CNN is saying that the Democrats cannot do anything about Iraq

[still_one]

Bush is the only one

Perhaps the PRESS DOESN'T REALIZE THAT CONGRESS CONTROLS THE PURSE STRINGS FOR THIS WAR

[TygrBright]

1. Oh, sure... And would YOU want to be the Dem legislator...

...who proposes to cut funding to the military while we have guys dying for lack of proper armor and vehicle protection?

Don't think so.

No, there's not much that can be done on the funding front directly. It will have to be indirect stuff like investigating war profiteering, oversight on intelligence agencies, etc.

Drip... drip... drip...

But those will be BIG drips. And since the election just did the equivalent of streching polyfilm over Whistle-Ass's face and clamping him to a slightly tilted table, these "aggressive techniques" will probably be effective.

Don't call it TORTURE, though!

cynically,
Bright

[myrna minx]

2. I guess appropriations aren't important?

:eyes:

[xultar]

3. They are right. Even Dean said so. We can't set policy. We can

provide oversight.

This is a good position to be in though. We don't have to take responsibility for the crazy shit that is gonna happen when they hang Uncle Saddy.

[dmallind]

6. I agree

Without an agreement from the executive branch, cutting appropriations would be, both politically and morally, the WRONG thing to do. The war was unneccessary, bungled and expensive that's all true, but refusing to continue to pay for it is not an option until we've got the troops home, and Congress can't do THAT.

[still_one]

8. true, but we also control whether to continue to fund the war

[JJ]

4. Remember the good old days....

when only congress could declare war.
Didn't Chimpy's party used to make noises about "strict-constructionist" and "founders intent"

[enki23]

5. that's right. but we can help keep it from expanding.

This idea doesn't have to hurt us. Iraq is NOT our fault. if we have a difficult time cleaning up the mess Bush and the Republicans left us, it's because of how profound, how deep, and how terrible that mess really is. In order to truly end this debacle, we need the american people to vote Democratic for the presidency in 2008.

[tsuki]

7. Yea, but we can resurrect the TRUMAN COMMITTEE. Oversee

those suckers. Things will change.