NYT/AP: Democratic Leaders Revamp Anti-War Plan: Proposal centers on overburdened military

[DeepModem Mom]

Democratic Leaders Revamp Anti-War Plan
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: February 28, 2007
Filed at 10:48 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON (AP) -- House Democratic leaders are developing an anti-war proposal that wouldn't cut off money for U.S. troops in Iraq but would require President Bush to acknowledge problems with an overburdened military.

The plan could draw bipartisan support but is expected to be a tough sell to members who say they don't think it goes far enough to assuage voters angered by the four-year conflict.

Bush ''hasn't to date done anything we've asked him to do, so why we would think he would do anything in the future is beyond me,'' said Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Calif., one of a group of liberal Democrats pushing for an immediate end to the war.

Democratic protests to the war grew louder in January after they took control of Congress and Bush announced he planned to send 21,500 more troops to Iraq. Earlier this month, House Democrats pushed through a nonbinding resolution opposing the buildup.

Since then, Democrats have been trying to decide what to do next. Some worried that a plan by Rep. John Murtha to restrict funding for the war would go too far. Murtha, D-Pa., is extending his support to the revised proposal.

The tactic is more likely to embarrass Bush politically than force his hand on the war. He would have to sign repeated waivers for units and report to Congress those units with equipment shortfalls and other problems....

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-US-Iraq.html

[earthside]

1. Wow.

" ... an anti-war proposal that wouldn't cut off money for U.S. troops in Iraq but would require President Bush to acknowledge problems with an overburdened military."

Man, that is really gutsy.

Bush is going to be so embarressed that he will undoubtedly decide to order U.S. troops home from Iraq as soon as this proposal is passed.

That is a pretty good line though " ... require President Bush to acknowledge problems ..."
Yeah, that's going to happen.

[BenDavid]

2. I applaud the Dems in both Houses

for taking any cutting of funding off the table. Why? Well lets see. The cry from the right would be if a bill was passed and even though bush would never sign it, a few months from now when the surge is not working (nor was it ever too ) the Republicans would be crying out loud, "we would have won this war if the Democrats had not cut the funding".....

Now this is the George Bush war, but once the right wing started their attack, the mediawhores would be like a mockingbird and repeat it, repeat it, over and over again at each 15 minute segment.....Then the bush war would now be called the Democrats war.....

Applaud the Democrats for finally using some sense....

[radfringe]

3. looks like they have renewed

their subscription to SPINE MONTHLY....

[Vinca]

4. I think they should give more weight to Murtha's ideas.

If there are limits on how long soldiers can serve in combat, how long they must remain out of combat before going back, what training they must have, what equipment they must have, etc., the war will end sooner rather than later because there aren't enough warm bodies. Damn - Democrats weren't elected to embarrass Bush (he doesn't need help with that). Democrats were elected to END THE WAR.