Posted on 09/09/2003 5:05:41 AM PDT by TastyManatees
Democrats Demand Details on Iraq
16 minutes ago Add White House - AP to My Yahoo!
By KEN GUGGENHEIM, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - Congressional Democrats' support for President Bush (news - web sites)'s $87 billion request comes with a price: They want him to spell out details of his overall Iraq (news - web sites) strategy.
For months, many Democrats and some Republicans have complained that the Bush administration has offered few details about how it will rebuild Iraq, how much international support can be expected, how much American taxpayers will have to pay over the years and how long U.S. troops will be based there.
Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., said he will offer an amendment to the Iraq spending bill that would bar money for relief and reconstruction until Bush officially reports to Congress on his Iraq strategy.
"The president owes our troops and their families a plan before we give the administration a blank check," Kennedy said in a written statement.
A Republican senator, Sen. Jon Kyl (news, bio, voting record) of Arizona, said he was confident the administration would provide the details. "I don't think we have to ask for it. I think they understand they need to provide it," he said.
Senators are likely to seek answers about the administration's Iraq plans Tuesday as Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz and Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, appear before the Armed Services Committee.
In a televised address Sunday, Bush said he would ask Congress for $87 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan (news - web sites) in addition to the $79 billion that Congress approved in April. Bush said the money is needed to stop terrorists before they can strike again in the United States.
Republicans, who control the House and Senate, praised Bush's speech and offered support for the plan. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said the proposal "warrants the support of Congress." And House Appropriations Committee Chairman Bill Young, R-Fla., whose panel will help write Congress' version, said he would "aggressively expedite the president's request."
Democrats will be hard-pressed to deny Bush the money he says is needed for U.S. soldiers. "We obviously want to support our troops. That, I think, is a given," said Sen. Carl Levin (news, bio, voting record) of Michigan, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee.
They are already using the money request to argue that the administration didn't plan adequately for the war's aftermath, was overly optimistic about Iraqi and international cooperation and foolishly pushed through tax cuts even as the war aggravated a growing deficit.
On the Senate floor, Sen. Tom Harkin (news, bio, voting record), D-Iowa, said there isn't enough money to meet Bush's own education goals, "and yet we're going to ask the American taxpayers to keep coughing up money for this quagmire that we're in now in Iraq."
"This may not be Vietnam, but boy, it sure smells like it," he said. "And every time I see these bills coming down for the money, it's costing like Vietnam, too."
Sen. Joseph Biden (news, bio, voting record) of Delaware, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, is demanding that tax cuts for the wealthiest taxpayers be postponed — a proposal likely to face strong Republican opposition.
"Is this still a sacrificeless undertaking except those we send to Iraq?" he said in an interview. "Or is there actually something that Americans are going to be asked to do?"
Some lawmakers also said the $20 billion for Iraqi reconstruction would receive particular scrutiny. Levin said that money would be wasted if the Bush administration doesn't make a serious effort to secure help from other nations. Administration officials say they want international participation, but it's not clear how much authority they are willing to cede in Iraq to secure it.
"If we don't get other countries involved, if we don't make a serious effort in the U.N., which other countries say is essential for their participation, then it increases the chances that the reconstruction money will be ineffective," he said.
Rep. John Spratt (news, bio, voting record) of South Carolina, top Democrat on the Budget Committee, said the $20 billion is well short of the estimated $50 billion to $75 billion needed for reconstruction.
"It is unrealistic now to think that our motley coalition will come up with $50 billion, and even more dubious that our allies in Europe and Japan will do so," he said.
Oh c'mon. If Clinton - their political God - had done his job, we wouldn't be dealing with all these landmines today. I'd ike to know why Clinton sold missile technology to China, (and why they did nothing) who sold to N. Korea, who sold to Iran.
Why did Clinton overlook all the attacks on Americans since he entered the Whitehouse (and why did the Democrats not do anything?)? Why did he keep letting Bin Ladin go (and why did the Democrats do nothing?)?
I'd like answers , too. How much money is an American life worth, anyway? Democrats got us well over 3,000 deaths here in America alone, not counting all those who died in previous attacks. How much did the Democrats cost us?
I'd say this issue is null compared to the price we've paid because of Democrat self worship and ignorance.
The point is - we wouldn't be fighting terrorism today like we are had Clinton done his job. Instead, he spent more on Democrat vote buying than securing the naton against terrorism.
I think the Democrats have a lot of nerve asking Bush about the cost of a war that's here because of them. Now, it's gong to cost whatever - because someone has to clean up the mess Clinton left us in.
If they don't like where we are today, they should ask themselves how we got here in the first place.
NOT bring up Clinton on this issue is over looking the facts. If anything, the cost of the war should be charged to the DNC because of their neglect.
No, we could have surrendered to terrorism like they did. To me, that's not a wise choice.
a. No, it's necessary........ (77%)
b. Yes, it's too much......... (18%)
c. I'm not sure...... (5%)
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