NYT/Reuters: Iraq Foes Would Head Democratic War-Spending Congressional Committees

[DeepModem Mom]

Iraq Foes Would Head Democrat War-Spending Panels
By REUTERS
Published: November 5, 2006

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Democratic takeover of the U.S. Congress would put two of the most outspoken critics of the Iraq war in charge of dispensing the money President George W. Bush will seek for combat, adding pressure for a new approach to the increasingly unpopular war.

In the House of Representatives, Rep. David Obey of Wisconsin would rise to Appropriations Committee chairman if Democrats win this week. At every opportunity, the scrappy Obey reminds fellow lawmakers of his opposition to the Iraq war, calling it the "dumbest war since the War of 1812.''...

Across Capitol Hill, Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia, now 88, would head the Senate Appropriations panel. Just before the start of the war in March 2003, Byrd accused Bush of flaunting ''our superpower status with arrogance.'' Of the coming U.S. invasion, he said, "Today I weep for my country.''

With either Obey or Byrd in charge of the committees that pay the $8-billion-a-month Iraq war tab, experts said Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld would have to do far more explaining of how the money was being spent.

That could open the door for Congress to pressure the administration to work with it and with outside experts on a fresh, rigorous assessment of Iraq's political problems and how to deal with them so American troops can leave the country....

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/washington/politics-usa-elections-iraq.html

[aquart]

1. Can't wait for the audit.

[JohnnyLib2]

2. Wow! Follow the money.....

this may be THE big story very soon, we hope, we hope.

[lyonn]

3. Of course many Dems on the Hill don't like this war

They also don't like leaving our troops unprepared and they will see to it that as long as the troops are there Congress will take responsibility for Where our money goes, the troops or corporations.

[jonnywishbone97]

4. Im waiting for the day that the Dems take over the Appropriations

I can just see the chimp come to congress to beg for 50 billion more for Iraq. I hope we turn him down.

[ninkasi]

5. Having Democrats in charge of the House

sounds like a good deal, to me. We are being bled dry due to this war, the incredible corruption of the Bush administration, and his tax giveaways to the rich. It's time to put the brakes on all of the reckless behavior that the republican party has rubber-stamped for Chimp. It's beyond time to get control of our country, and let America be the America it could be, without the arrogance and corruption of the republican party being in control of all three branches of government.