House votes to provide $162 billion in war funding

It's obscene. Our elected officials in Washington continue to fund this illegal and immoral war, and make it harder for their colleagues to vote against it by tacking on completely un-related funding. From The Raw Story:

A much-delayed Iraq war funding bill sailed through the House on Thursday, along with a doubling of college aid for returning troops and help for the unemployed and Midwestern flood victims.

Republican allies of President Bush provided the winning margin in a 268-155 vote to provide $162 billion to fund U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan well into next year.

Democrats opposed to the war, however, succeeded in using the Iraq funding bill as an engine to drive past White House resistance a sweeping revision to GI Bill college benefits and a 13-week extension of unemployment checks for those whose benefits have run out.

The bill would bring to more than $650 billion the amount provided by Congress for the war in Iraq since it started five years ago. Nearly $200 billion in additional funding has gone to operations in Afghanistan, according to congressional analysts.

It also would give Bush's successor several months to set Iraq policy after taking office in January — and spares lawmakers the need to cast more war funding votes closer to Election Day.

That's my favorite line of the entire story.

Meanwhile, the death toll among both civilians and military continues to rise. In the past month, these Americans have died while carrying out George Bush's War:

Specialist Justin R. Mixon
Specialist Christopher D. McCarthy
Specialist Quincy J. Green
Private 1st Class Joshua E. Waltenbaugh
Sergeant Shane P. Duffy
Specialist Jonathan D. A. Emard
Sergeant Cody R. Legg
Sergeant 1st Class David R. Hurst
Staff Sergeant Tyler E. Pickett
Specialist Thomas F. Duncan III
Sergeant Steve A. McCoy
Sergeant 1st Class Gerard M. Reed
Lance Corporal Javier Perales Jr.
Lance Corporal Kelly E. C. Watters
Private Eugene D. M. Kanakaole
Sergeant John D. Aragon
Private 1st Class Jason Cox

Please click on their names to read more about them. The "US Deaths in Iraq" counter at the top of the page reads 4, 101. These are real people, not just a statistic. Please, never forget that.

And that photo at the top? That's Lance Corporal Kelly Watters, who died on June 11. He was 19 years old.

Republican Senators once again refuse to support the troops

I get so frustrated with the way the phrases “support the troops” and “pro-troop” get thrown around. See how I can use it in my title to disparage the Republicans who voted against Sen. Jim Webb's amendment yesterday?

Read the facts for yourself and see who you think has the troops' best interest at heart, and who is playing politics with this issue. From The Raw Story:

CNN asked Webb about Senator John McCain's statement that the Constitution doesn't give Congress the right to manage troop rotations and that the Webb amendment “would create chaos.” Webb replied, “Senator McCain — who I've known for 30 years — needs to read the Constitution. There's a provision in Article 1 Section 8 which clearly gives the Congress the authority to make rules with respect to the governance of ground and naval forces.”

Now take a look at how CNN frames this story with their own headline:

Democrats' attempt to limit Iraq duty fails

A measure that would have forced the Pentagon to give troops sent to Iraq stateside leave equal to their time in the battle zone was defeated Wednesday evening in the Senate after failing to draw enough Republican votes.

Oh, so the story here is about how the Democrats failed, not about how the Republicans voted against something that would help our troops.

$456 Billion

That's how much we've spent on the war, so far. Think about how many other things we could have spent that money on:

Hunger

Literacy

AIDS research

And so much more.

Time to get off our collective butt

I returned today with the news that Congress and the White House are in a standoff on the 2008 appropriations bills. Although this may sound like a boring post to start off my return from vacation, it's actually got me pretty fired up.

You see, the war in Iraq is costing us about $12 billion per month. Yes, per month. And while we continue to pour money down this bottomless hole of a mess, our own citizens here at home suffer and our future as a world leader looks grim. In the congressional spending bills are provisions for home heating assistance for low-income Americans. President Bush says it's too much. He also says Congress is planning to give too much money to Amtrak, and he wants that cut way down, too. Oh yeah, and he also wants to cut down spending on Head Start, community centers, and health research.

What kind of nation have we become when we spend billions of dollars each month to occupy and fight in a country where we are not welcome, while neglecting our own citizens? According to Prime Minister Al-Maliki, Iraqi forces are capable and American troops can leave "any time they want." A recent poll of Iraqi citizens found that 47% approve of attacks on US forces. And 80% think that we plan to have a permanent presence in their country (such as military bases) even after the troops are withdrawn.

We are a prosperous nation, but we are like a child when it comes to spending. The Bush-Cheney crowd saw the conflict in Iraq as a child sees a shiny new bicycle. No sense of priorities or empathy for others, just grabbing at what they want at that moment. Childish and irresponsible.

It's time for all of us as American citizens to speak out about where our tax money goes. President Bush has already announced that he will veto any bills that he feels put too much money on domestic spending. Yet he's given a blank check to the mess in Iraq. It's our money that he has been entrusted with, and it's time we made it loud an clear that we want a change. Contact your Senators and Representatives and demand that they stand up to Bush's threats. It's your money he's playing with. All $12 billion a month of it.

GOP leaders say D'oh!

Remember this: the Republicans are the ones who are voting against the procedure called “cloture” on the Iraq spending amendments.

From the American Heritage Dictionary: “Cloture: A parliamentary procedure by which debate is ended and an immediate vote is taken on the matter under discussion. Also called closure.”

According to Senate rules, a vote for cloture must result in not just a simple majority of votes, but 60 votes. That is what the Democrats are trying to get done. The Republicans are the ones voting against ending the debate! So when the blowhards of Mitch McConnell and John McCain get in front of the press and announce that the Democrats are wasting time, someone needs to ask them why they voted against ending the debate and having a simple vote on the Senate floor?

If you're still confused, the best explanation I've seen yet for what the heck is going on in the Senate right now is at Firedoglake:

This is a pretty in-your-face procedural move from Reid — who gave the GOP leadership an opportunity to vote on all of the amendments up or down and, when they refused, Reid left the Grand Obstruction Party to stew in its own obstructionist failure. He’s left no cover for them or for the Bush Administration for continued stall and obstruct maneuvers on this — instead, the onus is on them to explain why their actions are focused on protecting the President’s flank, rather than on standing up for American soldiers and against more failed policies.

Why the filibuster was necessary: The Democrats grow a spine!

GOP talking points have labeled last night's filibuster on the Iraq defense spending amendments "Political Theater." Well, then, they shouldn't have threatened to have it come to this.

You see, much of what goes on in the halls of Congress, well, it goes on in the halls of Congress — not on the House or Senate floor. And the Republicans in the Senate tried to make legal maneuvers in the committee rooms and hallways to keep the many proposed amendments (almost all aimed at requiring troop withdrawal) from ever making it to the floor for an honest vote. It is to the Democratic leadership's credit that they finally stood up and said “No.”

A candlelight vigil was held outside Congress last night as well, attended by 57 Representatives and 25 Senators. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Ca.) said this to those assembled:

So I have one question for all of you: Are we united in speaking out against the Republican obstructionism on the floor of the United States Senate? If we are united let us respectfully proceed and listen to our Senators and bear witness to the obstructionism of the Republicans, and bear witness to their just saying ‘No’ to having a vote on Levin-Reed.

If we are unified then we will be successful and we will soon have the vote on Levin-Reed to end the war and bring the troops home.

If this was theater, it was public theater. And that is how our American democratic system is supposed to work. It remains to be seen how the voting will go on these amendments, but one thing is for sure: the Democrats in Congress have finally stood up to the Bush-Cheney war machine and said, “No more.”

Sen. Webb the only one in Congress who is actually supporting the troops

Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) took on Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC) on Meet the Press on Sunday, and tore him a new one. (And why is it called Meet "the Press" when the only reporter on the show is Tim Russert? That's a question for another day, I suppose ....)

Webb, as you'll recall, sponsored an amendment to the defense spending bill currently being debated in the Senate. Webb's amendment called for US troops to get as much time off as they spend on deployment. Before Iraq, troops who were gone for a year got 2 years back. That long-standing policy has been thrown out the window in the Bush-Cheney “war on terror.” The amendment supporting the troops never it made it to the floor for a vote. That is pathetic, Senators.

According to Webb:

“The traditional operational policy has been if you’re gone for a year, you get two years back. We’re now in a situation where the soldiers and the Marines are having less than a 1 to 1 ratio.” Webb said. Turning to Graham, he added, “And somebody needs to speak up for them rather than defending what this President has been doing.”

Your assignment for today

I need your help today.

Yesterday, I listened to Sen. Lieberman as he argued against the amendments to the Defense Authorization bill. (It is being debated in the Senate all week, and much of it is being carried on C-Span radio.)

Lieberman said something that really made me stop and think (aside from his apparent obsession with Iran, which was also quite startling). To me, it sounded like: “We don't have to listen to what the people of America are saying. We in Congress know what's right.”

Here's the exact quote:

Mr. President, I conclude with these words: Our responsibilities in this chamber ultimately do not allow us to be guided by our frustrations, or even by public opinion polls, when we respectfully believe that those public opinion polls do not reflect what is best for our nation.

We were elected to lead. We were elected to see beyond the next election, to do what is best for the next generation of Americans. We were elected to defend our beloved country, its security, and its values - all that is on the line in Iraq today.

So my question to each of you is this:

Did we elect them to lead us where they think best, or did we elect them to enact the public will?

I hope you will take a moment to ponder and then share your thoughts in the comments. I'm honestly conflicted on this notion and could use your insight. Remember, you can always post anonymously if you wish.

The majority of Americans support the impeachment of Vice President Cheney

According to a poll released Friday by the American Research Group, 54% of adults favor proceeding with impeachment proceedings against Cheney

In case you have any doubts about the basis for impeaching Cheney (!) please watch the following video clip from Robert Greenwald. It includes an excellent collection of Cheney's lies and deceit.



Crooks and Liars has more. You can also read about Rep. Dennis Kucinich's bill for impeachment (H.R. 333) at his site.

4 years since "Bring 'em on"

Four years ago, the world endured President Bush's bravado when he recklessly announced to the world:

"There are some who feel like ― that the conditions are such that they can attack us there. My answer is, bring ’em on. We've got the force necessary to deal with the security situation.”

Big talk from a man who did everything he could to avoid his own military service during the Vietnam War, occasionally patrolling the skies over the Gulf Coast when he bothered to report for duty at all.

From the National Security Network:

It has been four years since the President declared “bring’em on” in response to the budding insurgency in Iraq. Since that statement, more than 3,300 American troops have been killed and 25,000 have been wounded. Iraqi civilians have suffered tremendously, with four million fleeing their homes and an estimated 35,000 killed. The security situation has only deteriorated further, with the initial insurgency morphing into multiple civil wars and sectarian violence. Incredibly, there are more American troops in Iraq today than were there four years ago when the President made his reckless declaration.

Since the President recklessly declared “bring’em on” more than 3,300 American troops have been killed. Approximately 25,000 American troops have been wounded since that day.

American troop fatalities are up 70% since the surge began. In the four and a half months since Operation Fardh al-Qanoon officially began in Baghdad on February 14 American casualties have averaged almost 3.3 per day, up 70% over the same time period in 2006.

Civilian casualties are in the tens, if not hundreds, of thousands. The United Nations estimates that 35,000 civilians were killed in Iraq during 2006 alone. No one really knows how many people have died since the conflict began.

Attacks on American troops and Iraqi Security Forces are still averaging 5,000 per month. In the first four months of 2007 attacks have remained at 2006 levels.

America has been in Iraq longer than it was in World War II. It has been 52 months since military operations in Iraq began. As of July 1, 2007, American troops have been in Iraq for 1,565, days the equivalent of 222 weeks.

Baghdad is still averaging only 5.6 hours of electricity per day. This number represents only 20% of prewar production levels.

Not worth impeaching?

From BuzzFlash:

On a Thursday phone call with Bloggers (BuzzFlash was on), Nancy Pelosi reconfirmed that her eyes are on winning the White House for the Dems in 2008 rather than pursuing impeachment.

She sincerely believes that an incremental series of revelations of GOP illegalities will sink the Republicans. The challenge to that viewpoint is that Cheney and Bush still have the power to precipitate an international crisis to get Americans to "rally 'round the flag."

Secondly, if they are not held accountable for their flagrantly illegal behavior, how can you expect anyone charged in our court system to respect the rule of law if the President and Vice President of the United States violate it with such impunity?

It's also hard to maintain control of Congress when you have a 14-21% approval rating, largely because the public perceives the Dems as weak and unable to end the war or rein in the power of a rogue, lawless Executive branch.

Yikes. Are we really stuck in such a political quagmire that even though the Democrats hold a majority in Congress, there is no momentum to bring Bush and Cheney to justice for their many, many illegal acts? He "only" has 2 years left in office? Folks, that's a lot of death and destruction at the hands of these two.

Show your support

According to Politico, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) are poised to turn up the heat this summer on the Bush Administration. They're expected to announce today a coordinated effort throughout July to force the Administration to end the war in Iraq, through a series of votes.

ThinkProgress also has coverage of this emerging story:

Reid has already publicly declared that Senate Democrats will offer four Iraq-related amendments to the upcoming 2008 Defense authorization bill, including a proposal by Reid and Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) to set a firm timetable to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq by next spring.

Pelosi is planning to announce that the House will also vote on a bill setting a new withdrawal timetable of April 1, 2008, although the details of the proposal were still up in the air at press time, according to Democratic sources. The House will consider this proposal as a freestanding bill, said the sources.

Pelosi is also planning to force a vote on a proposal by Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, to repeal the 2002 use-of-force resolution for Iraq. […]

In addition, House Democrats will push proposals to prohibit the creation of permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq, as well as a “readiness” initiative similar to that authored by Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.).

This means it's time for us to let our elected officials know we support them on these topics. We saw how they backed off when Bush threatened veto for the last war funding bill. Let them know you want them to stand up to Bush and Dr. Strangelove, aka Dick Cheney.

Call and tell your Senators and Representatives and tell them you support them on this tough political fight to end the war in Iraq.

American support for the war in Iraq continues to drop

The latest poll by CNN shows that 67 percent of Americans oppose the war in Iraq. The number of Americans who support the war in Iraq is at a record low of 30 percent. With this clear majority, how can our elected officials continue to blatantly ignore the mandate of the people?


Other interesting numbers from the CNN poll:

• 63 % of Americans are ready to withdraw at least some troops from Iraq


• 38 % of Republicans now saying they oppose the war


• 54 % of Americans do not believe U.S. action in Iraq is morally justified

Two prominent Republican senators have now woken up to these figures. Senator Richard Lugar stated "In my judgment, the costs and risk of continuing down the current path outweigh the potential benefits that might be achieved."

The other senator, George Voinovich of Ohio, wrote this week that "We must begin to develop a comprehensive plan for our country's gradual military disengagement from Iraq and a corresponding increase in responsibility to the Iraqi government and its regional neighbors."

These comments are a move in the right direction, but clearly Congress continues to need to hear from the American people on this issue. Please continue to contact your Senators and Representatives and tell them to bring out troops home.

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are

I was just taking a short walk on my lunch hour to clear out my head. I find I have the most profound thoughts when I am away from my computer. That doesn't bode well for a new blogger, does it?!

On my walk I started thinking about the state of helplessness. I mean, I know — I post a lot of stories on here that can make a person feel like the world is just a huge mess. But really, I think there are two kinds of helplessness. The first is when you truly have no control over circumstances. Like that time I was at the doctor's office in the middle of getting a pap smear and the fire alarm went off. The momentary look of panic on the doctor's face was not exactly reassuring.

In that situation, you really do have to trust in a higher power. Ladies, you know what I'm sayin'.

But the other feeling of helplessness is more of a feeling of being overwhelmed by the magnitude of problems. There are solutions, and you do have power, but sometimes it can begin to feel like too much. But that is exactly the point of an organization like One.org, which is trying to make change one person at a time. And writing an email to your Senator or Representative to let them know your feelings on the war in Iraq, hate crimes legislation, or any issue is really not hard to do. If you're sitting here reading this blog, you have the skills and ability (and time?) to do it.

To quote Theodore Roosevelt: "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."

3,545 U.S. military personnel have died in the Iraq war

My lack of posting has been due to overload at an work, and certainly not from a scarcity of news — as the grim headline above demonstrates.

According to news reports, at least 12 military personnel — soldiers and marines — have died in the last 24 hours. The month of June has been gruesome: 68 soldiers have died this month alone.

The Baltimore Sun has a special feature recognizing those from Maryland who have given their lives in this war. It's short. Please read it. Look at the faces.

Then, please contact your Senators and Representatives and ask them to stand up to the President and stop funding this war. Remind them why there was a change of power in Congress last November, and remind them of the power of the people to enact change.

What have you done for me lately?

That might be a nice caption for this photo of President Bush and Crown Prince Abdallah of Saudi Arabia. It's also a question we should be asking of President Bush.

Think back to his state of the union address in January 2006, when he made the bold statement, "Here we have a serious problem: America is addicted to oil ...." Then he told us his plan:

"Tonight, I announce the Advanced Energy Initiative -- a 22 percent increase in clean energy research at the Department of Energy, to push for breakthroughs in two vital areas. To change how we power our homes and offices, we will invest more in zero-emission, coal-fired plants; revolutionary solar and wind technologies; and clean, safe nuclear energy.

"We will increase our research in better batteries for hybrid and electric cars, and in pollution-free cars that run on hydrogen. We will also fund additional research in cutting-edge methods of producing ethanol, not just from corn but from wood chips, stalks,or switch grass."

How's that grass thing going, Mr. President? It's a year and a half later, and we're still headed down a dangerous path of relying on foreign oil and polluting the environment. In Maryland, consumers are being hit with a massive rate increase in our utility bills. Gas prices hover around $3 for regular unleaded. And when states such as California try to be proactive and require stricter automobile emissions standards, this administration tries to block them.

Clearly, it's up to us to change the course of this nation. The war in Iraq is based on our voracious appetite for oil. If you doubt that, then please tell me why have we not stepped in to help all of the other nations around the world with tyrannical, demonic leaders? It is simple, dear readers. It's because they don't have anything we want. Guess what? Sudan does have oil! So maybe the U.S. should start getting involved in ending the suffering in Darfur. Guess what? Rwanda doesn't have anything! So we'll let them work things out among themselves.

What can you do to change this situation? Each one of us can, and does, make a difference. Reducing your car trips even slightly does help. Using compact fluorescent light bulbs does help. Writing to your elected officials — both local and national — does help. Tell them to increase funding for renewable and green energy sources. Tell them to stop funding this war for oil. The Bush dynasty and the rest of this administration have their fingers in the oil profits pot. They won't change unless we insist on it.

This planet and all of its citizens are asking, "What have you done for me lately?"

So I heard from Sen. Cardin the other day

I recently wrote to my senators, Ben Cardin and Barbara Mikulski, to let them know how disappointed I was that they voted for the $120 million war spending bill in May. I had hoped that at least one of them would stand up to the president and say "no more!" Refusing funding is the strongest power Congress has to counter this administrations's misguided policies in Iraq. Unfortunately, both of my senators voted to continue funding the war.

In last fall's Democratic primary, I voted for Kweisi Mfume, and I sure do miss him now. I had so hoped Mfume would be a strong voice on issues such as the war. I feared Cardin would not stand firm, would not be vocal. I am so sorry that my suspicions of him were true. From his message, Cardin clearly thinks that over time, the president can be persuaded to change course. I wonder what our soldiers in Iraq, as well as the citizens there, think about future "opportunities" to "push the administration." I'm sure they don't mind waiting.

Thank you for contacting me with regards to U.S. involvement in Iraq .

In 2002, as a member of the House of Representatives, I voted against the Congressional resolution that gave President George Bush the authority to invade Iraq . Since that time, I have been an ardent critic of the war and the manner in which the Administration has conducted it.

The bipartisan Iraq Study Group concluded that the solution to Iraqi unrest is political rather than military. The President should pursue a strategy that will decrease the Iraqi government's reliance on American forces and bring our brave troops home. I encourage increased diplomatic efforts in talking with Iraq 's neighboring countries to help stabilize the region.

Since my election to the U.S. Senate, my top priority has been working with Majority Leader Reid and other colleagues to change direction in Iraq . We have shaped a position calling for a total troop withdrawal beginning October 1, 2007 with a goal of completion by April 1, 2008. I supported such amendments and was disappointed that the provisions were not included in the final version of the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill for FY 2007. There will continue to be good opportunities to push the administration on this issue, including the Defense Authorization bill and the FY 2008 Defense Appropriations bill, among others. I have enclosed a copy of my first statement on the Senate floor, in which a large portion was devoted to my Iraq policy and the need for change . Please be assured that as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I will be fully engaged in working for a political and diplomatic resolution of the Iraqi conflict, and pushing for a drawdown of American forces.

I appreciate your taking the time to contact me about this important matter. Please do not hesitate to do so again about this or any other issue of importance to you. Email.BeginHide.merge

Sincerely,

Benjamin L. Cardin
United States Senator

Emphasis mine, but, yes, it really had "Email.BeginHide.merge" at the end.

If you're not outraged ...

you're not paying attention, as the bumper sticker says. And here's an outrageous story in this morning's Washington Post.

This past spring, the FBI asked Congress for $3.6 million from that good 'ol war spending bill (you remember, the one the Democrats caved on?) to fund a Gulfstream V jet that it said it needs to combat terrorism by flying "crucial missions" in Iraq.

Except, it turns out that a good quarter of the time that jet is actually used by the FBI Director Robert Mueller to get to his speaking engagements and public appearances. I encourage you to read the entire article. And become outraged.