Posted on 11/16/2007 7:58:00 AM PST by rightinthemiddle
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Friday blocked a Republican proposal to pay $70 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan without strings attached.
The 53-45 vote was 15 votes short of the 60 needed to advance.
The measure was aimed at countering Democratic legislation that also would bankroll the operations, but would additionally require that troops start coming home in 30 days.
The Democratic bill, passed by the House on Wednesday, set a goal of ending combat by December 2008.
"We need to get the funds to the troops and we need to do it now," said Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said the only way to get troops the money was to approve the restrictions outlined by Democrats.
"Anything else is political posturing," said Reid.
Democrats also were expected to fall short of the 60 votes needed to advance their bill.
Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said this week that if Congress cannot pass legislation that ties war money to troop withdrawals, they would not send Bush a bill this year.
Instead, they would revisit the issue upon returning in January, pushing the Pentagon to the brink of an accounting nightmare and deepening Democrats' conflict with the White House on the war.
In the meantime, Democrats say, the Pentagon can eat into its $471 billion annual budget without being forced to take drastic steps.
"The days of a free lunch are over," said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday that unless Congress passes funding for the war within days, he will direct the Army and Marine Corps to begin developing plans to lay off employees and terminate contracts early next year.
(Excerpt) Read more at ap.google.com ...
Good question. Maybe so he could switch be on the winning side and be the one to “bring it up for reconsideration” later.
Or maybe because he thinks being the one Democratic presidential candidate that voted to fund the war might be a good thing in January primaries if by December the troops are coming home victorious and he can note that some of the 50 billion is being used to transport them.
The rhetoric from the GOP could use a bit of refinement. Perhaps something like this:
The young men and women fighting the enemy in Iraq deserve victory. We should not rob them of it and condemn them to a lifetime of knowledge that they lost a war when they are on the very cusp of triumph. They are among the most deserving of our country’s young people. Do not deny them the victory that they have earned and deserve. Please, we beg you, do not do this horrible thing to these brave Americans. Grant them the funding they need for victory!
Oh, c’mon...SURELY it was more important to defeat a conservative who wasn’t conservative ENOUGH than to elect a liberal.......
Afterall, we had to teach the party a lesson, didn’t we?
Do I really need to type sarcasm off?
Dems’ attempt to starve our troops to death.
Yes, immediately before Christmas.
I don’t know.
I like how you think!!!
Harry doesn't care if it's unconstitutional, trying to order the POTUS to withdraw troops. You don't have the courage to de-fund the war, do ya harry? What a COWARD and a FRAUD!
"Anything else is political posturing," said Reid.
As usual, dingy harry tells everyone what the dems are doing.
You are so right, and it brings tears to my eyes when I think that everyone knew that the enemy would cheer this result and yet they voted this way anyway.
But I'm a big believer in the pendulum theory. It swung against the pubbies in 2006, but I think it's clear that for 2008 it is poised to swing back and decapitate the democratic majority in congress.
If not, many more tears will be shed.
Start by cutting all Congressional Airforce Charters ala Nancy and crew...
yes--i am confused... on the radio i heard that the Democrats failed by 15 votes... failed to put a timetable on the war...
Lordy, excuse me but that sounds like such a wussy, pussy way of saying something like this: “Unless you want my fist rammed down your throat and your gonads cut off, restore funding NOW you POS! I kid you not.”
With my son serving his second combat tour in Iraq, 9 yrs service in all, do you think for one second that I’m not going to get a piece of a politician? It’s time to put away that namby-pamby way of talk, get down and get with it.
This is deadly serious business.
I am hereby suspending all welfare payments and using these funds to pay for our operations in the War on Terror. The Democrat party can either pay for our troops or impeach me. I don't care!
I think it would be brilliant politically. The welfare bum crowd doesn't vote GOP anyway, so it isn't like we'd have anything to lose.
do you have the death penalty for treason in the USA?
Ww3=”LUNCH” to defeatocraps! Remember in 08
Actually most welfare recipients in the US are single white mothers.
Free lunches for every other issue (none of which are the primary purpose of a government) but no money for national defense.
Not true, Chuck the Schmuck has been on the free lunch wagon since he first took his seat. And he won't be off it anytime soon.
He is a heavy tipper , just like Hill the Schill.
Village idiots every one. They all should be given free tickets to Iraq, and made to eat the chow for the next year on a special congressional assignment. Then they can see what its like to eat C Rats when the funding is cut.
Ham and Lima beans only.
They would be known then as the 4 tooters, which is slightly more upbeat than what they are known as now.
I have no use for these RINOs.
Neither will their constituants in the next election.
dingey is already whining 'Bush's fault' about the required notification already being sent to the union thugs that their gonna be laid off...heheheh...Gates didnt waste time shovelin this s**t right at the base...
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