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.
“But wait, we’re for the tropps!”
What have the dhimmacrats gotten though so far since they have controlled the Senate ?
I'm going to go way out on a limb here:
I think Harry Reid is waving his hands in hopes that the moveon.org crowd and their comrades and fellow travelers will actually think he is doing something. My prediction is that the Defense bill will pass because the Dems, while evil, are not stupid, at least not that stupid. I least I don't think they are.
October 1st, the beginning of the fiscal year.
You forgot Rocky...remember his visit to Syria...and gave them our classified docs...instructing him to give our plans to saddamn...
Reid is a certifiable POS. I hope I am not accused of being too harsh on P’s OS. I hope this madness continues until even the stupidest of voters realize the RATS are anti-American losers.
[President Bush needs to schedule a prime-time speech to dissect Reid’s (and Pelosi’s) idiocy.]
Sounds like a brilliant suggestion which is why Bush won’t do it. After the Amnesty Bill, I’ve lost all confidence in the man. None is left, none. Why isn’t Bush making abundant use of his bully pulpit? New Tone?????
I’ve a son in Iraq; his stakes are a lot higher and worth a hell of a lot more than any so-called new tone. There are times people when I literally hate politicians. And hate is a strong word that I do not use lightly.
“You don’t know the half of his corruption, either.”
It might be time to resurrect what I know. Just so everyone knows, Harry Reid is vulnerable on land deals with Jim Rhodes and the politicians he helped corrupt - Erin Kenny and Dario Herrera. How Reid missed the perp walk is beyond me.
“Perhaps Harry Reid’s corrupt practices needs its own thread.”
I’m thinking about it.
“FastCoyote is an expert on Reid’s corruption and this will be the second ping to him. He doesn’t seem to be online, but I’m sure he will reply.”
Here I am!
If people want to do the dirty on Harry Reid, what will bring him down is the following group of co-grifters (Jay Brown, Jim Rhodes, Erin Kenny, Dario Herrera and the G-Sting scandal). Just do some googling and you will get a start.
Prayers for David C. Osborne and all of our soldiers!
I’m still waiting to hear this from any source besides this relatively obscure blog. Not that I doubt it would happen, but I’m starting to wonder a little if it’s legit.
That's a great idea if it means we can abandon the Marquess of Queensbury rules as well. Take no prisoners!
You know exactly why, “DemRats moved it up for some partisan political reason...the grandstanding”
They moved it up so they could return the focus to the one issue the public supposedly agrees with them on. The only people happy with them is the left, all the left wants is troops withdrawn. They know they can’t do that yet, so they’ll just keep bashing Bush and the war until they get their way. It’s all about the “seats [they]’ll pick up in 2008 because of this war.”
These bunch of dem “leaders” are the most treasonous power hungry slime in history.
This man Reid is a disgrace.
After the farce the Democrats staged last night, they should be embarrassed, but they are not capable of being embarrassed.
I’m a little embarrassed myself by the antics of these people, in the midst of a risk-laden military campaign that could spell success for the Iraqi government.
“who in the HELL are these 14% and what do they like?”
Picture of Helen Thomas, please.
Its called the Nobel Peace Prize.
Yasser Arafat and Jimmy Carter are recipients. You have to be a true sleaze bag to win it.
Another awesome new cartoon (July 18) from Ramirez (congress pulling the rug out from under the military in Iraq)
http://ibdeditorials.com/cartoons.aspx
The boldness of the leaders of the Demoratic Party never ceases to amaze me.
Someone needs to ram the defense bill (without amendments) down the rats throat; and they should be questioning the rats Patriotism in the process.
often too.
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