Durbin and Levin using Bush** & R's script? Something is fishy here.

[AlinPA]

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=3210851&page=1&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

[ProSense]

1. Durbin and Levin put Clinton and Obama as being "against the troops."

But the no vote was not the mainstream Democratic view. Indeed, of the 16 sitting senators who voted against going to war to begin with, 11 voted to provide funds for U.S. troops Thursday evening.

"Though I loathe this decision to fund the war, I will not take out my feelings against the troops in the field," said Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who voted against authorizing use of force in Iraq in October 2002. "Our soldiers should never be bargaining chips in this debate."

Durbin was joined by Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., chair of the Armed Services Committee, who also voted against going to war nearly five years ago.

"I cannot vote to stop funding our troops who are in harm's way," Levin said. "It is not the proper way that we can bring this was to an end. It is not the proper way that we can put pressure on Iraqi leaders."

Clinton and Obama felt differently, though the decision was apparently not easy. Neither would discuss the vote before it was cast. Both were among the last dozen or so to vote; Obama slipped in quietly onto the Senate floor at close to 8:45 p.m., said hi to some colleagues, approached the desk, quietly said "No," and left.

Only seconds later, Clinton did the same.

Great going!

[AlinPA]

2. I'm still shaking my head while the envelope from the DCCC sits on my desk.

[karynnj]

3. I can see their dilemma - the choices stink

I wish though that people like Durbin and Levin - even if they said what they did here, added that Bush himself had VETOED giving the troops the funding when the bill had policy attached he didn't like. This was exactly the same as what the "no" voters did. No one really voted against giving the troops what they needed.

I haven't read any statements by any of the "No" voters except Kerry's, but I would bet that they are similar. Kerry's floor speech was very good.