Who's advising Congress not to use their constitutional power of the purse?

[madfloridian]

Even Bruce Fein on PBS tonight was adamant it was one way to stop Bush from doing things that hurt our nation.

I know of one group whose policies are influencing the Democrats greatly, and they recommend against using the power of the purse.

Third Way: Congress should not use funding to dictate management of the war

Third Way supports the idea for a nonbinding congressional resolution condemning the escalation. But going further, with legislation barring the troop increase, would be a mistake, for both substantive and political reasons. First, we do not believe that Congress should use the imprecise mechanism of appropriations to dictate the management of an ongoing military conflict. There is simply no way of ensuring that funding restrictions would not compromise the safety of the troops already in the field, and it is generally a bad idea for Congress to be dictating the details of military strategy.

..."We therefore recommend that Congress take up – either by free-standing legislation invoking the War Powers Resolution or by a rider on the supplemental appropriations bill for Iraq – legislation requiring the President to submit to Congress within three months a plan laying out precisely when and how American combat operations in Iraq will come to an end. Members should put a limit on the length of the President’s plan for an end to the war – we suggest 18 months or two years. Congress also should press the President to lay out the details, both through hearings and in his report – how the United States would begin to disengage militarily in Iraq. This includes the phases and manner of military redeployment and how American strategic interests in the region will be protected, etc.
http://www.third-way.com/data/product/file/69/TW_-_Pressing_on_Iraq_Memo.pdf

The full document is in pdf format.

The Third Way is connected to the DLC/PPI groups. With this president, their ideas are not going to work.

I prefer Russ Feingold's assessment.

How To End The War

Our founders wisely kept the power to fund a war separate from the power to conduct a war. In their brilliant design of our system of government, Congress got the power of the purse, and the president got the power of the sword. As James Madison wrote, “Those who are to conduct a war cannot in the nature of things, be proper or safe judges, whether a war ought to be commenced, continued or concluded.”

Earlier this week, I chaired a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee to remind my colleagues in the Senate that, through the power of the purse, we have the constitutional power to end a war. At the hearing, a wide range of constitutional scholars agreed that Congress can use its power to end a military engagement.

....."The Constitution gives Congress the explicit power “to declare War,” “to raise and support Armies,” “to provide and maintain a Navy” and “to make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces.” In addition, under Article I, “No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law.” These are direct quotes from the Constitution of the United States. Yet to hear some in the Administration talk, it is as if these powers were written in invisible ink. They were not. These powers are a clear and direct statement from the founders of our republic that Congress has authority to declare, to define and, ultimately, to end a war.

We have caused millions to be displaced. They are wandering from the border of one country to another, being turned down. Now Southern Iraq is saying they can not take any more of their fellow country men.

Someone has got to quit listening to the gravy train consultants.

Escaping Iraq



..."Ordered to gather up their luggage, the Jordanians escorted them out of the border complex and through a special gate back into Iraqi territory. Ahmed said the Jordanians prevented him from using the same driver who had brought them from Iraq, and who Ahmed had already paid US$500. With near-certain death awaiting at home, returning was not an option, so the weary father set out to find another driver who would transport the family to Syria.