House Iraq Resolution Turns Into Debate (Partisan Brawl on Floor)

[UpInArms]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=512&ncid=703&e=8&u=/ap/20040317/ap_on_go_co/congress_iraq

WASHINGTON - A four-paragraph resolution praising U.S. troops and the Iraqi people on the first anniversary of the war in Iraq (news - web sites) turned into a partisan brawl on the House floor Wednesday, with Democrats saying the Republican-written measure was aimed at endorsing President Bush (news - web sites)'s policies.

Republicans defended language stating that the removal of Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) from power had made the United States and the world a safer place.

The resolution, said House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., "really sends a message to the world that this country stands resolute in celebration of the first anniversary of our commitment to Iraq."

<snip>

"This resolution is more about what the Republican leadership wants us to forget about the past year," said Rep. James McGovern, D-Mass., "the costs, the bloated contracts, the lies, no weapons, no ties to Al- Qaida, the flawed intelligence, the wounded and the dead."

...more...

[GOPisEvil]

1. The world sure looks safe today, doesn't it?

[salin]

3. so safe that the bush echochamber talking heads are all

wondering if we should suspend elections "if" there were an attack before November.

[saigon68]

16. hastert= CHICKEN HAWK Nam Draft Dodger

He is SCUM he will draft your child to fight for his rich corporate friends

[bahrbearian]

18. But he was a wrestling coach during Nam, we needed wrestling

coachs, unforunatly I was a wrestling coach but my number (11) was called.

[Sophree]

21. Is it total and complete dementia that we are dealing with here?

Spain, all the deaths in Iraq today and everything is just hunky-dorey dandy with the congressional Repugs?

Cuckoo-cuckoo. :freak:

Edit typo

Also- notice the quote at the end? It's Lt. Dvorin's Mom. From that extremely sad and tragic article last month.

"Outside the Capitol, opponents of the Iraqi operation, including military families, rallied against administration policies. "Our message to Congress today is clear: spare us the platitudes, the pious rhetoric, the empty slogans. Give us the truth," said Sue Niederer, of Pennington, N.J., whose 24-year-old son, Dvorin, was killed in Iraq in February."

[peterh]

17. Yep…sure does….

Democrats sought to amend the resolution to say that "a final judgment on the
value of activities in Iraq cannot be made until Iraq is stable and secure."
They also wanted to highlight the number of U.S. troops that had been killed
or wounded in the war: 550 and 5,300, respectively.


Oops…no no no…can’t have that the people might misconstrue that message this resolution is not about <whisper> problem areas

[mike_c]

2. damn, are house dems going to stand up to the repigs on this?

!!?? Kudos if they do!

[Lindsay]

5. Dems are definitely standing up

and being heard about its being totally a Repug bill and WHY the dems want support for the troops but not for the war in Iraq.

Good on 'em.

[Ravy]

4. I hope news of this debate sends the message that...

... American citizens are FAR FROM resolute on our resident's policies.

[Tracer]

6. "Brawl"?

I had visions of the South Korean Parliament throwing punches, books and papers at each other.

[htuttle]

12. That's what I thought, too

I know one of the reps from my state, David Obey, has a heck of a left hook -- just ask Tom Delay (or rather, Delay's aide, who ended up catching the brunt of it...).

[ewagner]

20. I didn't hear about that

but if that's what happened, I'll send Dave another check this afternoon.

Don't mess with us Jack-pine radicals!

[The Stranger]

7. The Emperors Wear No Clothes.

Wasn't it the children who were unafraid to state the obvious?

[54anickel]

8. Celebration?!?!?! WTF These Repugs are clueless. The last 2

parapgraphs point to how out of touch these idiots are! Just like their rhetoric that ignores the idea the people of Spain voiced their convictions in the election, they completely ignore the public stance.


Outside the Capitol, opponents of the Iraqi operation, including military families, rallied against administration policies. "Our message to Congress today is clear: spare us the platitudes, the pious rhetoric, the empty slogans. Give us the truth," said Sue Niederer, of Pennington, N.J., whose 24-year-old son, Dvorin, was killed in Iraq in February.

But Rep. David Dreier, R-Calif., countered that U.S. action had "brought freedom for tens of millions, toppled one of the most despicable regimes in the history of the world and strengthened the national security for the American people." He said Republicans simply wanted to congratulate the troops and "I don't understand why there is any controversy."

[Sophree]

22. Totally and COMPLETELY clueless

Shiny happy people holding hands. Everything is just fine and dandy in the Land of Repuke. Ugh. :puke:

[Jacobin]

9. Too bad they didn't have this fucking debate BEFORE

the goddamned illegal invasion that is killing thousands.

Assholes

[Just Me]

10. Republicans doing usual propaganda spin,...while democrats,...

,...are spinning out the facts. Yeah, just bulldoze 'em with those facts, democrats!!!

GO! GO! GO!
FIGHT AND WIN!!!

[Rex]

11. Hey Hastert, where are those WMD?

Just keep pounding them with the truth.

[Malva Zebrina]

13. The Republicans have successfully morphed Bush's lies

and murders of people into "we did good to get rid of Saddam" he was evil, and blah blah blah on and on---they catagorically deny that Saddam was not a threat and some say he did have weapons of mass destrruction. The Democrats seem helpless and their arguments are weak. They are harping on kevlar vest and protective shields for humvees. I know some don't want to hear that, but, i have been listening all day to this debate--the Repbuylicans have successfully taken the slaughter of Bush in Iraq and turned it around. They praise our troops for their bravery , they are praising them for liberating 280 million of whatever Iraq people and freeing the women so they can go to school They are lying their heads off and this is truly so depressing to know that these warhawks justify this. This is being accessories to murder. This is shameful--we will go on--and if it keeps up this way, and the 'Democrats have no rebuttal other than no kevlar vests Bush will convince the people he is a hero to have taken Saddam down, killed ten thousand peple, and that 560 of ours were heroes in their deaths . This glorification of war all afternoon has me weary. It is total glorification of an insane policy from an insane man and being sanctioned by insane Republican members of the House of Representatives. It is criminal and it is true=they are now all crooks and liars.

[Supormom]

14. If their only motive is to praise US Troops...

then why didn't they pass a similar resolution on the one year anniversary of the Afghanistan war?

[Barkley]

24. and pass a resolution requiring Bush to attend a GI's funeral...

ald pass a resolution that requires the president and congress to meet with the family of slain and injured GIs.

Republicans support the troops but not the dead GIs and causalties.

Bush wants us to praise the troops but please no pictures of casualties or the dead with the President.

No photos of returning caskets.

And Bush calls this democracy?

Spain, France, Germany and Turkey are proving
to have better working democracies than the USA.

[74dodgedart]

15. World safer ? Just ask Spain..

[Disturbed]

19. Repugnant Liars

These lackey servants of the Oligarchy are the prostitutes of the wealthy, Multi-Corps & The Military Industrial Complex. They are shameless participants in the bloody Imperialism of their masters.

[rocktivity]

23. Oh, pooh! I thought it was a REAL brawl

"And there's a left! A left! And another left! Whatta fight, ladies and gentlemen..." At least they put up a fight, as I suggested this morning!

:headbang:
rocknation

[gristy]

25. I'd like to know how many Representatives were on the floor

for this debate. And specifically, how many Dems and how many Repubs. I would hope (and perhaps even suspect) that many Repubs found other things to do (like, maybe go to the bathroom, or better yet get a haircut, or go to the dentist for that long-delayed teeth cleaning). I cannot believe that there was any kind of unified backing for this POS legislation.