Iraq War Vote in Congress is Healthy, Historic & Reveals the Cowardly
And mark my words: these "no confidence" votes will be recorded in history as the turning point when the Bush Administration was finally forced by Congress to scale down its ambitiously monstrous agenda for the Middle East.
Congressional Republicans are terrified. Vote for escalating the war, and they risk losing voters at home. Vote against escalating the war, and they risk losing much-needed campaign funds from the Rove-controlled Republican National Committee.
Rather than take a principled, leadership stand, some conservatives will follow Sen. John McCain in taking the politically-calculated coward's way out: he plans to stay on the campaign trail, and skip the historic Iraq War vote.
So much for the image of Sen. McCain as a plain-talking, courageous presidential-worthy 2008 candidate...
At least Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) has the guts to return from 2008 campaigning in Florida to vote his conscience.The Senate Vote
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has scheduled a rare Saturday vote for tomorrow, February 17, by noting:
"Democrats are determined to give our troops and the American people the debate they deserve, so the Senate will have another Iraq vote this Saturday. We will move for a clear up or down vote on the House resolution which simply calls on Congress to support the troops and opposes the escalation.Those Republicans who have expressed their concern over the Senate's failure to debate the war in Iraq will have another opportunity to let their actions speak louder than their words."
Democratic senators running for the White House in 2008 will all return to D.C. for this vote, including Sen. Hillary Clinton from New Hampshire, Sen. Barack Obama from Virginia, Sen. Joe Biden from Iowa and Sen. Chris Dodd from South Carolina.
And I wouldn't be surprised to see Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD), who's recovering from a serious stroke-like condition, make his first 2007 appearance on the Senate floor to participate in this important vote. In recent weeks. Sen. Johnson has been working from his D.C. hospital room, and yesterday, co-sponsored his first piece of legislation in the 110th Congress, the Emergency Farm Relief Act of 2007.
The Senate vote on its Iraq War resolution may or may not garner the 60 votes necessary to overcome a Republican filibuster, but I'm not sure that's the top priority for the American people.
With this Senate resolution, voters will clearly understand who opposes and who supports the President's planned escalation of the Iraq War.
The House Debate and Vote
Perhaps most inspiring of this past week has been the House of Representative's 4-day debate of the Iraq War, in which every member was allotted 5 minutes to express their views on the simple resolution that reads:
"Congress and the American people will continue to support and protect the members of the United States Armed Forces who are serving or who have served bravely and honorably in Iraq; and Congress disapproves of the decision of President George W. Bush announced on January 10, 2007, to deplay more than 20,000 additional United States combat troops to Iraq."
While comedian Jon Stewart rightfully had a hilarious montage last night of the funnier Congressional comments, the speeches all were patriotic, candid and heartfelt, regardless of viewpoint. And that is a profoundly healthy change from the Republican-controlled 109th Congress.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi proved her mettle as leader of the "people's house" in her masterful handling of this historic resolution in which an astounding 375 members of the House spoke.
As I write these words, Speaker Pelosi just announced that the measure passed the House by 246-182. For details about this vote, see House Says No To Troop Build Up .
With these votes, Americans will know, without question, where their elected representatives stand on the Iraq War: against or with the President's proposed escalation.
And who is too cowardly to fulfill their Congressional obligation to give the Iraq War escalation an "up or down" vote.
Recommended Reading
Iraq War Statistics as of February 11, 2007
House Says No To Troop Build Up, by Kathy Gill. Guide to U.S. Political News
Comments
As a solider in Iraq I think those in congress who vote to stop more troops or to stop funding for any reason are either foolish or cowards . The one trusim about war is this we are in one now either we win or we lose. As an Amercian I hate to lose so lets stop with the posturing and win. The people who have and are killing Amercian soliders will not win by beating our military , but they can win if we are not allowed to win . I see a simple solution though not popular in Washington let the soliders do what they do best close with and kill the enemy .Sgt Boucher Iraq
American public opinion is the second front in this war, and the religious gangsters determined to impose a despotic Caliphate wherever their tentacles of fear can reach have sold their smiles to the political left in this country. This contingent, busily eradicating mention of traditional values in our compulsory education system for the last 30 years, is now coaching their bereft progeny to help undo the work of democracy in Iraq. The industrious and far-sighted people in this region should not be abandoned. Their contributions to a free world are needed, and their participation in learning and in the advancement of mankind are anticipated by all people of good will.
Sadly these values are in question due to the incessant drumbeat of defeatism, and doubt. And with the newly raised Democrat majority- finally something terrorists say they like about America- this alliance between our homegrown commissars and the marketplace murderers abroad will show its colors. They may not love alike, but they hate alike, and it doesn’t take a genius to see why. America is insulting on many levels to freedom-hating people. To them, the autonomous individual is non-grata. This creature sours their rap on history and their bogus theories of human perfection, and is likely to expose their hollow utopias and craven natures for what they are. Still they fight for the impossible: that we should forget the divinely inspired roots of our intellectual heritage that is a lantern to the world. Let us here, on the home front, be reminded to fight back.