Biden answers Q on funding the troops

[gateley]

This is from a live chat Q&A on WaPo today

Wilmington, Del.: Sen. Biden, as a long-term supporter of yours, I will not support any additional re-election efforts by you. Why? Because of your continuing use of misinformation. "We need 60 votes in the Senate to end the war" ... no, you do not! If the Democrats (and any so-called "moderate" Republicans) had any real courage, you guys (and gals) in Washington could end the war with just 51 votes, by cutting off funding for a war based on lies about weapons of mass destruction that never existed. The more dollars you give to this war, the more young Americans will die fighting for a lost cause.

Sen. Joe Biden: It is true, we could refuse to bring up a budget, not even have a vote. But that also would mean there would be 166,000 troops in Iraq -- requiring at least one year to withdraw them all -- being left without adequate protection, including those Mine Resistant Vehicles, which I led the fight to fund and which only now are getting to the troops in Iraq.

I want to get the troops out of Iraq just as much as you do, but I don't want to leave them high-and-dry as they leave.

73 percent of the more than 3,800 deaths and 73 percent of the 28,000 wounded have been a consequence of roadside bombs. The Mine Resistant Vehicles that are being sent to our troops will decrease by 80 percent these deaths and injuries. How can we in good conscience not provide them with these vehicles? Do we think the Iraqis are going to be waving American flags at our troops as they leave, not attempting to kill them

[PatSeg]

1. As usual, he is making sense

We cannot leave as recklessly and irresponsibly as we went in. This time, we need to do it right.

[demommom]

2. K&R