Politicizing Iraq
The Senate voted yesterday, 93-6 against setting an arbitrary timeline for leaving Iraq, and the House will vote on a similar resolution today.
The Senate resolution, attributed to John Kerry (D) but introduced by Mitch McConnell (R), was introduced by the GOP to force a start to the debate on whether or not to redeploy out of Iraq by the end of the year.
Democrats are ticked, because while GOP called it the "Kerry Resolution", it's not exactly what Kerry plans to introduce next week. Politically there is a reason for introducing the legislation the way they did; GOP committee members would get beat up in November for voting in committee for Kerry's resolution, then voting against it on the floor. By introducing a similarly worded resolution on the floor, they don't have to worry about the "flip flop" charge come election time.
Next week what will likely happen is Kerry's amendment won't even make it out of committee, he'll be told a similar enough one was voted on this week, and the GOP will kill it when he brings it up.
My suggestion would be Bill Frist and Harry Reid get together, and agree to allow Kerry to introduce his amendment, in the form of a resolution, on the Senate floor instead, and hold the debate again, on his exact wording. My money would be on Reid refusing that idea, showing that the only reason they want it voted on in committee is to get "I voted for it before I voted against it" points against some Republicans.
Even after 11 hours of debate yesterday, and more to come today in the House, the truth is, we still aren't having an honest debate on Iraq. Instead, we are playing political football with it, each side trying to paint the other into a corner for public debates during the midterm elections.
The truth is, the people deserve a more honest, open debate, centered around the policy, not the politics of the policy on Iraq. Unfortunately, it's an election year, and I doubt we'll see that debate anytime soon.
The Senate resolution, attributed to John Kerry (D) but introduced by Mitch McConnell (R), was introduced by the GOP to force a start to the debate on whether or not to redeploy out of Iraq by the end of the year.
Democrats are ticked, because while GOP called it the "Kerry Resolution", it's not exactly what Kerry plans to introduce next week. Politically there is a reason for introducing the legislation the way they did; GOP committee members would get beat up in November for voting in committee for Kerry's resolution, then voting against it on the floor. By introducing a similarly worded resolution on the floor, they don't have to worry about the "flip flop" charge come election time.
Next week what will likely happen is Kerry's amendment won't even make it out of committee, he'll be told a similar enough one was voted on this week, and the GOP will kill it when he brings it up.
My suggestion would be Bill Frist and Harry Reid get together, and agree to allow Kerry to introduce his amendment, in the form of a resolution, on the Senate floor instead, and hold the debate again, on his exact wording. My money would be on Reid refusing that idea, showing that the only reason they want it voted on in committee is to get "I voted for it before I voted against it" points against some Republicans.
Even after 11 hours of debate yesterday, and more to come today in the House, the truth is, we still aren't having an honest debate on Iraq. Instead, we are playing political football with it, each side trying to paint the other into a corner for public debates during the midterm elections.
The truth is, the people deserve a more honest, open debate, centered around the policy, not the politics of the policy on Iraq. Unfortunately, it's an election year, and I doubt we'll see that debate anytime soon.
posted by Crazy Politico at 5:31 AM
5Comments:
Although I was against the war, now we are so up to our butts in it that I think the only thing we can do is win it. Unfortuneatly, I am not seeing any fresh ideas to achieve this goal. What must we do differently to turn this around? I am absolutely stunned that we have spent over $400,000,000,000.00 there and we seem to be sort of just treading water and not really getting anywhere. How can this tiny country be such a thorn in the side to "the only superpower in the world"?
Thank God we are making headway on the Iran Nuclear issue, because if we can't even subdue Iraq, how are we going to win a war with Iran, Iraq, and Afgahnistan all at once?
Man, this stuff will give you a headache if you let it!
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
I am sure we can win in Iraq if we have the national fortitude to keep at it and not give up. National Fortitude is the question.
deleted comment was mine but was poorly written.
Seems everyone is bought the liberal media BS about we are losing or something like that. The facts are that we are winning. I'll be it, we are fighting with one hand tied behind are backs. The media has been banging on the "We are Losing" mantra so hard it is rolling the entire nation over. You want to see upset troops, talk to some of the deployed who have had opportunity to read what our media puts out. Ask them what they think of Kerry, Reid, or Murtha. The story is quite different to the men and women who are actually there.
In all seriousness, no matter how much the left chants "Cut and Run" Rederrick they know they can't do it. Both the house and senate have affirmed that fact with a vote.
I strongly second Abur.
Today the Dems lost that vote by a very large margin.
Hey, CP, it's been a great week! :)
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