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| Murtha pushes new troop withdrawal plan |
| 2007-07-25 |
| So where we pulling back to this time, Johnny? Milwaukee? WASHINGTON - A leading Democratic House Iraq war critic said Wednesday he'll soon push legislation that would order U.S. troop withdrawals to begin in two months and predicted Republicans will swing behind it this time. And I predict monkeys holding million dollar bills will fly outta my ass... A vote on Rep. John Murtha's proposal likely will come in September, when Iraq commander Gen. David Petraeus delivers a long-anticipated assessment on the war and members of Congress weigh some $600 billion in defense spending requested by President Bush. So I guess Murtha doesn't even want to hear what he's got to say? I mean, I knew that, but it's nice of him to go on the record... Under his plan, Murtha, a close ally of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, said that he envisions troop withdrawals to start in November and take about a year to complete. I have spoken! Empress Nancy, wave your magic wand! The House has passed similar proposals in the past, including one that Bush vetoed. But Murtha said he predicts this vote will be different because of mounting voter frustration with the war and a lack of progress in Iraq. "This is big time," Murtha, D-Pa., told reporters of the upcoming war debate in September. "When you get to September, this is history. This is when we're going to have a real confrontation with the president trying to work things out." "Work things out", my ass... Bush has not given any indication he is open to a dramatic shift or a major redeployment of troops after September. He instead has talked at length about the need to remain engaged in Iraq to fight al-Qaida and has repeatedly appealed to lawmakers for more patience. For their part, top U.S. military officers also have indicated that the troop buildup initiated this year may be needed through next summer. Oh, what do they know? Congressional Republican leaders have been willing to support Bush so far, although they concede keeping their rank-and-file in line behind the president will become considerably tougher come September. In response to Murtha's proposal, House Republican Leader John Boehner said Democrats were ignoring progress in Iraq."If they are not listening to reports from our generals today, how does anyone believe they will make an honest and objective decision in September?" Boehner, R-Ohio, said. "Our national security is not a political football, and Republicans aren't going to treat it as such." Murtha counters that he thinks Bush and GOP members will have no choice. To maintain current troop levels through 2008, Murtha predicted that combat tours would have to be extended from 15 months to 18 months — a politically unsavory position to take on an already deeply unpopular war. The Defense Department has said that extending combat tours of troops would be a last resort. It's a volunteer military, Johnny. It'd suck, but I doubt it'll be Kent State revisited again. If it even happens. Murtha said he will propose his measure as an amendment to the $460 billion annual military funding bill, which the House will begin debating next week and probably finish in September. The bill does not include the $142 billion that Bush requested for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which the House plans to consider separately. Dividing military spending into two bills leaves open the possibility that Congress could withhold all or portions of the combat funds."We may decide in September we're not satisfied with what Gen. Petraeus says and we may hold it up," Murtha said. Oh, I think you've already made up your mind, Johnny. Maybe Prataeus should just save the plane fare. And if my kid was over there and you pulled this shit, I'd come looking for you with an axe... In addition to the anti-war measure, Murtha said he also wants to add a provision that would require troops meet certain standards before being deployed and cut in half the $225 million budget for the Guantanamo Bay military prison. So what does cutting Gitmo's budget have to do with bringing the boys home, Johnny? Got some pork in "the district" you need to free up some swag for? Murtha's proposals keep with the Democratic strategy of taking an all-or-nothing approach on Iraq — a tack that leaves the party's members empty-handed for now but keeps it in lockstep with demands by anti-war groups. Accomplish nothing and feel good about doing it. It's the Democratic Way... Earlier this month, the House voted 223-201 to order troops out of Iraq beginning in 120 days. But the bill stalled in the Senate, where Democrats hold a thinner majority and Republicans blocked the measure from advancing. Instead of embracing bipartisan alternatives, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid dropped the Iraq debate altogether. Pelosi, D-Calif., turned her attention to other war-related Democratic bills. Must've left their ten foot poles at home... The House on Wednesday voted 399-24 to pass a bill by Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., that would ban permanent bases in Iraq. Really? Didn't hear anything about that one. Must've been a secret... By week's end, the House Armed Services Committee planned to draft legislation for a vote next week that would insist troops be given sufficient time at home in between combat tours. Left on the cutting room floor are several bipartisan proposals that could challenge Bush on Iraq and which have attracted GOP support. Among them is a House proposal that would require Bush to deliver within 60 days a new military strategy that would end major combat and refocuses troops on fighting terrorists. Hmmmm? I would think major combat and fighting terrorists are kinda related in some way. But maybe that's just me... Rep. Phil English, R-Pa., this week signed on as a co-sponsor. Sens. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., and John Warner, R-Va., support a similar proposal. |
| Posted by:tu3031 |
| #8 Murtha served during a time when, in some instances, military service was an alternative to jail time. Currently every recruit is background checked to weed out anyone who has a significant criminal past. I don't write this to belittle anyone's VN era service just to point out that the standards have changed. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2007-07-25 23:18 |
| #7 DV, I dunno bro. Obviously we screwed up the first time with him. I can't figure how that puffed up weasel made it through recruit trng or Quantico. We got our 10% as well -- dudes who slimed through that should've never made it across the parade deck. |
| Posted by: Broadhead6 2007-07-25 21:14 |
| #6 "More propaganda for our enemy to hold on a bit and we will give up. " Think it could be possible, even the enemy is getting tired of these guys trying and failing? |
| Posted by: plainslow 2007-07-25 19:32 |
| #5 Maybe Rep. Murtha will steer the funding for earmrks destined for his brother to fund the withdrawal. |
| Posted by: anymouse 2007-07-25 18:10 |
| #4 Has Lardass apologized yet for defaming our US Marines? |
| Posted by: doc 2007-07-25 17:39 |
| #3 What's his new slogan? "Support the Cold-Blooded War Criminals: Bring Them Home!"? |
| Posted by: Mike 2007-07-25 17:37 |
| #2 You have to give them credit, the anti-war lefties just refuse to give up on their efforts to lose the war. If they were as determined to win the war, then there might actually be peace there now. Instead, they have managed to keep alive the Islamist's only hope of preventing a free government in Iraq - that hope being that the US will become weary and run. |
| Posted by: Hank 2007-07-25 16:15 |
| #1 Oh great. More propaganda for our enemy to hold on a bit and we will give up. Right when we are winning. Send him back to the Marines. They'll fix his ass. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2007-07-25 15:28 |