Posted on 06/16/2006 8:28:07 AM PDT by slowhand520
House Rejects Timetable for Iraq Pullout
Jun 16 11:23 AM US/Eastern
By LIZ SIDOTI
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON
The House on Friday rejected a timetable for pulling U.S. forces out of Iraq, culminating a fiercely partisan debate between Republicans and Democrats feeling the public's apprehension about war and the onrushing midterm campaign season.
In a 256-153 vote, the GOP-led House approved a nonbinding resolution that praises U.S. troops, labels the Iraq war part of the larger global fight against terrorism and says an "arbitrary date for the withdrawal or redeployment" of troops is not in the national interest.
"Retreat is not an option in Iraq," declared House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio. "Achieving victory is our only option, for the American people and our kids."
"Stay the course, I don't think so Mr. President. It's time to face the facts," House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California answered, as she called for a new direction in the conflict. "The war in Iraq has been a mistake. I say, a grotesque mistake."
Four months before midterm elections that will decide control of Congress, House Republicans sought to force Republicans and Democrats alike to take a position on the conflict that began with the U.S. invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in the spring of 2003.
Democrats denounced the debate and vote as a politically motivated charade, and several prominent Democrats joined Pelosi in saying they would vote against the measure because, they said, supporting it would affirm Bush's "failed policy" in Iraq.
ABC partially redeemed themselves this hour -- Mentioned that 53 Dims had voted with the Pubbies, THEN went to the news of the mosque bombing resulting in ten deaths.
How can you subject yourself to that?
I envy Elvis Presley, who was rich enough so that he could shoot out the TV when he saw something he didn't like.
My local station and the internet one I use for streaming are both ABC affiliated. It's o.k. though. It's a five minues an hour tradeoff for 50+ minutes of Rush, Sean, Mark, Laura and John Batchelor.
BTW if you haven't listened to Mark or John, they are way different than Rush and from each other. Mark has brilliant, well-reasoned but passinate monologs (interspersed with periods of craziness while handling callers) and John has international political commentary (generally conservative or leaning that way), guests and analysis heard nowhere else on US radio (but takes no callers).
As tho he can change the system now.
But we need the numbers so an R is an R.....
With 42 DemocRATS voting with GOP maybe we are getting the Democrat Southern Blue Dogs back again.
Three Republicans voted against the resolution opposing setting a deadline to leave Iraq:
Jimmy Duncan (TN-02)
Jim Leach (IA-02)
Ron Paul (TX-14)
Leach is a RINO and Paul is a libertarian who votes "no" on *everything*, but Duncan's vote is surprising.
I count 12 Democrat Representatives from districts carried by Bush in 2004 who voted to cut and run:
Brian Baird (WA-03)
Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15)
Darlene Hooley (OR-05)
Alan Mollohan (WV-01)
Solomon Ortiz (TX-27)
Earl Pomeroy (ND-At Large)
Nick Joe Rahall (WV-03)
Loretta Sanchez (CA-47)
Ike Skelton (MO-04)
Ted Strickland (OH-06)
Bart Stupak (MI-01)
John Tanner (TN-08)
11 of the 12 are running for reelection, and Strickland is running for Governor of Ohio instead. Republican candidates should make sure that voters know about the incumbent's cowardly vote to cut and run. Mollohan not only will have to answer for this vote, he will have to explain how his net worth went up by 5,000% in the past few years despite making less than $200,000 a year as a Congressman.
In addition, I counted 8 Democrats from districts in which President Bush got between 46%-49% who voted to cut and run:
Neil Abercrombie (HI-01)
Peter DeFazio (OR-04)
Bob Filner (CA-50)
Paul Kanjorski (PA-11)
Michael Michaud (ME-02)
Jack Murtha (PA-12)
David Obey (WI-07)
Jim Oberstar (MN-08)
The most prominent name here is Jack Murtha, whose conversion to a Code Pink spokesman has made him vulnerable to a strong challenge by Diana Irey. Also of special note is Jim Oberstar, who normally coasts to reelection but will be facing former U.S. Senator Rod Grams in November.
A Congressman from a comfortably Democrat district whose vote to cut and run may hurt him this November is Jim Davis (FL-11), who is running for Governor. I guess Davis is afraid of losing in the Democrat primary.
Thanks for the insightful commments.
Keep them coming.
But wait, this is our generation's Vietnam..... ISN'T IT??
Now, are we going to have to have a pullout vote every 3 months until this war is over? Let's all just go back to the daily grind of defeating these lunatic democrats & RINOs & let the U.S. military go about the business of kicking some serious islamoterrorist ass.....
ps: More airstrikes, please! The more the better.
If their fathers had all pulled out years ago, we would all be winners today.
"I suppose it's necessary to smack the Dems with a 2-by-4 made of the obvious facts periodically."Ya think a 2x4 would wake the Dems up periodically, doubtful!!! The Dems seem to get stuck in the mindset of eternal losers.
I wonder which 'Whereas' the democrats wanted to amend?
'A new direction' as in retreat, Nancy?
I think not voting may include people not able to cast votes (ie: out of town, etc.) such as another poster mentioned about the congressman from NM
Eithter that's photoshopped or she comes from Madame Tussaud's.
Since there are about !~230 Pubbies and about ~200 Dems, I'd say that this article is out of line with 2 quotes from the loser and only 1 from the winner -- ESPECIALLY since the loser LOST nearly 50 of her OWN people.
The vote is closer than it was in the Senate. I'm surprise--well, more disappointed--the House vote was as close as it was.
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