Bush Caught Hyping False Iraq Spending Deadline

[CatWoman]

The Bush administration has been trying to force Congress to abandon its support for an Iraq withdrawal time line by claiming that a “clean” Iraq spending bill must be signed by mid-April or U.S. troops will suffer. The Hill reported, the Pentagon and the White House have been “sounding alarms and sketching worst-case scenarios if Congress does not pass the 2007 supplemental by April 15.”

Renewing his veto threat on Wednesday, President Bush told Congress “the clock is ticking for our troops in the field“:

BUSH: Congress continues to pursue these bills, and as they do, the clock is ticking for our troops in the field. Funding for our forces in Iraq will begin to run out in mid-April. Members of Congress need to stop making political statements, and start providing vital funds for our troops.

Meanwhile, Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) and others have been arguing that Bush is wrong, and that funds won’t dry up until June, giving plenty of time for negotiations:

Murtha says he believes the April 15 date for funds running out is incorrect. Based on the inquiries he’s made, he said, the Pentagon will start running out of money at the beginning of June.

“We’ve never had a year where they didn’t give us bad information,” said Murtha, who’s known for his contacts inside the military. “We’ve been asking people and we think it’ll be the end of May.”

Now we know who’s right. A new report from the Congressional Research Service makes clear that Bush’s deadline is completely fabricated:

In a memo to the Senate Budget Committee dated Wednesday, the congressional analysts said the Army has enough money in its existing budget to fund operations and maintenance through the end of May — about $52.6 billion. If additional transfer authority is tapped, subject to Congress approving a reprogramming request, the Army would have enough funds to make it through nearly two additional months, or toward the end of July. Using all of its transfer authority, the Army could have as much as $60.1 billion available.

Commenting on the report, Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) said, “This study confirms that the President is once again attempting to mislead the public and create an artificial atmosphere of anxiety. He is using scare tactics to defeat bipartisan legislation that would change course in Iraq.”

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/03/30/bush-crs-spending-iraq/

[Buzz Clik]

1. This is Bush avoiding political pageantry.

Recall that when asked if Bush believed that the Democrats who opposed the war were actually supporting al Qaeda and the insurgency, he said he did not. "Hey, it was an election. I didn't really believe it."

It's called lying.

[underpants]

2. Well how else are they going to get all that cash flown overseas?

I mean COME ON!

[CrazyOrangeCat]

3. Reid is trying.

But not hard enough. This recess is a disaster waiting to happen.

They need to keep the pressure on.

:mad:

K&R

[Kagemusha]

4. You know, Bush only needs the bill that fast 'cause he's vetoing it.

He has no intention whatsoever of signing that bill into law so, the reason he defines the clock this way is so he can a) veto it, b) have Congress work on a clean bill for him to sign. b) will take time, so Bush is demanding quick action so he can get his clean spending bill ASAP as soon as the obligatory veto of the current spending bill is finished.

Totally besides that, the actual words Bush used were "will BEGIN TO run out", whereas the words Murtha and others use are, the funds won't DRY UP until June.

OTOH, Reid is absolutely correct in that Bush is attempting to create an artificial atmosphere of anxiety, since that serves his purposes. Certainly the result is misleading... but "False"? Only if you reject Bush's assumptions completely. And you are free to. But he's vetoing that bill, and he wants to allot sufficient time for Congress to come crawling to him and beg him to sign a new supplemental. That's his assumptions.

[DCKit]

5. A clean bill?

How about they send him one with ONLY the appropriation and a timeline?

[w4rma]

9. You don't think the Katrina victims deserve funds in this emergency bill? (nt)

[Flarney]

6. He's probably hoping to get the money soon to fund our attack on Iran... n/t

[DCKit]

8. Nah, Accounts Receivable has been calling.

Halliburton, CACI, Blackwater and the rest want some $$$$$

[soothsayer]

7. maybe he should find that missing $2.3 TRILLION the pentagon lost.

that rummy reported on 9-10-01.