A bait and switch tactic wouldn't surprise me at this point. A proposal for increased troops so that we can intervene in Darfur for instance, hard for opponents to stonewall a humanitarian request...and then the Lucy/Linus moment where the football is once again swiped away and the new troops are deployed into Iraq.
Scott Ritter is once again right, Bush's personality makes him blind, deaf and dumb to any other plan than more of the same. Likewise, with Cheney as Bush's gatekeeper there's little chance of any interventionists successfully forcing Bush to take a better reasoned tact.
So we are left with a large group of virgin Congressmembers who still carry the voice of the people to somehow demand and followthrough with their policy cautious aged teammates. They're all we've got and this year we will demand that every fibre of their being fight.
Posted by mainsailset at December 26, 2006 12:48 PMDeadeye is wilfully forcing a constitutional crisis upon the nation, and he must be confronted. Let him announce his Surg-calation, and respond by rescinding the authorization to use force in Iraq, together with a joint resolution that the president may not use the nation's military to attack Iran without the prior approval of Congress, as our Constitution demands.
If Nero declares that he will not respect either action , file the articles of impeachment immediately.
The timorous will observe that the Dems haven't solidified their position yet, and confronting our rogue president will be risky. That's true.
But letting a pair of executive psychopaths have carte blanche with the nation's military is the greater risk.
Supposedly Americans respond to real leadership. There's a golden opportunity a-comin': Escalation 07 is not what the majority of Americans desire, and they are well aware who is fomenting this national crisis.
Posted by euzoius at December 26, 2006 12:50 PMThis Country is crying for real leadership. Here that Congress/Democrats? You have never had a more opportune time than right now to end this madness.
Posted by Judith at December 26, 2006 02:23 PMeuzoius, I can hear the apologists and wingnut pundits screaming already. I say let them scream!
I'm convinced your correct, 'shooter' is indeed running the country. Especially with no policy shift in Iraq.
It comes down to what everyone and The Rude Pundit says, "And if we really think the Democrats have the stones to de-fund the war (the only thing they can do to stop it), well, then one presumes the joke's on us.
Posted by Seven of Six at December 26, 2006 02:49 PMBush will veto any AUMF repeal if it gets to his desk, which is unlikely. The GOP Senators wil filibuster any such proposal, and a sufficient number of Dems in the House and Senate will join the GOP in voting against a repeal.
A more likely to pass and not be voted law would be to declare that US funds cannot be used to attack Iran as the tradeoff that must be paid by BushCo for the supplemental appropriate he wants of $90 billion for this year's Iraq misadventure. Get ahead of BushCo on Iran, now! If Iran should do something foolish, require Bush to ask Congress for a Declaration of War, not some congressional resolution like the AUMF.
Any plans that roll back or limit Bush can only be passed as the bitter pill that Bush must accept to get what he absolutely can't do without.
I'd put spending in the VP's office into one of those bitter pills as well: fund only 3-5 staffers and prohibit transfers or loans of people or funds from other departments, including the Presidential staff. And also prohibit funds be spent by any department to participate in working groups that include Cheney staffers. Defang that SOB.
Posted by JimPortlandOR at December 26, 2006 02:53 PMLet's try "hear that."
Posted by Judith at December 26, 2006 02:56 PMIt can be hard to persuade Congress. But presidential candidates might be persuaded to advocate Congressional action, which could prove more influential.
You might want to pass this post on to Edwards and Clark, for example.
Posted by Kevin Hayden at December 26, 2006 04:46 PMWhile we're at it, let's repeal the Iran Regime Change Act.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/5/3/83734/61208
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll105.xml
Finally a popular blogger said it: rescind the September 2001 Authorization to Use Military Force (AUMF). Thank you. And let's do it before they use it as the rationale for attacking Iran as a supposedly necessary extension of the Iraq war.
Posted by DeanOR at December 26, 2006 10:49 PM