Friday, June 16, 2006

 

Dems take a stand on Iraq

Iraq is once again at center stage in Washington as Congress votes on funding and end-game resolutions Parties Face Off Over Iraq War in 11-Hour Debate

“As the Pentagon announced the 2,500th death of a U.S. service member in the conflict, the House embarked on its first extended discussion of the war since Congress authorized force nearly four years ago.”

It’s always strange to argue about death counts because it can come off as some deaths are less serious than others but here is a link to what the Pentagon actually released: Casualty Report - 6-15-06

Note that over 20% of the deaths reported (528) are categorized as non-hostile. Meaning they died in Iraq but not because someone took them out. While we honor and regret the loss of all who paid the ultimate price in Iraq, I think objectively the fact that less than 2,000 have been killed by hostile fire despite that being the main goal of so many for so long is a testament to our military’s professionalism and is a context in which to review this number.

Moving on: after getting John Murtha to vote last November against a resolution that echoed his own call for an immediate withdrawal from Iraq (House Rejects Iraq Pullout After GOP Forces a Vote), you’d think most Democrats would be sensitive to avoiding such situations.

…and you’d be wrong. Thank God for John Kerry! He’s seems to always be there whenever the GOP most needs him.

“In the Senate, Republicans tried to put Democrats on the record as supporting or opposing an amendment -- drafted by Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) but submitted for a vote by Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) -- to demand a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq.”

The final vote was 93-6 against the amendment yet the Post somehow paints this as the Democrats “largely thwart[ing]” the Republican effort.

“In the Senate, Republicans were also spoiling for a chance to depict Democrats as soft on the war, but Democrats largely thwarted the effort. GOP senators wanted a vote on language recently drafted by Kerry calling for nearly all U.S. troops to be withdrawn from Iraq by the year's end. But Kerry, his party's 2004 presidential nominee, surprised the Republicans by declining to offer the language as an amendment to a defense authorization bill, after colleagues had urged him to consider possible revisions.”

“Largely thwarted the effort”? The GOP wanted a vote on the amendment and got a vote on the amendment…..and all but 6 Democrats are now on record as opposing a set timetable for withdrawal.

Coming on top of the Democrats big showing last week in the California 50th district (Dems garner huge upset although GOP retains House seat), I’m not sure what more Republicans can do to “thwart” the Democrats' obvious momentum.

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