's always Article 17 of that Constitution, for the truly conservative to oppose:

It shall not be permitted to possess, bear, buy, or sell arms except on licensure issued in accordance with the law.

I wouldn't vote for this resolution for that reason alone. Put me down with Ron Paul on this. I support the troops but I'm not about to support any attempt to abrogate the basic human right to bear arms in defense of one's liberty, be it in Iraq or at home. Countries in which we let State department one-worlders have a hand in writing these constitutions will try someday to do the same to us via the U.N.

And you gotta love what could happen via Article 13 Subsection H:

Each Iraqi has the right to privacy.

[LibertarianInExile]

Ping to 17

[Cold Heat]

Enemies of the republic list.

These go first, the rest later.

[Indy Pendance]

Losers!

Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)
Jerry Kleczka (D-WI)
David Obey (D-WI)