Roanoke (Va) Times Editorial: The Senate Must Grab Bush's Attention

[Hissyspit]

The Senate must grab Bush's attention

The Senate failed to debate meaningless resolutions on the Iraq war. Procedural shenanigans must give way to a substantive debate. Americans made it clear in November: They want a robust, thorough debate on how the Iraq war proceeds, and they are angered with a Congress that failed to hold the president accountable.

Americans care little for archaic Senate rules or for party loyalists kowtowing to their leaders. Americans don't deserve to have a much-delayed debate silenced by a meltdown of tedious procedural shenanigans. But that's what they got this week: procedure over substance.

It's inexcusable that Virginia Sen. John Warner voted to cut off debate on his own anti-surge resolution just to appease a faction of his party that doesn't want any discussions that question the president. Warner must have thought better of his unfortunate vote, because he later threatened to attach his resolution to any bill and "explore all our options ... to ensure a full and open debate."

Just what does Warner wish to debate? A nonbinding resolution saying that President Bush's surge of 21,500 troops is flawed? Too late. The president has already blundered forward with his plan, even though the National Intelligence Estimate released last week portrays the situation in Iraq as far more complicated than the president has admitted. The declassified portions of the NIE describe a chaotic country that is destined to deteriorate further unless "measurable progress" is made quickly.

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[Benhurst]

1. Recommended #1

[Hissyspit]

6. For LINK, see Post #4.

[tom_paine]

2. K & R

[wakeme2008]

3. Kick and nom from this temp Roanoker :) nt

[Duppers]

4. Link

http://www.roanoke.com/editorials/wb/wb/xp-103748

There's many wingers in Roanoke, so this is quite an editorial for that area.

[Hissyspit]

5. Oops. Forgot it. Thanks!

[deepthought42]

7. Woot! Go Roanoke!

I am going grad school in Roanoke, in the fall. It already sounds alot better than Lynchburg (undergrad)....

[w8liftinglady]

8. kick