Democrats take uncompromising stance

[helderheid]

After months of feuding over Iraq, Congress' majority party makes a stand on troop withdrawal. So far, that's yielded few results.
By Noam N. Levey, Times Staff Writer
July 21, 2007

WASHINGTON — Sen. Harry Reid offered his cooperation in December when the Iraq Study Group unveiled its recommendations with a plaintive call for a bipartisan effort to change the course of the war.

"Democrats will work with our Republican colleagues," promised the Nevada Democrat and soon-to-be majority leader, just weeks after an election that swept Democrats into the congressional majority on a wave of public frustration over Iraq.

Eight bitter months and nine major Iraq-related votes later, the meaning of Reid's pledge has come into sharp focus: Democrats will work with any GOP lawmaker willing to vote for a mandatory troop withdrawal; other Republicans need not apply.

This bellicose, uncompromising legislative strategy — on display again this week as Reid refused to allow votes on nonbinding GOP-backed Iraq proposals — has been an obstacle to any real bipartisan compromise on the war all year. And it effectively ended any chance that a significant number of Republican lawmakers critical of the war would join with Democrats this summer on any Iraq-related legislation.


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http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-warvote21jul21,0,6535537.story?coll=la-home-center

[SoonerPride]

1. Non-binding resolutions are political cover for Republicans

If Voinivich, Lugar, et al. want to be critical of the Iraq policy without actually voting to bring the troops home then their criticism is hollow posturing and Reid is forcing their constiuents to see that.

BRAVO.

[ixion]

2. see when the GOP declares themselves the sole party above the law, it's 'bold', when dems

try and put an end to an illegal invasion and failed occupation, it's "bellicose".

*sigh*

[Warren Stupidity]

3. "This bellicose, uncompromising legislative strategy"

Hey Noam N. Levey! Yeah you! You are a war criminal too. Go fuck yourself.

[TwilightGardener]

4. The Repubs could have put up their amendments--

all they had to do was agree not to filibuster Levin Reed. They knew Levin-Reed might pass with a majority, and they didn't want to send up that challenge to ChimpCo, even though it would be vetoed. So, to recap, they all KNEW Levin Reed wasn't veto-proof and thus wouldn't end the war--they refused to bend on the filibuster so that they could look UNITED for Chimpy and deny Dems a victory, but in the process denied themselves the opportunity to vote for their own toothless bullshit. Seems like they shot themselves in the foot to try and keep the upper hand.