Best way to refute 87 billion issue

[noahmijo]

ASHINGTON (AP) -- The Bush administration threatened for the first time Tuesday
to veto an $87 billion package for Iraq and Afghanistan if Congress converts
any Iraqi rebuilding money into loans.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/10/21/sprj.irq.congress.iraq.ap/



See that? VETO! VETO! They accuse Kerry of refusing to support the $87 billion
Bush threatened to VETO the bill if the funds were NOT tacked onto the deficit
so carelessly!


Have I mentioned how much I hate these people yet? Have I?

~N~

[theorist]

1. Right! And Kerry wanted it taken out of the tax cuts.

It's a futile argument to begin with. Kerry KNEW the bill would pass. It was a protest vote. What's so wrong with a guy who doesn't bend over and take it?

[expatriot]

2. what about the paying for it by reducing the tax cuts...

Franken is always saying, among others, that Kerry voted for an amendment that would require Bush to pay for the war by cutting the tax cut... but it was defeated by the GOP... hence the "vote for it" before the "vote against it." If you look at that it tells you that the Republicans obviously voted against before they voted for it.

[TabulaRasa]

3. I agree

though I think the central issue of his vote against should not be whether or not it was paid for ... that bores people. It should be that Bush was holding our troops hostage in order to funnel money into Halliburton, and Kerry had no other choice but to say NO! In fact, I think he should use those words; they have more punch. He should also phrase it as a protest vote against Bush's failed policies. But leave aside the "paying for it" issue ... I don't think it's effective.

[SeekingTruth]

4. Kerry Could Demand...

The creation of something like the "Soldier Protection Act." It would contain ways to make sure that troops have whatever they need and remove politics from such an act. Included could be some sort provision that would prevent political riders and things like that.

I hate to be cynical, but something needs to be done to fight this 87 billion snafu.

[noahmijo]

5. Have you read his proposal for a Military Bill of Rights?

[SeekingTruth]

9. No, I haven't, and that is the problem...

if such a thing is in there, then this shows what needs to be done. He must do something to counter this 87 billion fiasco. Something that gets out there to those who don't know about it - not the already believers.....

[Joanne98]

6. Here's one from Berkeley

Bush’s bill contained a $20 billion blank check to provide no-bid contracts to Halliburton and other firms for Iraq reconstruction, and none of the $87 billion price tag would be paid using Bush’s tax cuts. As the Washington Post has reported, Kerry voted for a different version of the bill that would have funded some of the spending by raising taxes on incomes greater than $312,000, while Bush vowed to veto a version that would have converted half of the Iraq rebuilding plan into a loan. Kerry's alternate version was defeated and Bush’s original bill came up for a vote. Most Democrats decided to support it, as it would be sure to pass. Knowing this, Kerry on principle voted "against" it — that is, he voted against the $20 billion blank check and the no-repealing-the-tax-cut provisions. Cheney, as president pro-tem of the Senate, knows this.

http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2004/09/02_lakoff_gop3.shtml

[GOPAgainstGW]

8. Exactly!! - Word must get out!. Joe Biden explained this on TV last week!

Joe was excellent on explaining this situation on TV last week. Kerry could CLEARLY take some communication skills lessons from Biden!

However, Biden also told Kerry at the time to not vote against the Bill because it would bite him in the arse later because it was a little complicated to explain and the public unfortunately quickly loses interest in political mumbo jumbo and details.

Biden was also excellent on explaining the Middle East Bush War situation.

Being a Republican I don't know Biden that well, but from what I have been learning, I am impressed.

[Fla Dem]

7. $20 billion of the $87 billion was earmarked for reconstruction

which was supposed to be paid by the Iraq oil revenues.