Should Government Go On Vacation While US Soldiers Are Being Killed In Iraq? with YouTube video
Posted by Catherine Morgan on July 16, 2007
US soldiers take combat position as they patrol in Baghdad. Thousands of US and Iraqi troops launched a massive assault on Al-Qaeda strongholds south of Baghdad on Monday in a bid to stem the flow of weapons into the Iraqi capital.(AFP/Ali Yussef)
———-
Iraqi Parliament Take Off For Summer Vacation
Wow, those Iraqi Parliamentarians have the right idea–take off the entire month of August! I realize that that was a huge sacrifice on their parts–originally they were planning to take off two months, July and August. Dick Cheney’s powers of persuasion really, really worked this time. He cut their vacation time in half. Good job, Dick.
———-
Harry Reid just announced on the Senate floor that if the GOP continues their obstruction of the Reed-Levin amendment mandating withdrawal, he’ll hold the Senate in session through the night on Tuesday.
That would force Republicans to filibuster the Iraq measure in person, right on the Senate floor.
It would be one thing for Republicans to vote against this bill. If they honestly believe that “stay the course” is the right strategy — they have the right to vote “no.”
But now, Republicans are using a filibuster to block us from even voting on an amendment that could bring the war to a responsible end.
They are protecting the President rather than protecting our troops.
They are denying us an up or down — yes or no — vote on the most important issue our country faces.
I would like to inform the Republican leadership and all my colleagues that we have no intention of backing down.
If Republicans do not allow a vote on Levin/Reed today or tomorrow, we will work straight through the night on Tuesday.
The American people deserve an open and honest debate on this war, and they deserve an up or down vote on this amendment to end it.
———-
Catholics Against The Iraq War
In light of evidence that shows Catholics consider the Iraq War a top political issue, a social justice organization began a campaign to help Catholic voters voice their opposition to the war.
Catholics United, a nonpartisan organization, launched Catholics for an End to the War in Iraq July 12 to encourage Catholics to advocate for diplomacy, redevelopment and a “responsible withdrawal” of U.S. troops from Iraq, according to a release.
Participants will ask political leaders to “bring together Iraq’s warring factions in a multiparty conference that involves neighboring countries in the peace process” and to “provide funding and other support for reconstruction to be done by Iraqis in ways that benefit Iraqis,” according to the campaign’s Web site, www.catholicsforanend.org.
———-
U.S. Troops In Iraq Could Rise By ROBERT BURNS, AP Military Writer — BAGHDAD
The U.S. military is weighing new directions for Iraq, including an even bigger troop buildup if President Bush thinks his “surge” strategy needs a further boost, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday.
———-
From Ironicus Maximus — Meet The New Reasons
Bush fought to buy time for his irrational Iraq strategy, as his chief spokesman resignedly said that the war-torn country’s lawmakers would take an August vacation. ” “You know, it’s 130 degrees (54 Celsius) in Baghdad in August,” Tony Snowjob explained. “Can you imagine what that does to all those jihadiis hiding on rooftops looking for a clean shot at Maliki?”
Snowjob refused to criticize the move because the Iraqis “quit listening to us years ago” or say whether there had been recent US efforts to threaten them, even though top US officials including Vice President Dick Cheney had done so. “Well, in his defense I have to say that disarmed, Cheney isn’t as persuasive as he can be,” he added.
In a fresh blow to Bush’s mismanagement of the war, two of his Republican party’s dwindling supply of continent white men, Senators Richard Lugar and John Warner, urged him to start pulling US troops out of the cross-fire by the end of the year. “Or next year. Or the year after that,” Warner said. “The president, who I completely disagree with by the way, knows what he’s doing and deserves our support.”
“We are attempting to ensure that US military and diplomatic policy is prepared for change when the Petraeus report arrives in September,” said Lugar, whose plan does not include a hard date for completing the withdrawal. “Hey, I said ‘prepared’ for change,” he added. “I didn’t say we’d actually do anything. This is Congress for crying out loud. Why do you think the people sent us here?”
YouTube Video From Meet The Press — July 15, 2007
