Congressional Procession of Iraq Proposals Likely to Lead Nowhere

[DeepModem Mom]

WP: Congressional Procession of Iraq Proposals Likely to Lead Nowhere
By Dana Milbank
Thursday, January 18, 2007; Page A02


Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), center, with Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.), left, and Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), speaks at a news conference about a resolution opposing the president's proposed troop increase in Iraq. (By Mark Wilson -- Getty Images)

....Lawmakers were introducing Iraq legislation at a mad pace yesterday, at one point in the afternoon scheduling news conferences in half-hour intervals....Early risers saw Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) in the Senate television gallery introducing his proposal to limit U.S. troops in Iraq to 130,000 and to hold a vote on whether to reauthorize the war. Those who lingered until lunchtime could catch Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.) and other House liberals demanding a withdrawal of all U.S. forces from Iraq within six months.

Booking the Senate TV studio at 2:30 p.m. were Sens. Joseph Biden (D-Del.), Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), with their own Iraq resolution. They had to vacate the room at 3 p.m. for the arrival of Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) and Rep. John McHugh (R-N.Y.); Clinton floated a variation of the Dodd plan. Minutes after that session, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) issued a statement announcing legislation ordering a "phased redeployment" of U.S. troops from Iraq.

Even Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, who gave up his Senate seat, tried to get a piece of the action yesterday. His campaign sent out a fundraising appeal, asking: "Please chip in to help stop this escalation today."...For all the bills introduced yesterday, none is likely to force President Bush to change course in Iraq. Proposals such as Biden's are "nonbinding" and others don't have enough votes to pass. "There is very little chance in the short run that we are going to pass any legislation," Clinton confided during her news conference. Asked to elaborate, she explained: "I can count."

If anything, the competing proposals could strengthen Bush's hand. Though largely united in opposition to Bush's plan, members of Congress, carved up by the presidential ambitions of Clinton, Obama, Dodd, Biden and others, can't unite around an alternative...."It is time," (Dodd) said at his morning news conference, to "offer meaningful action." He would require a new war authorization.

So would he enforce this by cutting off funding for the war?

"No, we've stayed away from the funding here," Dodd answered....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/17/AR2007011702096.html

[BayCityProgressive]

1. pEOPLE LIKE wATERS

kUCINICH, AND wOOLSEY ARE OFFERING A REAL ALTERNATIVE. aLSO, kERRY AND fEINGOLD. tHE MODERATES ARE DOING JUST ENOUGH TO TRY AND KEEP LIBERALS FROM REVOLTING.

[lancdem]

2. Bush doesn't care what Congress thinks about anything

period.