| Jan 17, 2007 @ 7:42 PM |
Senate Republicans Opposing Bush Troop Build-Up
|
|
eastham
Posts: 6,318
|
Despite the full court press by the White House to ensure Congressional approval of its plans to increase troop levels in Iraq, Republicans are joining Democrats in opposing the surge in troops posted to Iraq.
The White House is deep in unfamiliar territory. Since his 2001 inauguration, Bush has enjoyed a Republican majority in both houses of Congress. Furthermore, the leadership of the Republican party in both houses, but especially in the House, made it nearly impossible for those Republicans who wished to stray from the "farm" to have any impact. Bush will be forced to deal with Democrats and their Republican allies.
Republican Senators Gordon Smith, Olympia Snowe and Chuck Hagel have recently announced their opposition. Of the three, only Snowe has the voting record of a moderate.
Here's the link from Yahoo News...http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070117/ap_on_go_co/us_iraq
|
|
  |
|
| Jan 17, 2007 @ 10:51 PM |
Senate Republicans Opposing Bush Troop Build-Up |
|
midnightthunder
Posts: 235
|
It's clear his primary concern is not bringing the lives involved, but his legacy, and an interesting legacy it will be.
|
| |
|
| Jan 17, 2007 @ 11:14 PM |
Senate Republicans Opposing Bush Troop Build-Up
|
|
eastham
Posts: 6,318
|
In recent weeks, anyone with a computer knows that Prince Harry will be going to Iraq. For those of an age, we remember that Prince Andrew put himself in harms way during the Falklands War.
Explain to me the following legacy: Grandfather is aviation war hero; son is posted to creme-de-la-creme Guard unit which promises no actual action; and finally, skanky daughters sleep their way across South American until US embassador to Argentina tells them to go home!!!! 
Hell, my father was inducted on the day the Nazis surrendered and completed boot camp on the day the Japanese gave up the ghost. The joke -- daddy they knew you were coming!!!
|
|
| |
|
| Jan 18, 2007 @ 7:27 AM |
Senate Republicans Opposing Bush Troop Build-Up |
|
Novalite
Posts: 3,010
|
Eastham
In recent weeks, anyone with a computer knows that Prince Harry will be going to Iraq. For those of an age, we remember that Prince Andrew put himself in harms way during the Falklands War.
Given that they will certainly be in leadership positions at some point in their life it makes perfect sense. To do the same thing in the US would require that every person who may someday become a politician have service at war, or, just in case they may have to vote on welfare benifits, they also have had to live in the streets at some point.
Eastham
Republicans are joining Democrats in opposing the surge in troops posted to Iraq.
Yes, certainly two and possibly three so far. Not exactly a massive landslide turn around.
{url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070118/ap_on_go_co/us_iraq_36] Second Republican opposes Bush Iraq plan[/url]
Bush has been trying to sell his revised war plan to the public in a series of television interviews. He told PBS's Jim Lehrer in an interview this week that keeping his old policies in place would lead to "a slow failure," but withdrawing from Iraq, as some Democrats and other critics suggest, would result in an "expedited failure."
And, draft dodger that he is, father to wild girls that he is, he is also right, it certainly would.
|
| |
|
| Jan 18, 2007 @ 10:34 AM |
Senate Republicans Opposing Bush Troop Build-Up
|
|
tatiana329
Posts: 1,122
|
Way back when Bush first became president, I told some of the people at my work that in the event of a war... if they would have any protest to their kids fighting a war. I would like for all the people who voted for him to have their kids sent overseas.
That would be fine with me.
|
|
| |
|
| Jan 18, 2007 @ 11:48 AM |
Senate Republicans Opposing Bush Troop Build-Up |
|
Novalite
Posts: 3,010
|
Tatiana
I would like for all the people who voted for him to have their kids sent overseas.
This would be a great thing to have but fairly impractical. Even on the Congressional scale. It certainly would temper a lot of voting and give pause for reflection.
I assume you mean sending to Iraq so wonder, if they have two kids, and each kid does two tours, would they then get two votes? And, if some of those kids didn't wish to join the all vounteer military, should they be excluded as the military certainly does not want any draftees.
And, what if, during the next election, say ..... Hillary Clinton wins and ends up going to war with Iran or North Korea, can we expect that a military composed only of sons and daughters of Democrat voters to wage it on America's behalf? Another problem would be that if only Republican children went to war this time, then that would mean that only Republican parents could vote in the next election, some of them with possibly two and three times the voting power of others as their kids did more than one tour. Unless of course, all voters had their children sent. Surely this would not be what you intended right?
I think probably the fairest way to enable people to get the connection you would like to have, is to have a Classical Greek style democracy, with women's suffrage and sans slaves. In this style, only those who were, or had been in the military were citizens and able to vote. Remembering, that in their society, wars were fairly common and becasue of that, voting was taken quite seriously.
|
| |
|
| Jan 18, 2007 @ 5:35 PM |
Senate Republicans Opposing Bush Troop Build-Up
|
|
eastham
Posts: 6,318
|
That's three who have indicated their opposition now. That number may grow. The White House has also indicated they may not need Congress to provide any additional money to make the troop surge possible; however, should they try to reprogram funds from one program to another, the White House still needs Congressional permission. A reprogramming letter would have to come from Def.Sec. Gates to the Hill. The reprogramming letter must then be signed by the Chairman and Ranking Republican of both the full Appropriations Committee and the Defense Subcommittee on both sides of the Hill. If one signature is missing, DOD can't reprogram. The odds that Jack Murtha would sign such a letter are slim and none.
|
|
| |
|
| Jan 18, 2007 @ 10:35 PM |
Senate Republicans Opposing Bush Troop Build-Up |
|
eastham
Posts: 6,318
|
Some addition Republican Senators voiced their opposition to the escalation:
1. Lamar Alexander
2. Kit Bond
3. Sam Brownback
4. Norm Coleman
5. Susan Collins
6. Arlen Specter
Two more Jim Bunning of Kentucky and Richard Shelby of Alabama indicated they are leaning toward opposing the escalation.
Meanwhile, Nancy Pelosi has said that she will not stand in the way of the President asking for more $ for the escalation.
|
| |
|
| Jan 19, 2007 @ 10:50 AM |
Senate Republicans Opposing Bush Troop Build-Up
|
|
nah12
Posts: 3,973
|
Many will voice their opinions to disapprove of the build up but in the end it will be approved like it or not.
The troop build up was already taking place before the announcement and will continue.
Unfortunanly it's always easier to be a back seat driver than to take the wheel and drive the course.
|
|
| |
|
| Jan 19, 2007 @ 4:13 PM |
Senate Republicans Opposing Bush Troop Build-Up |
|
SunBabe
Posts: 12,243
|
In the last couple of months, this town has emptied out (Navy)...so it wasn't too hard to tell that "something" was "in the works" (again) 
|
| |
|
| Jan 19, 2007 @ 8:04 PM |
Senate Republicans Opposing Bush Troop Build-Up
|
|
eastham
Posts: 6,318
|
I think that Bush's underwhelming support to even crack the binding on the report of the Iraq Study Group (perhaps he was reading three more Shakespeares and another Camussssss -- typed phonetically) showed he had no other plan that increasing troop strength.
I for one; however, don't buy for a minute, the we don't "carry the burden of state on our shoulders so we can't know" argument, which I have seen in previous posts. Given all that has been written about Bush's lack of intellectual engagement in his presidency, the number of generals who have been forced out when they disagree with Bush (and by the way, they don't do it lightly, look up the punishment for that up in the military code!) , accompanied by verified troop deployment even before the ISG report was issued and you wonder what was the point.
|
|
| |
|
| Jan 21, 2007 @ 11:06 PM |
Senate Republicans Opposing Bush Troop Build-Up |
|
midnightthunder
Posts: 235
|
I think that Bush's underwhelming support to even crack the binding on the report of the Iraq Study Group (perhaps he was reading three more Shakespeares and another Camussssss -- typed phonetically) showed he had no other plan that increasing troop strength.
Well he doesn't read or listen, I do believe Rumsfield started to have a change of heart, and he may have actually oppossed the surge, as it has been said many times Bush is letting al-Maliki decide the fate of the troops.
He contines to have these conferences with al-Maliki, and nothing changes, well except Iraq releasing insurgents from prisons, the same ones imprisoned by the troops.
I do believe McClain has destroyed any chance he had for his presidentail bid, by aligning himself with Bush on this issue. That is why anyone right now who considers they have a chance for the republican, or democratic nomination will keep their lips sealed.
|
| |
|
| Jan 22, 2007 @ 5:58 PM |
Senate Republicans Opposing Bush Troop Build-Up
|
|
eastham
Posts: 6,318
|
John Warner, former Secretary of the Navy and former Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has also voiced his opposition to the surge. Here's the link:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070122/ap_on_go_co/us_iraq
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|