Congress quietly passes billions for Iraq.
By on Sep 28th, 2007 at 12:15 pm
Congress quietly passes billions for Iraq.
Yesterday, the Senate voted 94-1 for “a stop-gap spending bill that gives the Bush White House at least $9 billion in new funding” for the Iraq war. Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) was the sole dissenter in the Senate; the House voted 404-14 to approve the measure. Congress also granted the administration “emergency authority to tap further into a $70 billion ‘bridge fund’” for the occupation while “Congress works on appropriations bills.”
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congress has quietly passed world war 3
September 28th, 2007 at 12:16 pmDid Hillary vote for it?
September 28th, 2007 at 12:19 pmBecause this past Sunday she said she wouldn’t vote for one more dollar for the war.
Wilco,
Hillary was one of the abstaining, along with Barack Obama, Joe Biden, John McCain, and Sam Brownback.
The solitary nay vote: Russ Feingold.
September 28th, 2007 at 12:20 pmThanks TMM
September 28th, 2007 at 12:22 pmDemocrats have betrayed us. They talk the talk about ending the illegal, immoral, and wholly unjustified war in Iraq. But that’s ALL they do, talk, while continuing to issue blank checks to fund this evil endeavor.
This is irrefutable evidence that the Democrats have absolutely NO INTEREST in ending the war.
Talk is CHEAP!!!
ACTION SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WORDS!!!
September 28th, 2007 at 12:23 pmIt is sad that this Country is being led by nothing but lying hypocritical greed filled sycophants. It is time to oust EVERY incumbent regardless of party affiliation. All ballots should have “None of the above” as a choice if there are no new candidates without prior political aspirations.
September 28th, 2007 at 12:24 pmthe national debt is now $9.815 TRILLION now too. It just passed within the last few days.
September 28th, 2007 at 12:25 pmCongress has surrendered their testicles to King Bush.
September 28th, 2007 at 12:25 pmWTF?
And Dodd voted for it?
~Sean
September 28th, 2007 at 12:29 pmOh LOOK! WEBB F*CKS us AGAIN!! Please, let’s hear more about how Webb ’stands up for important issues…
Webb is a DINO who just votes along with his republican circle-jerk pals. First he waves his son’s boots to get elected, votes TWICE now to give in to bush, plus votes to expand the NSA illegal spying, then votes with LIEBERMAN to denounce MoveOn. Webb is a disgrace!
Feingold is the only Senator with any scruples or balls.
KUCINICH/FEINGOLD ‘08
September 28th, 2007 at 12:30 pmDim
You assume Congress had testicles to begin with. Just like Harry Reid’s they have turned to prunes
What a sham. I feel so betrayed
September 28th, 2007 at 12:30 pmgreat – another morning spent writing my Sens and Rep…
i won’t quit though, and neither should anyone who cares enough that they’d spend time here. if this is important enough to you, then it should be important enough that you write, fax, email, call your elected officials, tell them again that you want it stopped, threaten them again with your vote in the next primary, and reassure them that if they break from the flock it will count in their favor and not against.
our cynicism and pessimism will be our failure if we allow it. snark it up around here all you want, god knows i do, but don’t let it stop you from pressuring your employees to do the job the way you want it done.
September 28th, 2007 at 12:31 pmWhat????
September 28th, 2007 at 12:31 pmThe Dems caved again…….
Disgusting.
September 28th, 2007 at 12:31 pmACTION SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WORDS!!!
Comment by Uncle Ho — September 28, 2007 @ 12:23 pm
Amen bro.
September 28th, 2007 at 12:32 pmRon Paul voted “No” in the house.
Hurrah.
~Sean
September 28th, 2007 at 12:35 pmTP ~ Could we get a roll call?
September 28th, 2007 at 12:36 pmLooks like this is the roll call for the Senate:
http://senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00355
~Sean
September 28th, 2007 at 12:38 pmwijg sez:
wijg, see my earlier post.
September 28th, 2007 at 12:38 pmSomeone tell me why Feingold didn’t run again?
September 28th, 2007 at 12:38 pmLooks like this is for the House:
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll911.xml
~Sean
September 28th, 2007 at 12:39 pmwijg, as for the House vote:
September 28th, 2007 at 12:39 pm
#21 Thanks.
September 28th, 2007 at 12:40 pmI think anyone reading this should really consider who they’re going to support for the election. Obama and Hillary have no intention on ending the war, imho. Ron Paul is the only true anti-war candidate. Democrats have failed. Republicans have (obviously) failed. Ron Paul can win as Independent/Libertarian (even though he’s running as Republican now).
This vote says a lot.
~Sean
September 28th, 2007 at 12:43 pmI’ve given up on the Congress. This is just the same old bs that we’ve been given. Makes you wonder…is there any difference.
September 28th, 2007 at 12:43 pmGoes to show…it is all smoke and mirrors just to get a vote.
Government at its best. Make promises and never fulfill them.
I agree with Sean. The only true anti-war candidate certainly appears to be Ron Paul.
September 28th, 2007 at 12:45 pm9 Billion here, 9 billion there, pretty soon you’re talking about real money.
September 28th, 2007 at 12:47 pm#27 There is only a dimes worth a difference in this two party system.
The usual highlighted mainstream media topics. But deep down all they want is power and your vote.
September 28th, 2007 at 12:48 pmHillary was one of the abstaining, along with Barack Obama, Joe Biden, John McCain, and Sam Brownback.
The solitary nay vote: Russ Feingold.
I love how they just don’t vote at all so they can say on the campaign trail that they didn’t vote for it.
September 28th, 2007 at 12:50 pmSean sez:
I notice Kucinich is among the nay votes in the House…
September 28th, 2007 at 12:51 pmWow… I’m pretty much speechless.
Still an Edwards supporter. I agree with his plan to keep humanitarian and embassy troops in Iraq.
September 28th, 2007 at 12:51 pmPaul/Kucinich 2008!!!
September 28th, 2007 at 12:53 pm#32 – True enough. Good point. I disagreed with a lot of Kucinich’s ideas when I saw him in the first Democratic debate, so I don’t pay much attention to him now. However, I do stand corrected. But I’m still voting Ron Paul :-).
~Sean
September 28th, 2007 at 12:54 pmSean sez:
I wouldn’t mind seeing Ron Paul on the final ballot.
Unfortunately, he has about as much chance of getting on that final ballot as Kucinich does.
September 28th, 2007 at 1:01 pmCongress has surrendered their testicles to King Bush-comment by dim wit
Congress has any balls TO surrender? Sorry. You’re gonna have to PROVE that.
September 28th, 2007 at 1:02 pmStatement posted on Senator Feingold’s senate website:
September 27, 2007
“I am disappointed that we are about to begin the 2008 fiscal year without having enacted any of the appropriations bills for that year. I am even more disappointed that we passed a continuing resolution that provides tens of billions of dollars to continue the misguided war in Iraq but does not include any language to bring that war to a close. We need to keep the federal government operating and make sure our brave troops get all the equipment and supplies they need, but we should not be giving the President a blank check to continue a war that is hurting our national security.â€
Enough said. I just wish more Democrats had his integrity and courage.
September 28th, 2007 at 1:02 pmWell I blasted away yesterday, made phone call’s sent out email’s and none of it did any good but I’m still going to do more of the same and as I told all of these chicken shit representative’s I’m working to boot them all out…..We are the employer’s and they all need to be fired…
I am sickened though that none of them seem to comprehend what their enabeling of this unjust war is doing to our troop. country and the world..Bottom line alway’s seems to be corprate and self intrest’s…..Sooner or later it is going to bite most of them….This is also another good reason for term limit’s, age restriction’s and major voting overhaul…
I’m with you both Uncle Ho and Clyde…..
Not staying here much today, like yesterday gonna hit the email and phone trail and give them hell…..Am I suprised.? No…All this bunch have become predictable and are acting like CEO’S in big business…We don’t matter, yet……Time to show them by dissent or any mean’s who the bosses are…..We the people…Kucenich and Finegold would be a good team….Need to tell them both that and get a jump on a good sound ticket….Blessings all…
September 28th, 2007 at 1:07 pmEarl Blumenauer just earned my vote again, even with his dopey bow tie. Go Earl!
Wyden, not so much.
September 28th, 2007 at 1:09 pmHook up with Lie-berman or join the GOP (grand old pervert’s)?…LOL..Think we will all do better kicking all these ass wipe’s out on both sides and starting up a new party.
Your post is nothing more than troll dripping’s..Back under the bridge troll..
September 28th, 2007 at 1:16 pmI am only just now getting my head out of the sand on this (and other important) issue….so please be patient with my questions :)
I, too, am fully against this war that our President has gotten us into…but it does seem to me that now that we are there we cannot just ‘up and leave’. Since the US invaded and became ‘the power’ there…do we, as a country, have any responsibility to leave it in a little better state than it is now?
When most comments seem to imply that our Dem cand. of choice absolutely has to leave Iraq the day they are sworn in, it does seem like that is the prevailing thought here. Is that what everyone is saying or am I missing something?
Thanks all – looks like a great site with some lively conversation!
September 28th, 2007 at 1:18 pmApproval of Congress could drop to 0% and then what happens?
Friday 28th of September 2007
by Jay Randal
While Congress beats-up on children, Gay people, and MoveOn.org the Bush Regime schemes attack on Iran.
Three-fourths of the US Senators and Representatives no longer even remotely listen to “We the People” on anything.
They are too busy collecting money from OIL lobbyist whores, Israeli agents, and health insurance swindlers.
While bridges decay nationwide, even collapsing into rivers, and New Orleans remains decrepit wasteland.
The US borders are left wide-open for drug traffickers to cross 24-7 as migrant poor flood across to be slaves.
Economy is on the verge of complete utter meltdown, but nonetheless funding for Iraq continues unabated.
NOTE: REMEMBER THAT ROME BURNED WHILE NERO FIDDLED, SO IS THAT THE OUTCOME FOR THE UNITED STATES AS WELL?
(Jay Randal, political activist and writer in Georgia, USA.)
September 28th, 2007 at 1:20 pm#36 – I wouldn’t mind seeing Ron Paul on the final ballot.
Unfortunately, he has about as much chance of getting on that final ballot as Kucinich does.
I wouldn’t be so sure about that. Ron Paul has a ton of support. http://www.ronpaul2008.com/straw-poll-results/
Wait until Sept. 30 to see the results of this quarters donation before you write off Paul’s chances :-).
~Sean
September 28th, 2007 at 1:20 pmLower Federal taxes would have nixed this war in the budd long ago.
Comment by Vendetta — September 28, 2007 @ 1:23 pm
Wasn’t that you telling others to grow up? This war is being funded on credit, fool. Lower taxes have done nothing and will do nothing.
September 28th, 2007 at 1:24 pmBe very careful of Ron Paul, do your research..Bottom line he is running on the Rep. ticket and aligned with some very interesting group’s….Research….
September 28th, 2007 at 1:25 pmWitch1 – why not spell it out for me? Links?
~Sean
September 28th, 2007 at 1:26 pmWitch1 – why not spell it out for me? Links?
~Sean
Comment by Sean — September 28, 2007 @ 1:26 pm
Someone posted them awhile ago, and a Google search should get your answers. The guy is a serious libertarian, and I think you will find that on most issues other than Iraq, he has nothing in common with the Left. Or liberals.
September 28th, 2007 at 1:28 pmWho says I’m a liberal?
Can you honestly defend the liberals who were elected in 2006? Liberals fail. Conservatives fail. There ARE other options :-).
~Sean
September 28th, 2007 at 1:30 pmHonestly. Why do they keep passing these funding measures? Funding is the one point of leverage we have.
STOP. PASSING. FUNDING. BILLS.
September 28th, 2007 at 1:31 pmWho says I’m a liberal?
Can you honestly defend the liberals who were elected in 2006? Liberals fail. Conservatives fail. There ARE other options :-).
Comment by Sean — September 28, 2007 @ 1:30 pm
If you read what I wrote, I specifically didn’t make that assumption. I didn’t, for instance, write “he has nothing in common with you”.
September 28th, 2007 at 1:35 pm#48 Comment by Rick — September 28, 2007 @ 1:18 pm
I don’t know about anyone else, but my belief is that we can’t leave the innocent Iraqi people with no protection after we created havoc in their country. That’s why I support Edwards, his plan is to keep humanitarian and embassy troops there. I don’t think it’s possible to leave Iraq in better shape than it is now, they are in the middle of a civil war and they will either negotiate with one another or fight it out. I can’t believe the country I love so much created this mess.
September 28th, 2007 at 1:40 pmHi Rick. Glad you found ThinkProgress. And yes, I think most people who post here want us out of Iraq as soon as possible. I don’t personally believe that we can leave Irag in a “better state” than it is now, not as long as there is an occupation army (us) in the country and a puppet government. All we are doing now, besides spending billions of dollars and getting our kids killed (not to mention the 2 million Iraqi refugees and the 2 million internally displaced Iraqis, and the thousands of dead Iraqi men. women and children) is arming both sides of a civil war. I am also of the opinion that the Bush administration will provoke a confrontation at the border with Iran (now that the Islamic Revolutionary Guards are terroists) to justify an attack on Iran, and I guess I think if we are not there, then maybe that won’t happen. So yes, I want us out now.
September 28th, 2007 at 1:41 pmFair enough, though I felt it was implied.
It sounded like you were saying that Ron Paul is a bad candidate because he isn’t liberal. I see that as even more reason to elect him.
Look at what the Democrats have done. They have a majority in the House and Senate, yet they still whine and complain about how they can’t get anything done. And the war continues. Great job Dems.
And everyone here is so frustrated and feel betrayed by the Dems. Well – here is my logic:
We can all agree that Republicans are completely horse manure. The war is illegal, and BushCo should be thrown in jail for war crimes. Most people here probably agree with that.
However, I disagree with a lot of people here in thinking that the Dems are the solution. Absolutely not. I was happy when the Dems won in 2006, but it’s becoming more and more apparent that the Dems are enablers. Then they whine about not having enough power to change anything. Why would I give them more power? They can’t even use a majority correctly.
So: elect someone who is different. Ron Paul is different. And Ron Paul delivers. This vote proves that.
~Sean
September 28th, 2007 at 1:41 pmPlease forgive my post Comity……I strongly apolagize, realy….I was doing a rapid read and miss understood what you wrote…It was my failing, I thought you were implying all dem’s should join the reich……Not enough coffee this morning I guess…..Please forgive, never ment to slam someone on the same page I am on….Blessings
September 28th, 2007 at 1:52 pmAnd to think I was stupid enough to volunteer my time for these pigs last fall.
When will I learn what life teaches ?
Trust no one.
September 28th, 2007 at 1:54 pmRuss Feingold for president!
September 28th, 2007 at 2:14 pmJeez even my reliable Rep Brad Miller either abstained or voted for it (haven’t found the roll call yet on this one). I see the “reasoning” but disagree with the choice. Sure, it’s just a “stop-gap” and they wanted to get it put behind them to work on the larger budget, but sometimes you just have to take a stand! Kudos to those that did. It would have passed even with a greater majority of the supposedly anti-war types voting against it. The hawk dems who love to polish W’s shoes with their reputation will always put this type of thing passed without the help of those who claim to want to bring our troops home. Dude, where’s my country? I wonder how the job market is in Canada these days…
September 28th, 2007 at 2:15 pmDidnt Hillary specifically say on TV just a couple days ago that should would not vote for any more money for Iraq?
The DNC are going to keep playing us unless we punish them…
September 28th, 2007 at 2:22 pmKUCINICH/FEINGOLD ‘08
The only congressmen who consistently stand up for us and stand up AGAINST BUSH!!!
This is a no-brainer.
September 28th, 2007 at 2:23 pmThe other day one poster gave us a good idea…..Pick a candidate and run them on the net, on a bigger scale we can ban together with all of us working for our state’s as well……I’m for pushing Kuchenich and Finegold if we can get him to run, you all pick…..Pick, let’s work on it and get a real good go for an anti war, fiscaly responsible, for the people candidate.
Love your post’s Jay Randel….What are your opinion’s on what to do next.? Every one join in, let’s get some active work done on taking our country back….Blessings
September 28th, 2007 at 2:23 pmTracy1, I agree..All of us have been lead down a dreadful path..Sadly hundred’s of thousand’s are dieing because we believed the lie’s…..Now we know better, we should be able to do better, that does not seem to be the case for our representative’s, they have been at the trouth filling their bank account’s to long..Now we have to do our job and kick them out of office, both side’s…….Blessings
September 28th, 2007 at 2:31 pmWell, that’s it. The Congress, which includes a host of chickenhawk Neocons and spineless Dems, has turned America into a dictatorship by refusing to stand up to the joke of a president we have. So much for check-and-balances and the American Experiment.
September 28th, 2007 at 2:42 pmIt’s a dream on my part, but I think we should vote all of the current Dems — save a few like Feingold — out of office in favor of Dems who will stand up to a wreckless president and a sick, vehement GOP. These guys and gals we have noe just do not have the balls to do their job.
September 28th, 2007 at 2:46 pmI see that the funding is not for 200 billion Vendetta.
What about Afghanistan Tracy1?
September 28th, 2007 at 2:48 pmThe events and voting in the Senate and Congress these last 2 weeks, while totally disgraceful, reveal to me that Ron Paul is the only candidate for President that does not have a money trail leading to his corporate masters and is the only one with any morality and integrity.
September 28th, 2007 at 2:49 pmToppling Saddam has created more terrorists and destabilized the region moreso than if we would have just let the U.N. inspectors do their job. Even with Saddam not being fully cooperative, the U.N. inspectors were making progress, which is why Bush was in such a rush to bomb Iraq.
September 28th, 2007 at 2:49 pmI also think we should have done it back in 1991 when everyone was on board.
Comment by Tracy1 — September 28, 2007 @ 2:43 pm
I was there in 91, and I have the scars as well as titanium in my leg as a permanent souvenir of my trip.
September 28th, 2007 at 2:50 pmThere was a reason we didn’t march all the way to Bagdad then.
The reason is very evident from the mess we have there now.
Comment by Great Frybread King — September 28, 2007 @ 2:46 pm
First the GOP, I think, needs to go, then we can work on the Dems, who, we know, are easily bent to vote as the flock turns.
September 28th, 2007 at 2:50 pmYes, I agree. The GOP is a bloated monster that wants to turn things back to the early 20th century, when women and minorities knew their place and gays were in the closet.
September 28th, 2007 at 2:56 pmDid Hillary vote for it?
Because this past Sunday she said she wouldn’t vote for one more dollar for the war.
Comment by Wilco — September 28, 2007 @ 12:19 pm
And she didn’t this time, either. She was one of the senators “not voting” — as were Obama, McCain, Biden, and Brownback (pretty much all the presidential candidates).
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00355
This was not, however, a spending bill specifically for the Iraq war. It was House Joint Resolution 52 (already passed by the House), which was “a joint resolution making continuing appropriations for the fiscal year 2008, and for other purposes.” In other words, it contained many appropriations for 2008, including money for the Department of Defense but also the Department of Energy, Department of Agriculture, and many others.
September 28th, 2007 at 3:02 pmTracy1: I suggest that you read about the Nuremberg trials after WWII. The Nazis were found guilty for starting the war-JUST like Bush started the Iraq war.
September 28th, 2007 at 3:07 pmNo, Tracy1, because while many of the Arab countries were behind the U.S. liberating Kuwait, they were against the U.S. toppling Saddam.
September 28th, 2007 at 3:16 pmBravo Uncle Ho, you beat me to it..Blessings
September 28th, 2007 at 3:17 pmDon’t forget the new’s came out yesterday on a site somewhere that Sadamm wanted to escape with a billion into exile and Bush chose to bomb the shit out of Iraq instead..Then there’s the article about his conversation with another leader (Bush) regarding his lieing pre planning to go to war…..It just keep’s going and still take it off the table Palosi will not budge….Sadness and anger abound today……I did get a responce from DCCC..They sent me a email to give them money and I gave them what for back and they responded….Bet my email is now deleted but if not they know what this old voter’s think’s about the enabeler’s…..Blessings to you all
September 28th, 2007 at 3:25 pmYou don’t think that with everyone being on board back then we would have had a much better chance at succeeding considering al Qaeda was basically non existant as a terrorist organization and the Iran had just got done fighting a long war with Iraq?
Comment by Tracy1 — September 28, 2007 @ 3:05 pm
The sectatian violence we have there now was predicted then, plus there was not support for taking out Bagdad. Special Forces were within 50 miles of Bagdad when orders pulled them back.
Al Qaeda was active in 91, btw. It just had not hit MSM yet.
They hit the news big in 98 Embassy Bombings
Make no mistake, I support getting AlQaeda and Osama Bin Forgotten.
The facts are that AlQaeda was not in Iraq when we invaded, there were no WMDs, they secured the oil fields while leaving weapons and munitions dumps unguarded and unblown (WMDs remember?)
AlQaeda was and still is in Afghanistan, but most our troops are bogged down in Iraq.
How can anyone with any military experience support the failed, FUBARed Iraq invasion is beyond me.
September 28th, 2007 at 3:31 pmWhy, Tracy1? Because the Arab countries did not want a Western power occupying an Arab country, even though Saddam was not a devout Muslim.
Also, King Hussein of Jordan was a pro-Western leader with strong ties to Israel whom many Arabs do not like. I would not consider his voice to be representative of many Middle Eastern Arabs.
September 28th, 2007 at 3:45 pmSorry for this post, but I wanted to add that Lawrence S. Eagleburger, who was Secretary of State under GHWB, said the use didn’t remove Saddam from power in 1991 because:
“… we would have had a very serious time, particularly with our Arab associates in the coalition, if we had tried to get rid of him, or had gotten rid of him. They were very much opposed to that, although they were more than willing to support us in driving Iraq out of Kuwait. ”
and here:
“… President Bush had said, and he was absolutely correct, was that the last thing he wanted, was to see the United States get into Iraq or that part of the world, and then stay there in force. The Arabs wouldn’t have liked it, Americans wouldn’t have liked it. And if we’d run him out, it would have been our responsibility to find a replacement for Saddam Hussein, help them set up a new government, and that could have kept us there for some period of time. ”
His interview with CNN in 2001 is here:
http://archives.cnn.com/2001/COMMUNITY/11/20/eagleburger.cnna/index.html
September 28th, 2007 at 3:51 pmWhat did this pay for ? one week?
September 28th, 2007 at 4:01 pmTracy1, did you not read what I just posted? It would not have been easy toppling Saddam because the exact same thing would have happened in 1991 as it did this time: namely a civil war and power struggle between multiple factions and widespread condemnation of the U.S. throughout the Arab world. We would have been just as bogged down then as we are now.
September 28th, 2007 at 4:04 pmOh, Great Frybread. Tracy1 is hopeless. Absolutely EVERYTHING is WAAAAY over her pointed-little-head. Unable to think outside her tiny box.
September 28th, 2007 at 4:15 pm