In another case of who-should-be-surprised, the Democrat Party is playing political games with the lives of our troops by tying the military budget to their political goals of forcing the president to agree to a timetable for removing the troops from Iraq.
In recent months a new type of armored vehicle has been introduced to Iraq that has been saving the lives of our troops there.
As the AP reports:Deadlocked Bill May Halt Troop Carriers
The armored carrier has a grim black slash across its side, burn marks on the door and a web of cracks along the window.
Like most of the Mine Resistant, Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles in Anbar province, this one has been hit as many as three times by enemy fire and bomb blasts. Yet, to date, no American troops have died while riding in one.
Yet the troops might find fewer of these MRAPs delivered to them because the Democrat Party has tied the funds allocated to build them to a bill that Bush will veto because there are withdrawal time tables included.
But efforts to buy thousands more carriers — each costing about $1 million — could be delayed if the White House and Congress do not resolve their deadlock over a $124.2 billion war spending bill.
Why blame the Democrats and not Bush for the veto?
Because Bush has made no bones about the fact that he will not agree to sign a bill that has a timetable for withdrawal of our troops in it. Yet, here they are, tying the military budget to JUST such a bill — Knowing all the while that Bush will veto it.
THAT, my friends, is called political gamesmanship. Yet the Democrats are doing this knowing full well that the safety of our troops is being compromised by their actions and game playing.
This is an inexcusable action by the Democrats. And it shows, once again, that they really couldn’t care less about our troops.
15 users commented in " Democrats Play Politics With Troops’ Safety "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackWho is really short-changing the troops? Is it the Congress or is it the man that vetoes the bill funding those troops? The bill has plenty of money for our soldiers. Seems to me it’s the president that is hurting the troops by refusing to sign the bill.
It was Mr. Bush who place our troops needlessly in harms way. The Democrates are trying to bring them safley back within our borders where they belong. Choke on the truth if you have to.
You blame the democrats for trying to end this war of choice by our administration. A war that they were warned against by everyone except the neo-cons and their own lap dogs within the GOP. The reasons for bu$h’s war has changed as was politically convienient from the beginning as the lies told became clear to everyone who was bothering to pay attention. History will very easily know who is to blame for this fiasco, and it won’t be the democratic party. It will be the neo-con controlled republicans and the lap dogs in the press like yourselves you have continually been goose-stepping in line despite all. Maybe you can answer for the rest of the public exactly why we are spending our nations revenue in Iraq, why are we building permanent bases in Iraq if were only there to help them find democracy ? Maybe you can explain to us why they should agree to our oil companies reaping obscene profits from their PSA agreements Paul Bremer put in place at the start of this war.
I can’t understand why the Bush Administration feels like going against the American people is the right thing to do. It is as though they knew this was the direction they were going even before 9/11. We have suffered so much lose of life as well as economically…The situation is not getting better…I am worried about the future of America, and the world. To continue on this path is WRONG…If I could I would stop all wars…We need a better solution… I suppose it is controversial. I think America is the greatest civilization in history. We outlawed slavery and created the United Nations. America is as idealist as it is strong and it is the burden of any country that believes in peace to show the world that peace is possible….We need the people of Iraq to step up….We are putting our soldiers in the middle of something they can not fix…At the same time we are becoming cut off from the rest of the world and loosing their support by failing to approach things in a diplomatic way
I believe I am with Einstein when it comes to people who continually do the same thing over and over and expect different results……
Only Bush can defund the troops, by vetoing this bipartisan bill.
Mindless parroting of out-dated Cheney talking points doesn’t change the fact that the Iraq Accountability Act fully funds our soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen, as well as adding additional billions for their medical care when they return.
I see there are still a few “dead enders” left like you who fail to realize that Americans overwhelmingly support an end to Bush’s Blunder. It’s only fair to ask, why do you hate America and our troops?
This war can not be won. I hope you can admit that mistakes were made. Our brothers and sisters are being killed daily with no worthy cause present. We need to get them out now. Don’t blame the democrats or the republicans. Blame Bush because he is the one with the power to bring our troops home. The country has spoken, the democratic process has occured (just as our american founders intended), the only thing that is keeping our troops there is the president. He is ignoring the American people and the fundamental tenets of our democracy. One man does not deserve that power in this situation.
Yep it’s the old Republican trick of “blame the Liberals”. The American people want this useless horror that Bush started to end.More troops have died this month than any in the last four months and it is time to bring them home before many more die.The Republicans are looking for a way to prevent Bush and his cronies from looking worse than they already do and thus lose the next election. I think that Bush wantd to give this mess to the next president and salvage his already horrible reputation. I am a Korean war veteran (19 Months in Korea) and that war and Vietnam have taught the U.S. nothing. Bush is the worst president we have ever had and Goonzales is the worst AG. The damage that Bush has done to millions of people will never be undone and his legacy will live on in Alito and Roberts who along with Scalia and Thomas are the cruelest Supremes in recent history.
Proud to be a Liberal in a conservative nightmare.
Pete Peterson
I guess I’m supposed to believe that leaving the troops in the quagmire Bush has created where they’ll continue to be in harm’s way (killed, maimed, psychologically traumatized) is considered “supporting the troops”. You should ask yourself who’s REALLY abandoning them by shortening their leave, extending their tours from 12 to 15 months, and by not adequately providing psychological and other care when they return home. Heck, even when nearly nobody was questioning the president’s judgment and every war supplement budget he proposed was approved by Congress unaltered, there were still poorly equipped troops on the battle field, notably our abused National Guard units.
The next question you should ask yourself is: How much is ENOUGH?
It’s always amusing when some say Dems are playing political games with the lives of our troops with this bill. These people must have never served in the military or know how the budget works.
When Congress cuts off funding in a particular area, activity there stops. In this case, forces would be drawn-down, removed, and reassigned to another location or mission being funded. I guess some envision our troops would stay and face diminishing supplies of ammunition, food, etc. That’s not how it works. Bush of course could reprogram money from other areas and force them to stay with inadequate supplies. If that happens, he will be the one playing political games.
Our military should never be sent into harm’s way without an exit strategy. Congress is merely trying to use the means available to them to help steer this mess towards some conclusion. Anyone who still thinks there’s a chance of winning is delusional.
In vetoing the Iraq Operations Supplemental Appropriation, President Bush is in effect telling the world that the War in Iraq will not be ended during his term.
The President is informing us that the vaunted US military that he and former Defense Secretary Rumsfeld has built is mired in a quagmire in the same manner that Russia is mired in Chechnya.
By accepting the non-binding time constraints in the bill as a concession to American war-weariness Bush could reach out and stimulate the formation of a new bipartisan coalition in favor of an activist foreign policy in the mid east.
Instead, the President will squander the opportunity with an appeal to continue executive prerogatives his own lack of political acumen have discredited.
Robert Chapman
Lansing, NY
Wow. I guess I’ll rephrase.
You have two sides of an argument. Neither has shown any interest in backing down from their position. You say that since one side won’t back down, it proves they are ‘playing games with the lives of our troops’.
Watch this:
Why blame the President and not Democrats for the veto?
Because Democrats have made no bones about the fact that they will not agree to a bill that does not have a timetable for withdrawal of our troops in it.
Not a very convincing arguement, though I do believe I can guess how you vote.
Talk about a bunch of bullsh*t… the Congress and the Senate represent the will of the American People. If you want to complain to someone – complian to Bush and the rest of his ignorant, incompetent administration.
Ha ha ha! Do you really believe Democrats (or anyone) want to put troops in harms way!? You must think all people are as sick as you! I know people who really don’t care about life or death issues, and you don’t have to look any farther than Republicans or your own subconscious. But I’m sure like all Repblicans, you wouldn’t know about your own subconscious, just like you would not know the truth. You are very distant from reality.
So, this ex-coke addict from TX, currently residing at our White house starts an unnecessary conflict with a country unrelated to the 9/11 event. Meanwhile, Bin Laden is still enjoying life somewhere in the mountain side of another country. 3400 US soldiers gave their lives to this conflict so far, so that we could change the political leadership of a 3rd world, oil producing nation. Average age of these soldiers is barely 21. We are talking KIDS, people!
Dems want to make this unnecessary conflict finite and cut our losses; Repubs get pissy, “bushy and dick-cheese” threaten to veto the bill that would fund the troops during this necessary pull-out transition. The the 51% of America (sheep) who supported this evil war monger, start blaming the dems. This is just so illogical.
WW2 was an important and necessary war for the US to be in. The country had a need to protect itself, and we did, very nicely, under the presidential leadership of a DEMOCRAT!
So for those of you right-wing, strong christian valued “patriotic” Americans who still support the pied piper, GET A CLUE! WAKE UP, and LOOK at what is going on here! Getting out of Iraq and allowing the people to run their own country is a GOOD thing. Our military is spread so thin as a result of this distraction, that we would be in sad shape if a REAL threat was posed upon us.
PEACE!
Boy am I sick of you two parites. Always blaming the other for anything that goes wrong. Do you not remember that both parties voted to go to Iraq. Has everyone forgotten 911. Bring all the troops home. Secure our borders. Remove any disidents that would cause us harm, remove ALL illegals, and retaliate(with fair warning), a hell storm on anyone who would do us harm. This can be done from the air without putting any troops on the ground. What the hell is collateral damage. In world war II we bombed the Germans without worrying about that, and the Japaneses sure got a taste for attacking us. If anyone needs, or wants our help, if they are a free society, we will help when the payment is made to support our troop movements. The troops will voluteer to go much like mercenaries. Time for playing the policeman of the world is over. May Daddy used to say, “take care of your own back yard first.” There is so much wrong here in this country, we could spend the next hundred years just paying off the debt. If either party cared 2 cents for the people, they would cut government spending, but you don’t here anyone chanting that. Debt can be remedied rather simply. Charge everyone in the rest of the world for a bushel of wheat, what the oil companies charge for a barrel of oil. Talk about raising some funds. Why is oil more prescious than food. Let’s get tuff America, loose GAT, and NAFTA, get our autonomy back, make our own products, and forget the rest of the world. We have given enough. Let the charites do that job. Bring accountability back to the people of this country. What a concept. Each individual must be responsible for his or her behavior. There I said it. I had a rough childhood to. Get over it.
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