Republicans & Democrats Collaborate to Triangulate

'Triangulate' the American people right out of government.

Republican Senators Call For End to Iraq War, But Only After Bush Leaves Office

The International Herald Tribune reports:

A small group of Republicans facing election fights next year have rallied around war legislation they think could unite the party: Call for an end to U.S. combat in Iraq, but wait until President George W. Bush is almost out of office.

The majority Democrats deemed the proposal a nonstarter and underscored on Friday the difficulty Congress has in striking a bipartisan compromise about the war. What attracts Democrats has repelled Republicans and vice versa, making it impossible so far to find middle ground.

"I don't support it at all," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. "It doesn't do anything."

The proposal, by Republican Sen. George Voinovich, would require that Bush change the mission of U.S. troops from combat to primarily support roles, such as training Iraqi security forces and protecting U.S. infrastructure in Iraq. His legislation would set a goal of completing such a mission transition within 15 months.

If enacted immediately, that timeline would not kick in until Bush's last couple of weeks in office.

Now exactly who is it that's playing politics?

"That's very courageous," Reid quipped when a reporter asked him Friday about the proposal.

Co-sponsors of the bill include Sen. Lamar Alexander, Elizabeth Dole and Norm Coleman, all Republicans. Of the sponsors, only Voinovich is not up for re-election in 2008.

In response to Reid's rejection, a Voinovich spokesman said the senator "will continue to work for a bipartisan, nonpolitical compromise so our nation finally speaks with one voice."

Likewise, Alexander said the country is ready for consensus on the war.

"It is inexcusable for the Senate to keep lecturing Baghdad about being in a political stalemate when we continue to be stuck in our own political stalemate on Iraq," he said in an e-mailed statement Friday.

The Senate is in the midst of wrapping up debate on a $672 billion (€474 billion) defense policy bill that would authorize more than a one-half trillion dollars (€350 billion) in annual defense spending and $150 billion (€106 billion) for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, including $23 billion (€16 billion) added for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles.

Every budget request that Bush has sent to Congress has been granted...and then some.

Democrats are afraid that if they refuse to give Bush the money to fund the war, they will be blamed when the troops lose their lives and limbs because they didn't have MRAPs (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles). But the troops not having MRAPs isn't the fault of Democrats or Congress. Congress has paid for them in past budgets, but they haven't gotten to Iraq. Over four years into this war and the few that have gotten to Iraq go to the private contractors and not the troops. Consider that during WWII, our newly industrialized labor force, where women were pressed into service to reproduce the ships and planes that the Japanese destroyed in Pearl Harbor, completed one B24 bomber every 63 minutes. As a matter of fact, within one decade (of December 7, 1941), Americans rebuilt the Navy's arsenal, won the war in the European and Pacific theaters, and went on to rebuild all of Europe and a good part of Japan and the Phillipines.

The bill, on track to be passed on Monday, also would make it easier for Iraqi refugees to apply for U.S. visas. An amendment by Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy, adopted on Thursday, would provide 5,000 special immigrant visas each year for five years; the new visas would be given to Iraqis who fear retribution because they worked for the U.S. government in Iraq.

Senate Democrats tried to attach legislation ordering an end to combat but repeatedly failed to muster the 60 votes needed to overcome parliamentary hurdles.

Sen. Carl Levin, the Democratic chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said he worked closely with Voinovich until late Thursday in the hopes of striking a compromise. Levin wants to set the goal in nine months, but acknowledges he lacks the votes to pass it.

After Voinovich suggested extending the goal to 15 months, Democratic support dissipated, said Levin.

"To try to put this off until after the election, rather than a reasonable period of completion, I believe would be to unnecessarily introduce a political element to what is a bipartisan effort," he said.

Voinovich, Alexander and Coleman have been outspoken critics of Bush's war strategy, citing voter frustration with what they say seems an open-ended military commitment in Iraq. Coleman in particular has become a popular political target by anti-war groups hoping to replace him with a Democratic candidate willing to demand troop withdrawals.

But each of the Republican senators has rejected Democratic legislation that includes a timetable for troop withdrawals, contending they do not want to tie the hands of military generals and a wartime president.

Republicans aren't willing to tie their hands in 9 months, but they are willing to do it in 15-months. This is yet one more verification that this war is a fraud, a scam, and these politicians are as guilty of war crimes as Bush and Cheney are.

While the defense policy bill approves war spending for next year, it does not guarantee it; Bush will have to wait for Congress to pass a separate appropriations bill that transfers money to the military's coffers.

Democratic leaders say the recent passage of a stopgap spending bill that funds the Pentagon at 2007 levels gives the military enough money to keep the war going for a few more months. A spending bill to pay for combat through next September might not be passed until early next year, officials said.

This revelation alone should end the careers of the co-sponsors, Senators Voinovich, Dole, Coleman and Alexander.

This legislation exposes problems for both sides of the aisle. Democrats don't come off looking any better, and brings to mind that old joke alleged to have happened to George Bernard Shaw and a woman he'd encountered at a dinner party.

"Madam," he said, "would you sleep with me for one million pounds?"

The woman replied, "I most certainly would!"

"Would you sleep with me for one pound?" Shaw asked.

"What sort of woman do you take me for?" she answered angrily.

"We've already established that," said Shaw. "Now we're just dickering over the price."

Republicans are willing to let American soldiers die for the sake of their individual careers, Republican party unity and overall loyalty to George W. Bush. Both Republicans and Democrats demonstrate with this legislation that they'd be willing to lie to their constituents and kick the can down the road (again) in order to get reelected. And since this past week's Democratic debate at Dartmouth, the top leading contenders for the Democratic nomination (Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards) have all stated that should one of them become president, the U.S. is in Iraq for (Cheney's) 'long war' - at least through 2013, which was as far down the road as the debate's moderater (Tim Russert) kicked that particular question. The only candidates who pledged to bring the troops out were Dennis Kucinich (within 3 months of his inauguration), Bill Richardson (within one year of his inauguration), Mike Gravel (explains how to do it now, with a Democratically controlled Congress committed to ending the war despite not having 60 votes) and Chris Dodd (one to two brigades a month).

I was about to skip over Joe Biden, as he's neither in the top tier of Democratic candidates nor is he pledging to bring the troops out of Iraq (or ending the war) by 2013, but that isn't how things are done here at The Constant American: "When citizens are fully informed, they share liberals' opinions and voting records."

The Democratic presidential candidates at Wednesday's debate at Dartmouth on getting the troops out of Iraq and ending the war:

Part A

Part B

Republicans Begin To Weigh In On Backing Bush's Continuing Surge

The 'Come-September Hard Sell For Remaining in Iraq' Begins



The Tennessean.com reports:

Tennessee Sens. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker gave an upbeat report on progress in Iraq this morning after returning from a trip there late last night.

The Republican lawmakers met with American commander Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker. They said Petraeus and Crocker likely will recommend reductions in U.S. troop levels when they update Congress in September on the war in Iraq. Troop levels were increased earlier this year to control sectarian violence.

Alexander and Corker visited Iraq, Kuwait and a hospital in Germany that treats injured soldiers. They met with two Iraqi vice presidents and visited an outpost outside Iraq to meet with four tribal leaders helping U.S. troops.

Alexander said a strategy devised by Petraeus to work with local leaders and win them over to the U.S. cause has shown "clear success, province by province."

"They are fed up with random murders of their children" by al-Qaida terrorists, he said.

During their 90-minute meeting with Petraeus and Crocker, the senators were told progress has been made in seven of the country's 18 provinces.

"No question we will be able to reduce troop levels," Corker said.

The two senators declined to reveal details of their discussions with Petraeus or Crocker.

Both were critical of the central government led by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, but they did not call for his ouster as Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., did this week.

Let's see if Big Oil got their money's worth:

LAMAR ALEXANDER: CAREER PROFILE (SINCE 2002)
Top Industries
The top industries supporting Lamar Alexander are:
_{1 Retired $1,499,851
2 Securities & Investment $1,243,108
3 Lawyers/Law Firms $1,241,424
4 Real Estate $887,660
5 Health Professionals $791,560
6 Misc Finance $507,810
7 Commercial Banks $484,093
8 Business Services $474,526
9 Misc Business $463,925
10 Insurance $406,800
11 General Contractors $406,150
12 Hospitals/Nursing Homes $399,425
13 Education $359,379
14 Misc Manufacturing & Distributing $336,008
15 Automotive $322,450
16 Food & Beverage $287,850
17 Retail Sales $269,875}
18 Oil & Gas $259,925
_{19 Accountants $228,550
20 Civil Servants/Public Officials $217,147}

BOB CORKER (R-TN)
Top Industries
The top industries supporting Bob Corker are:
_{1 Retired $896,063
2 Real Estate $800,652
3 Lawyers/Law Firms $578,870
4 Health Professionals $477,617
5 Securities & Investment $437,703
6 Leadership PACs $436,841
7 Misc Finance $425,983
8 General Contractors $404,900
9 Misc Business $378,948
10 Commercial Banks $241,325
11 Insurance $236,625
12 Automotive $222,800}
13 Oil & Gas $220,350
_{14 Republican/Conservative $171,721
15 Misc Health $163,410
16 Business Services $154,650
17 Retail Sales $117,989
18 Hospitals/Nursing Homes $113,750
19 TV/Movies/Music $111,711
20 Food & Beverage $107,138}

Meanwhile, Representative David "So glad we're not talking about past with prostitutes" Vitter returns from his half-a-day on the ground in Iraq with General Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker:

Fresh from his third tour of Iraq, U.S. Sen. David Vitter said Wednesday that the U.S. military is meeting its war goals set earlier this summer.

The Louisiana Republican, however, expressed concern that the Iraqi government is not living up to its end of the partnership.

Vitter was part of a contingent of four senators who spent three days touring Baghdad and another region of the country where they met with troops. Vitter also met with troops from Louisiana, he said.

Next month, Congress is scheduled to debate once again the role of the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan. President Bush plans to ask for more funding for the war through an emergency supplemental request.

Earlier in the year, Democrats in Congress threatened to cut off the funding to the war but relented after Bush and military leaders asked for three more months and proposed a new military strategy and “surge” or sudden increase in troops.

Vitter said the surge is working.

The United States has made significant strikes against Al Qaida terrorist forces and reduced sectarian violence in the nation, he said.

Vitter said he met with the chief military commander in Iraq, U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus, for about 90 minutes.

“My bottom line conclusion is that the surge is working very, very well,” said Vitter, who returned to the U.S. late Tuesday night.

Vitter also took a helicopter ride outside the protected “green zone” to a region about 40 minutes outside of Baghdad, he said.

There, he met with two Iraqi vice presidents from the opposing Shia and Sunni factions.

Vitter worries that the Iraqi government is not stable enough to foster democracy in the nation, he said.

“The central government has not accomplished that yet and that is the frustration,” he said.

U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., is the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Earlier in the week, Levin called for the ouster of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Bush said it will be up to the Iraqi people to make any change in their country’s leadership.

Vitter said he understands Levin’s frustration, but he does not believe that al-Maliki should be replaced.

“Clearly, he has not led the way effectively for political progress and reconciliation,” Vitter said. “That has to change.”

Vitter also met with Ryan Crocker, U.S. ambassador to Iraq. The excursion also included a stop to see wounded soldiers at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

Vitter said the trip will help him play a more hands-on role in the upcoming Senate debate.

“It was very, very helpful to see things on the ground,” Vitter said.

Let's see if Big Oil has any investment in Vitter:

DAVID VITTER: CAREER PROFILE (SINCE 1999)
Top Industries
The top industries supporting David Vitter are:
_{1 Retired $685,214
2 Health Professionals $636,819
3 Lawyers/Law Firms $625,552}
4 Oil & Gas $459,085
_{5 Real Estate $433,377
6 Leadership PACs $406,263
7 Securities & Investment $404,176
8 Sea Transport $289,839
9 General Contractors $231,366
10 Insurance $196,376
11 Misc Finance $184,110
12 Commercial Banks $183,974
13 Misc Business $175,547
14 Construction Services $165,500
15 Lobbyists $161,554
16 Crop Production & Basic Processing $111,250
17 Electric Utilities $110,666
18 Automotive $106,843
19 Business Services $106,154
20 Misc Manufacturing & Distributing $104,248}

Also along on this taxpayer-paid trip was Senator George Voinovich, who complains a lot about Bush's policies, but in the end heels. The Enquirer reports:

Three liberal anti-war groups unveiled television ads and a billboard Wednesday calling on Sen. George Voinovich to vote to end the Iraq war.

The attacks on Voinovich came the day after the Ohio senator returned from a four-day trip to Iraq, Germany and Kuwait with fellow Republican Sens. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker, both of Tennessee, and David Vitter of Louisiana. It was Voinovich's first trip to Iraq.

Voinovich's time in Iraq was limited to just Tuesday. The senators met with Army Gen. David Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker, visited with soldiers and traveled to a combat outpost to meet with Sunni and Shiite leaders.

Voinovich has declined to talk to the media about his trip until next week, spokesman Chris Paulitz told The Enquirer on Wednesday. "He's going to spend some time and develop some thoughts on this," Paulitz said.

Voinovich got national attention in June when he said in a letter to President Bush that the U.S. should disengage from Iraq, including the gradual withdrawal of troops. He has been criticized, however, for voting against Democrat-sponsored measures in the Senate to force an immediate troop withdrawal.

"Talk is cheap," said Jeremy Funk, spokesman for Americans United For Change, which is paying for the ads. "We haven't seen any votes to back up his comments."

The TV ads will run in Cincinnati from Wednesday until the end of next week. Funk declined to say how much the Cincinnati ad cost but said it was part of a larger national campaign targeting senators the group thinks it has the best chance of winning to their side.

Additionally, the "Voinovich Double Talk Express" bus, sponsored by Americans Against Escalation in Iraq and Progress Ohio, is on a three-day statewide tour of Ohio, which included a stop at Cincinnati City Hall on Wednesday. The bus is carrying a giant billboard accusing Voinovich of being "on vacation" while U.S. soldiers serve multiple rotations in Iraq.

Brian Rothenberg, executive director of Progress Ohio, said the group didn't know Voinovich would be returning from Iraq the same time as their bus tour.

"Making one quick trip in and out in a day does not do as much as he could do with his vote in the Senate," Rothenberg said.

Voinovich's trip came less than a month before Patraeus is expected to brief Congress on the progress in Iraq.

Does Big Oil have a stake in Voinovich?:

GEORGE V. VOINOVICH: CAREER PROFILE (SINCE 1998)
Top Industries
The top industries supporting George V. Voinovich are:
_{1 Retired $991,502
2 Lawyers/Law Firms $924,628
3 Misc Manufacturing & Distributing $806,390
4 Real Estate $655,740
5 Health Professionals $562,816
6 Insurance $456,896
7 Electric Utilities $437,016
8 Chemical & Related Manufacturing $432,275
9 Commercial Banks $431,296
10 Automotive $351,882
11 Securities & Investment $344,414
12 General Contractors $322,019}
13 Oil & Gas $318,332
_{14 Business Services $261,462
15 Leadership PACs $257,079
16 Pharmaceuticals/Health Products $254,274
17 Misc Finance $231,939
18 Mining $208,299
19 Food Processing & Sales $208,200
20 Building Materials & Equipment $204,625}

Looks like it does!