Posted on 07/18/2007 9:38:10 AM PDT by tcrlaf
Ratcheting up the stakes in the wake of the GOP's successful blocking of a vote on Iraq withdrawal just moments ago, Harry Reid just announced on the Senate floor that he won't allow a vote on the entire Defense Authorization bill until the Senate GOP drops its filibustering of votes on Iraq.
The move is significant because it could hold up the funding of the Pentagon's fiscal 2008 priorities until the standoff is resolved.
It comes only moments after the Republican filibuster succeeded in preventing a vote on the Reed-Levin amendment, which would have mandated withdrawal by April 2008.
Reid said:
I have temporarily laid aside the Defense Authorization bill and have entered a motion to reconsider.
But let me be clear to my Republican colleagues – I emphasize the word "temporarily". We will do everything in our power to change course in Iraq. We will do everything in our power to complete consideration of a Defense Authorization bill. We must do both.
And just to remind my Republican colleagues – even if this bill had passed yesterday, its provisions would not take effect until October.
So we will come back to this bill as soon as it is clear we can make real progress. To that end, I have asked the Democratic Whip and Democratic Manager of the bill to sit down with their counterparts to work on a process to address all outstanding issues related to this bill so the Senate can return to it as soon as possible.
What this means is that Reid isn't allowing any votes on any other Iraq amendments -- not the toothless Warner-Lugar amendment, not the Ken Salazar amendment that would force adoption of the Baker-Hamilton plan, nothing.
Fellow TPM reporter Spencer Ackerman also says that Reid's move is very significant in another way:
Because the Pentagon's priorities won't become law until a Defense Authorization bill is passed, the Pentagon's fiscal 08 priorities won't get funded until this standoff is resolved -- and Reid is insisting that won't happen until the GOP allows a vote on the Iraq withdrawal measures.
More soon.
Drop the extra “s”...should be “Thank”! I’m going to blame it on my blood pressure going up over the Democrats crybaby tactic. :)
It’s to the point where I cannot say anything about that man in words fit for polite company.
The moment he does thqt Hagel and Olympia Snow will cross in the opposite direction.
Brabantio: Thou art a villain.
Iago: You are--a senator.
Othello Act 1 Scene I
Reid is a SOB of the first water. He should be immediately physically removed from his elected office!
The guy ain’t too bright, is he?
Hillary is up...showing cleavage?? What’s that about????? UGH!
I think that they are.
The 'rats simply don't understand that we are fighting a real war against a deadly and ruthless enemy. We can't just declare the war over and go back to ogling Paris Hilton full time. The enemy has other ideas.
They can blame Bush for future attacks all they want. When there is a mushroom cloud over Detroit or San Fransisco or an American Beslan the people will demand a government dedicated to decisively ending this conflict once and for all. That government won't be headed by Pelosi, Reid, or Clinton....
starved and defenseless
That is a very interesting comparison.
When I look at Harry Reid, I just see a death’s head, a skeleton without a soul.
And congressional approval rating goes even below the 14% it is now??? Brilliant reid...just brilliant!!!
No big deal. They figure they can surrender our country and help the enemy and that the new power structure will reward them and they'll be able to live out their lives in comfort elsewhere. They probably figure that in a worst case scenario they could be on a plane to Barbados with fat bank accounts and live out their lives there. The resulting ethnic cleansing of Christians, Jews and all other "offensive" groups back here will just be something they see on the evening news in their new homes.
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