Daily Kos: Can Dems Stand Up to Bush? (Newsweek)

[sampsonblk]

Daily Kos: Can Dems Stand Up to Bush?

Excerpt:

Last spring, during the debate over the $100 billion spending bill for the war in Iraq, Reid vowed, "We will listen to (Bush's) position, but in return we will insist that he listen to concerns of the American people that his policies in Iraq have failed and we need to change course." When Bush vetoed the bill...Reid promised, "If the president thinks that by vetoing this bill he will stop us from working to change the direction of this war, he is mistaken." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also seemed firm, declaring, "The president wants a blank check. The Congress is not going to give it to him."

Yet a mere two weeks later, in mid-May, both chambers signed that proverbial blank check...

At the time, faced with a rebellion from anti-war Democrats and independents, the Democratic leadership promised new timeline legislation for September... Rather than force a true filibuster, Democrats caved quickly, blaming the need for 60 votes. Republicans didn't even have to break a sweat.

As much as Republicans and the media like to talk about the 60-vote threshold for any anti-war legislation, the fact is that if no legislation gets passed, there's no money for war. A tough and principled Democratic caucus could force compromise on this legislation and, if none were forthcoming from the GOP, then see the war defunded by default...

http://www.newsweek.com/id/70653


On this issue, he gets it.

[kurth]

1. Karl Rove: I Was Gonna Say The Same Thing (Newsweek)

Can Dems Stand Up to The President I Created?

[KoKo]

2. K&R..

[Larkspur]

3. This was an excellent op ed by Markos

Wonder if the Dem leaders will read it?