Posted on 12/22/2007 11:08:18 AM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach
Congress' approval of $70 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan last week as part of a $555 billion federal budget bill effectively marks the quiet end of the Democratic majority's effort to bring an end to the war in Iraq. The great promise of a year ago following the 2006 elections in which the Democrats tossed the Republicans out of the congressional leadership gradually drained away, in part because of procedural realities but also because of a disappointing lack of fire among Democrats in Washington.
Congress will revisit the issue in spring, but major policy changes are unlikely to take place that close to another election. Representative James McGovern, one of the eight Massachusetts congressmen, including John Olver of the First District, who voted against the bill, noted sadly that it "represents an endorsement of George Bush's policy of endless war."
When the Democrats took over in Congress in January they tried without success to cut funding for the war or tie funding to a firm withdrawal date. Lacking the 60 Senate votes needed to force bills to the floor, they were regularly stymied in that body, and they were not close to the two-thirds vote needed to override a presidential veto. Democrats, however, never took Iraq War policy to the American people who put them in office in large part because voters wanted an end to the war. Intimidated by General Petraeus' appearance before them and the bogus claims by Republicans that they don't "support the troops," timid Democrats remain paralyzed by the scare tactics that American voters grew wise to long ago.
Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson, appalled by the vote approving the war funds, says he will devote his campaign solely to the Iraq War. Mr. Richardson is a long shot for the nomination, but if he can focus his party's candidates on the war he will be doing the nation a service. Hillary Clinton, most notably, continues to triangulate a position that comes down on all sides of the Iraq War.
The relative calm in Iraq makes it easy for candidates to dodge the issue, but the calm in Iraq is the quiet of the grave. While the persistent effort of American troops has contributed to a decline in violence, the death toll has dropped primarily because there are fewer Iraqis left to kill. Neighborhoods have been ethnically cleansed of minority Shiites or Sunnis, depending on the section of the city in question. The U.S. has for the most part looked the other way while this has gone on in the unspoken knowledge that violence will not stop until the country is essentially partitioned.
Iraq is evolving into Afghanistan, the site of the Bush administration's other failed war. The so-called democratic leaders of both nations rule only their capital cities, or more accurately, portions of those cities. Warlords, tribal chieftains and militia groups have divided the majority of both countries into personal fiefdoms. Billions of our tax dollars continue to flow into both countries, much of it squandered or stolen.
The dream of democracy is dead in Iraq, along with nearly 4,000 American soldiers. The money, however, is still being dumped into the desert, with no end in sight.
Liberals are frigging retarded.
Well, at least they are not happy with Hillary.
A Traitor’s Lament
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!
Remember, good news for America is bad news for Defeatist leftists. All sorts of contortions here to distort the truth and the great, great accomplishments of our troops. Well, cry on, our guys are winning, you hate it, I love it and that settles it.
“While the persistent effort of American troops has contributed to a decline in violence, the death toll has dropped primarily because there are fewer Iraqis left to kill.”
Utter nonsense. Only an insane person could write this sentence.
It never ceases to amaze me where they come up with fruitcake editorial boards like this, ever in moonbat leftie states.
When I first saw this I thought it was from Berkeley
.... here in California...
LOL! BARF! LOL!
Afghanistan is one of the most notable success stories in modern military history, if not the most notable.
Remember what happened to the USSR?
Then contrast that to the stunning success in Afghanistan.
Actually, the author should be hanged...
Memo to editorial staff..... you got your ass kicked!
Actually, the death toll has gone down because there are a lot fewer non-Iraqis left to make mischief.
2008-forever when Bill Richardson's name is mentioned it will be answered with "Bill who?"
***the death toll has dropped primarily because there are fewer Iraqis left to kill***
Yep, 29 of the 30 million Iraqis are dead. /s
On the upside, the authors of this little bit of tripe are no more out of touch with the realities in Iraq than they ever were. The notion that the population of Iraq has been thinned to the point where there’s nary a target left is possible only to someone who is living in a fantasy world.
Gosh, perfectly good money that could be used domestic earmarks.
Damn wars they just tend to suck the financial wind out of true politicians domestically don't they?
Must be a special place and it appears that the local paper wants to help them carry on with their fantasies...
Without a doubt one of the most ignorant, if not THE most ignorant, line of drivel I've ever read.
They even have their own "currency", too.
No Joy in Happy Valley at Christmastime this year, apparently.
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