Dear MoveOn member, Dems caving again Bush to get blank check

[EV_Ares]

(((received this email from MoveOn today)))

Last month, Majority Leader Reid and other Democratic leaders drew a line in the sand. They said there would be no more funding for the war in Iraq unless it was attached to a timeline for withdrawal.1 And they told President Bush that they were standing firm.

Well, now it looks like they're poised to cave in and give the president another blank check. According to the Washington Post, Democrats have apparently worked out a "deal" to give President Bush billions of dollars more for Iraq—no strings attached—in exchange for increased domestic spending.

Every Democrat in Congress needs to hear a groundswell of concern from their constituents. Can you call your congressman right away and tell him to oppose any deal that does not include a firm timeline to end the war? Tell him that voters are counting on Congress to keep their word and stand up to the president—not capitulate, again.

Then, please report your call by clicking here:

http://pol.moveon.org/call?tg=FHMO_05&cp_id=655&id=11771-6758287-t9pkML&t=2

Why is this happening again? When Democrats get tough with the president on Iraq he usually accuses them of hurting the troops. This time, he has been threatening to lay off military personnel and blame the Democrats. Once again, Democrats got nervous and backed down.

Yes, Bush is a bully. But Democrats can stand up to him. They need to know that voters are counting on them to confront the president's scare tactics head on.

Here's how the New York Times explained their latest "compromise":2
The decision to free some money for the war without a deadline or goal for withdrawal would represent a major concession by Democrats. They had earlier said they would not send Mr. Bush any more war money this year unless he accepted a change in Iraq policy. But Democratic leaders now say they have concluded that a logjam of 11 appropriations bills cannot be broken without acceding to at least some of the president's demand for more war money.

What we need to make clear to them is that you can't cut deals when it comes to war. There is no trade-off between getting our troops out of a religious civil war in Iraq and making progress on priorities here at home.

Democrats need to stand up and say that it's the president who is hurting outr troops. He has them bogged down in an un-winnable civil war, with no end in sight. When he refuses to sign war funding bills that contain measures that would correct his reckless policy, he is the one who is keeping our troops and the Iraqis at risk.

That's why it's so important for Congressman Emanuel Cleaver to speak out vocally against this deal—there is too much at stake.

Please call your congressman today.

Thanks for all you do.

–Nita, Tanya, Marika, Karin, and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team
Monday, December 10th, 2007

[polichick]

1. "Why is this happening again?"

Yep ~ that's what I wanto to know.

[peacetalksforall]

2. This means - in my translaton - Reid and Dems just gave Cheney more of our children.