THE WAR PARTY

[babylonsister]

THE WAR PARTY

Democrats Lie to Prolong Iraq; Reporters Go Along
Ted Rall

NEW YORK--Americans don't know how their government works. Democrats, in control of Congress, are taking advantage of our ignorance to continue the Iraq War. Which brings up two questions: Why won't the "antiwar" Democrats act to stop the carnage? And why aren't reporters calling them on it?

"Democrats," writes Charles Babington in an Associated Press item that appeared in hundreds of newspapers, "control both chambers but lack the numbers to override President Bush's vetoes of bids to mandate troop withdrawals from Iraq." It's a half-truth at best: the Democrats' narrow majority is less than the two-thirds majority they'd need to override a presidential veto. Here's the full truth: it doesn't matter.

In June Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting's Extra! Magazine wrote: "If the Democrat-controlled Congress wanted to force the Bush administration to accept a bill with a withdrawal timeline, it didn't have to pass the bill over Bush's veto--it just had to make clear that no Iraq War spending bill without a timeline would be forthcoming."

Democratic leaders know that. And here's how I know they know: days after taking control of Congress, on January 30, they invited five constitutional law experts to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee to ask them how they could end the war. Four out of five of the experts swore that the Democrats could stop the Iraq War just...like...that.

"Today we've heard convincing testimony and analysis that Congress has the power to stop the war if it wants to," said Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI). Yet eight months later, there's still no end in sight.

more...

http://www.uexpress.com/tedrall/

[MannyGoldstein]

1. The "Who Else Ya Gonna Vote For, Suckers?!" Congressional Democrats

They know that they need only suck a little less than the Republicans to win elections. If they actually took a stand against the Republicans, it would be more of a risk.

Gotta hand it to the Clintons - they taught the Dems a great strategy for getting elected when the Republicans go off the deep end. Sucks for our country, but, whatever...

[endarkenment]

2. Everyone here who keeps trying to 'splain this some other way

needs to read this until they fucking get it through their thick skulls that we are being played for fools.

[Double T]

3. When the military industrial complex is stuffing your campaign coffers..........

what's a Democrat to do?

[mikehershdotcom]

4. Force a Fully Funded Safe and Orderly Withdrawal from Iraq

"As a growing majority of the American public continues to demand that we bring our troops home from Iraq, it is essential that we have a coordinated grassroots effort to hold elected officials accountable. PDA has understood this from the very beginning and their new 'Pledge for Peace' initiative is a great way to organize."
-- Rep. Lynn Woolsey, co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus

Rep. Lynn Woolsey Calls on Colleagues to Force a Fully Funded Safe and Orderly Withdrawal of U.S. Troops and Military Contractors from Iraq

PDA - Pledge For Peace - Sign the Petition.Washington, DC - The Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) today issued the following statement in response to the testimony by General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker:

"No amount of sugar coating and spin can change one simple fact - four years after the President's invasion of Iraq our troops are caught in the midst of a civil war with no end in sight, and it's up to the U.S. Congress to use the power of the purse to force the President to bring them home.

"Those of us in Congress have the power, and the responsibility, to make sure that the only funding that we approve is used to fully fund the safe and orderly withdrawal of our troops and military contractors and bring them home to their families. Last year, the American public put into power a new Democratic Majority on this very issue, and it is far past time that we live up to the trust that they have shown in us. If we fail to stand up to the President, we will fail our country morally and economically."

The voters agree with Congresswoman Woolsey. We demanded complete withdrawal of troops and military contractors from Iraq in the 2006 elections. Support Rep. Woolsey and her courageous colleagues Rep. Maxine Waters and Rep. Barbara Lee as they lead the moral, sensible members of the House demanding a fully funded, safe and orderly withdrawal. Support our troops by bringing them home safely. PDA and our grassroots allies are putting the Bush Administration and the Democratic Leadership on notice. Help keep the pressure on! Remind your Representative that the voters spoke clearly at the ballot box, telling them to end the Iraq War. Congress members must listen to their constituents if they want to keep their seats in 2008.

What you can do:

1. sign the online petition http://pdamerica.org/petition/pledge-for-peace.php

2. see if your member of Congress has already signed on the Open Letter: http://pdamerica.org/articles/misc/2007-07-20-07-59-11-misc.php

a) If so ask that he or she work with Representatives Woolsey, Waters and Lee to get more signers for the Open Letter.

b) If your Representative is not on the list they may have recently signed on, so ask if the Representative has or is going to stand with the voters and sign this historically important letter.Please explain that to sign the letter, Congress members should contact Rep. Barbara Lee or Lynn Woolsey directly. Staffers should contact Bill Goold, Executive Director of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Contact your Congress member here: http://capwiz.com/pdamerica/issues/alert/?alertid=10170176&PROCESS=Take+Action

For more information, see: http://pdamerica.org/articles/news/2007-09-11-07-40-04-news.php

Progressive Democrats of America is a grassroots PAC that works both inside the Democratic Party and outside in movements for peace and justice. Our goal: Extend the victory of Nov. 2006 into a permanent, progressive majority. PDA's advisory board includes seven members of Congress and activist leaders such as Tom Hayden, Medea Benjamin, Cindy Sheehan and Rev. Lennox Yearwood. More info: http://pdamerica.org/

[Joanne98]

5. k&r