( – promoted by JDRyan)
The longer Mister Bush resists accepting troop support funding from Congress, the more public opinion grows for their redeployment and return. Congress’ hand is strengthened by the day and Mister Bush’s position is weakened thus making it harder and harder for congressional Republicans to stand and enable his failures.
The American people are demanding, and our national security demands, the end of the U.S. war on Iraq. The American people are speaking more and more in voice in opposition to our failed occupation of Iraq.
Mister Bush does not need a bill with strings attached; he needs one with chains in place.
Here is the Democratic message and approach in presenting the 2007 Troop Support Funding Act.
2007 Troop Support Funding Act
DEMOCRATIC MESSAGE:
The Toddler in Chief (TIC) proved long ago that he cannot effectively prosecute a military operation in the best national security interests of the U.S.
Mister Bush cannot be trusted with the responsibility of bringing our troops home safely. He sent troops into an occupation without planning, body armor or a mission. Now he has made it painfully clear that he cannot be trusted to lead our troops out of his administration’s self-inflicted national security failure.
Therefore, it is Congress’ responsibility to take every measure necessary to help insure the safe return of the troops. The funding bill that we will now send to the President will set a firm withdrawal date of 1 August 2008.
The bill will contain clear directives and fully fund the resources needed to facilitate the orderly and safe redeployment of troops out of Mister Bush’s failed occupation.
Mister Bush alleges that he listens to his commanders in the field. This statement is false. The consensus expert military evaluation of the Iraqi occupation – and obvious conclusion of the American people that is shared by this Democratic Congress – is that Mister Bush cannot be trusted. Mister Bush cannot be trusted to extricate troops capably and competently from his policy failure any more than he was capable of responsibly deploying them in the first place.
Therefore, the Troop Support Funding Act, which the Congress will pass and send to the President, will give our commanders in the field the resources and flexibility to safely wind down Mister Bush’s failed occupations. It will also allow our military commanders to conduct effective military operations free of the political interference and pressure they currenty endure from the White House when planning and conducting their military operations. The White House’s current political demands on our military — that this occupation go on indefinitely — will inevitably cause even greater and more tragic costs for our troops, their families and U.S. security interests.
Mister Bush is fond (and programmed) to say he listens to commanders in the field about how to win a war. The political and constitutional reality, however, is that Congress, AND ONLY CONGRESS, ultimately decides whether this country goes to war.
Beginning this October, concluding 1 August 2008 and on behalf of our troops and the American people who sent us here, this Democratic Congress says that there shall no longer be a war in Iraq.
While the military decides HOW to conduct a war, the decision of whether or when there shall be war is ultimately, and only, a Congressional responsibility.
We further recognize that whether this country continues is war on Iraq is a decision best made in conjunction with the President. However, if Mister Bush will not accept his responsibility to our military and our national security, it falls upon Congress’ shoulders to make the ultimate decision.
Prior Congresses have shrunk from this responsibility, and the President has wrongly placed upon our military both political and policy responsibilities that are Congress’ alone.
— This Congress will no longer tolerate this administration’s misuse of our military.
— This Congress will fight for the American people who want this occupation to end.
— This Congress will secure the provisions and resources needed for our troops’ safe return.
On behalf of the American people, Congress will now draft the second Troop Support Funding Act, pass it and swiftly send it to Mister Bush. Democrats want our military and their families to be assured that this branch of government, which is solely responsible for decisions of war and peace, will fight for their interests and take seriously its responsibility to provide the resources to bring our troops home safely.
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