Pelosi: No Blank Check For Bush In Iraq

CBS News Exclusive: New Speaker Hints That Congress Will Deny Funding

(CBS/AP)  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said newly empowered Democrats will not give President Bush a blank check to wage war in Iraq, hinting they could deny funding if he seeks additional troops.

"If the president chooses to escalate the war, in his budget request, we want to see a distinction between what is there to support the troops who are there now," she said in an exclusive interview on Face The Nation.

"The American people and the Congress support those troops. We will not abandon them. But if the president wants to add to this mission, he is going to have to justify it and this is new for him because up until now the Republican Congress has given him a blank check with no oversight, no standards, no conditions," said Pelosi, D-Calif.

Her comments came as Mr. Bush worked to finish his new war plan that could send as many as 20,000 additional U.S. troops to Iraq and provide more money for jobs and reconstruction programs.

Mr. Bush is expected to announce his plan as early as Wednesday.

When asked about the possibility of cutting off funds, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer declined to say whether Democrats might do so, saying only that the current strategy clearly is "not working."

"I don't want to anticipate that," said Hoyer, on "Fox News Sunday."

Some military officials, familiar with the discussions, say Mr. Bush at first could send 8,000 to 10,000 new troops to Baghdad, and possibly Anbar Province, and leave himself the option of adding more later if security does not improve.

"Based on the advice of current and former military leaders, we believe this tactic would be a serious mistake," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Saturday in the Democratic radio address.

Pelosi and Reid told Mr. Bush in a letter last week that Democrats oppose additional U.S. forces in Iraq and want him to begin withdrawing American troops within four to six months.

Pointing to the November elections that ousted Republicans from control of the House and Senate, Pelosi told Bob Schieffer the public is "watching to see what difference this election can make. The president ought to heed their message... We should not be obliged to an open-ended war."

She said Democrats are not interesting in cutting off money for troops already in Iraq — "We won't do that" — and that her party favors increased the overall size of the Army by 30,000 and Marines by 20,000 "to make sure we are able to protect the American people."

"That's different though, than adding troops to Iraq," Pelosi said.

The speaker stopped short of stating categorically that Democrats would block money for additional troops in Iraq. But she did say, "The burden is on the president to justify any additional resources. ... The president's going to have to engage with Congress in the justification for any additional troops."

Sen. Joe Biden, Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said it would be a "tragic mistake" if Mr. Bush chooses to increase troops. But Biden said cutting off funds was not an option.

"As a practical matter there is no way to say this is going to be stopped," Biden said regarding a troop increase, unless enough congressional Republicans join Democrats in convincing Mr. Bush the strategy is wrong.

Biden added that it probably would be an unconstitutional violation of separation of powers if Democrats were to block Mr. Bush's efforts as commander in chief after Congress had voted to authorize going to war.

"It's unconstitutional to say, you can go, but we're going to micromanage," Biden said.

Although most of the discussion about Mr. Bush's anticipated plan has focused on troop strength, his strategy also is expected to address political and economic issues.

Military analysts say Army Lt. Gen. Peter Chiarelli, who recently finished his tour as the No. 2 general in Iraq, has recommended a short-term jobs program.

Mr. Bush is said to favor short-term jobs programs, making micro-loans to small business and increasing the amount of money that military commanders can spend quickly on local projects to improve the daily lives of Iraqis.

Mr. Bush is expected to continue his briefings with lawmakers this week, culminating in a meeting with bipartisan leadership on Wednesday, according to lawmakers and aides.

Since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Congress has approved about $500 billion for Iraq, Afghanistan and other terrorism-fighting efforts. The White House is working on its largest-ever appeal for more war funds — a record $100 billion, at least. It will be submitted along with the president's Feb. 5 budget.

"This war cost a trillion dollars if it ended now," Pelosi said. "But more important than that, the lives lost, the casualties sustained, the lost reputation in the world, and the damage to our military readiness. For these and other reasons we have to say to the president, in your speech ... we want to see a plan in a new direction because the direction you've been taking us in has not been successful.

"So when the bill comes ... it will receive the harshest scrutiny. What do we really need to protect our troops? What is there for an escalation? What is the justification for that?"

[randalds]

Slash the funding for Bush's insanity. The country has shown through poll after poll and by last Novembers election that we want a stop to this war and we want it now! If the Congress won't stand up to the mental defectives in the White House it will just me more money spent on more deaths to no good end.

[migrainegram]

"It's unconstitutional to say, you can go, but we're going to micromanage," Biden said.

However, Mr. Bush lied and manipulated Congress to get us there. Impeach him first and then say cut him off.

[petesis]

Rein him in for Gods sake. It is about time the congress did what it is supposed to do and exercised their authority over the President. Bush operated like a king for the last 6 years. No more. Our founding fathers created a system that is supposed to prevent that kind of abuse. King W has brought this on himself and all of us.

[sharncedar]

"It's unconstitutional to say, you can go, but we're going to micromanage," Biden said

We need to impeach Biden, or whatever you call it for a "Senator". He is an atrocious liar - for him to invoke the constitution is so outrageous, as criminal as a Shiite death squad.

Article I, Section 8: The Congress shall have the power ... to declare war ..

Congress may only declare war, not "authorize" military actions in some dubious fashion. They have not declared war on Iraq. They have not declared war on Afganistan, or even on Terrorism or some such nonsense.

Biden is an awful, evil, anti-American criminal, who has undermined the constitution and for this two-bit butcher of a punk to claim constitutional authority just disgusts me.

What does he think, that we can't read the constitution for ourselves? Yes, we can read, and yes, Joe Biden you are in criminal violation of the people's constitution. You are supporting an unconstitutional notion of the "use of force" as something congress can authorize in a generic fashion, without a war plan or war declaration. That is a power you cannot, must not, have.

Amendment 10: The powers not delegated .. by the constitution ... are reserved .. to the people.

[joshuah3]

Hey rusty50, why are you so afraid of women-especially women with a brain-I'm a man & a damned rugged one-best thing this world can have right now in my opinion is more female leaders-crawl back into the ground and finish rusting yuou neocon loser

[jimfinster]

Rusty50, that was a jackass post.

[randalds]

Rusty50, that was a jackass post.

Posted by jimfinster at 12:18 PM : Jan 07, 2007

Of course it was. It was from him.

[abeavers2003]

I am thrilled to see that the power is not all in Bush's hands. He is caused us a possible many years of battles with insurgents and thousands of deaths and casualties for this illegal war. Our American people are over there dying for a great many people who dont give a flip about their own country. If they want a great country like ours then they must do their part. Why do our soldiers have to die for their hatred. Thank God we are getting some people in offfice who have their heads on straight!

[jn122736]

Perhaps Rusty50 is just showing his/her conservative compassion

[abeavers2003]

Is she intimidating you Rusty50??? Poor baby...too bad you are not the speaker of the house. Looks like she has done more to make a difference than you have.

[yourpointis]

* The gloves are OFF!! *

Waits in anticipation as the insults fly - I LOVE this place!!!!

[besscannon-2009]

We have to keep supporting the troops that are there now with supplies, pay, neccessities, etc. but, we don't need to add to the cost with more troops that won't do anything more than cost the country more money. Naturally, the president of Iraq does not want us to leave because it would mean the end of the money. And..when Bush can't rebuild Louisana, how come he figures we can afford to rebuild another whole country? The man's thinking is defective, and, I feel, unpatroitic. It seems, in his mind, his folly, better known as the war in Iraq, is more important in his screwed up mind than America is.
Do we need to keep tolerating and condoning such a man as leader of our country. I hope Congress hols his feet to the fire, and, bursts his ego balloon.

[drtminer]

Rusty50. I registered to this site just to tell you that you epitomize the intelligence of 25% of your braindead Neocon brethren... Pelosi is far more intelligent and articulate than our (your) failed leader who cannot put two words together without an 'ahhhh' which allows his feeble little brain to work..

[jn122736]

oh right, of course
that ole oxymoron (with emphasis on the "moron")
Posted by gopsux at 12:33 PM : Jan 07, 2007.

I agree, for anyone to think that rusty50 or the Bush administration has shown even a hint of conservatism or compassion is moronic.

[wayfedup]

Rusty50...
When you say thatPelosi's swearing in reminds you of the office geek who has power over the others for the first time and doesn't know what to do with it; YOU MEAN LIKE WHEN DUBYA WAS SWORN IN???

[arthurcl1]

Rusty50 should be RUSH LIMBAUGH 50

[arthurcl1]

Rusty 50 is talking about Empire Builder Dynastic George Bush when stating:
It reminded me of the idiot who is given the power over others at the office for the first time and doesn't know what the hell to do with it other than use it for the advancement of their own ego. Pffffffft.

[lieberman18]

Memo to Plastic Princess Pelosi:

Your nose is on the grindstone hon. Keep the promises to American workers and tell your Latino Dem friends that there will be NO open borders.

Support the troops, the mission and the security of our country unlike your past buddies Carter and Clinton, or little girl there will be NO blank check for you either.

Thank goodness the Senate is still pretty tight, and that President Bush can veto. It will be an interesting two years coming up, Neo-Fascists Dems - especially if the other SF 'Ho (Boxer is the first one) tries to moddycuddle the ILLEGALS as she has done so much in her career.

[johnshaft4]

Forget "impeachment." The lies and corruption of Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice that has cost the lives and limbs of thousands of US soldiers and innocent Iraqis is TREASON. A capitol crime!
Their co consprirators in deceiving the American public, Wolfowitz, Perle, Wurmser, Kristol and the whole Zionist PNAC should be tried as subversive foreign agents/traitors. The ONLY beneficiary to this fiasco has been Israel. It is time to immediately stop all foreign aid to Israel and require that the AIPAC and AEI lobby as foreign agents.

[lieberman18]

Aaah, we've got loose cannon this morning and the usual coterie of President Bush haters. Doesn't anything about Plastic Momma bother you bimbos and spewers at all?

LOL - if you weren't so sick in your Bush-hate, your disdain for the millions of Iraquis who bravely went to the polls or have signed up to fight terrorism, or your slavish devotion to those who pulled our country down from 1972 on - you'd be hysterically funny. But don't fret, Plastic Nan has JOBS for you at Barnum and Bailey - in the clown department.

[bildooreilly]

Iraq is a failure, time to get the hell out and let them take care of themselves.

[lieberman18]

JohnShaft,

Me thinks a Plantation Slave like you should be tried first. I'm sure your massas - J. Carter and R. Byrd would be very happy to do so.

Just suck up to them, boy.

[bildooreilly]

Well I guess it wasn't a failure for everyone, some very rich people got a lot richer off of it.

[nothappyatall]

THANK YOU NANCY PELOSI for putting the brakes on this Bush moron and his blank check, rubbber stamping no questions asked, no oversight, no accountability Repubicons!!

FINALLY no more blank checks!!

"Congress has approved about $500 billion for Iraq, Afghanistan and other terrorism-fighting efforts. The White House is working on its largest-ever appeal for more war funds %u2014 a record $100 billion, at least.

"This war cost a trillion dollars if it ended now," Pelosi said.


Totally insane, and a trillion is not accurate either, not when you figure in; returning and REPLACING all of the tanks, planes, equipment, vehicles, tools, supplies that have been ruined, worn out, damaged or beyond repair from 4 years of hard use in a hostile sand environment, add in lifetime VA medical benefits and periodic, frequent replacements of $50,000 computer controlled artificial limbs, councelling, treating stress syndrome and the list goes on.
Let's not forget the INTEREST on all this because all of this is borrowed funds added to the national DEBT.

[rosegrey1]

When Bush started this mess he said that the Iraq oil fields would pay for the war. Forgive me if I missed it, but what happened to the oil fields and all the millions of dollars they produce? Are they no longer an option?

[jimfinster]

troll alert

[bildooreilly]

Rosegrey, Bush never said Iraqi oil would pay for this war, he said OIL would pay for this war, think about that while you're paying double at the pump.

[nothappyatall]

"Support the troops, the mission and the security of our country "
Posted by lieberman18

What mission? not even Bush has a plan, the one he tried doesn't work. How does farting around with Iraq, a country that had NOTHING to do with 9/11 even according to Bush's own committee reports going to provide security here?

Lastly, the BEST way to "support our troops" is BRING THEM HOME NOW and toss the "keys" the the Iraq Govt and tell them deal with their OWN problems fast or collapse.
Supporting the troops does not mean KEEP THEM THERE!

[lieberman18]

Newster,

Thanks for the usual stupidity associated with the slavishly fools who suck up to bimbos like Pelosi.

Again, doesn't anything about this millionaire ILLEGAL hirer bother you? Probably not, because you are too mired in your hate of President Bush.

Typical Neo-Nazi mindthought.

As for Harry Reid. If you are for the American worker, you need to question this guy. Apparently HE DOESN'T STAND FOR ANYTHING.
15 years ago he advocated a tougher anti-ILLEGAL policy than even advocated by most Republicans. Now, he's changed his tune. Why? Evidently his Latino Dem friends threatened to pull the plug on this hack.

Let's see if Plastic Nan is going to keep the promises - including cutting trips - something that the Dems always loved to do. Ask Teddy the Intern Killer.

[jimfinster]

lieberman18:

Just a reminder, you neocons were LOOSERS in the last election. Go crawl under a rock for now. Thanks.

[wayfedup]

lieberman18........UMMMMMMMM, SORE LOSER???

[bildooreilly]

Is lieberman one of those paid posters?

[lieberman18]

Newster,

BRING THEM HOME NOW - AND NAN, BETTER START WEARING THE HAJIBI - TOO BAD IT WILL HAVE TO COVER UP THAT PLASTIC SURGERY.

AND EVERYONE ELSE PLEASE FOLLOW THE TENETS OF SHARIA.

This isn't Vietnam, stupid. If you can't figure out Islamofascism is the greatest threat to the world since Hitler and Stalin, you deserve to live amongst them.

[johnshaft4]

After Sen. Lieberman's speech last night before the AEI (the 2nd largest Israeli lobby) in support of a massive 'surge', one can't help but wonder why Israel has not made any contribution to the "coalition of the willing".
Any "surge" should be voluntarily comprised of Pat Robertson's/Falwell's/Dobson "Christain Soldiers" for their Zionist crusade. We should not be fighting a war that Israeli Jew boys should be fighing for themselves.

[bildooreilly]

lieberman, we're NOT SCARED.. stop trying to TERRORIZE americans.

[wayfedup]

lieberman18...

With such BLIND ALLIEGENCE to Bush, and HIS WAR,I find it QUITE DISTURBING that you are here on this blog, rather than on the next TRANSPORT TO BHAGDAD to kill the sworn enemies of the U.S.!

[lieberman18]

No soreloser here.

We get more ILLEGALS and another 9/11 I want to see you clowns signing up to serve - even if we have to re-take Iraq.

You won't because you lack the guts and the brains to do so. All you know how to do is suck up to the Pelosis, the Carters, the Kerrys, and don't mind it all when they open the borders, when they raise our taxes, when they choose not to lead the world but to wring their hands ala Carter.

Ever bother to read their records? Probably NOT. You're too busy hating Bush and the Republicans. You knew how to bring up Foley - but where were you when there was a Geral-dine Studds? Or a Barney Frank???

As for Billodoofuss - about the only paid folks here are NDC clowns and Neo-Nazi employees of MoveOn.Org Like you, I presume?

[lieberman18]

Ahh, billodoofus,

sounds like you've got another paid employee here, one of Harry Belafonte's real plantation slaves - John Shaft, who like you Dems refused to do anything about Rwanda or Darfur - or blast Clinton over that. But hey, let's send the B-52s to Belgrade.

Can you tell me what that mission was all about? Just think if the Serbs were as vicious as your Sharia friends are...

[bildooreilly]

Hey Lieberman, Bush and the democrats and many of your republicans both love the illegals... I agree with you about the illegal issue, so why aren't our troops on our border instead of Iraqs... Illegals kill more americans in one year than those camel jockeys you're so afraid of have their entire career... Better have Karl Rove email you some new material....

[lieberman18]

wayfedup,

how's the circus these days. When are you signing up for Iraq. Or better yet, since you're probably a coward, have at least the guts to patrol our Southwestern Border with the Minutemen?

Better watch out though, the Latino Dems just might have you arrested for violating the rights - not of Americans - but of their - and Nancy's - friends.

[jimfinster]

"This isn't Vietnam, stupid. If you can't figure out Islamofascism is the greatest threat to the world since Hitler and Stalin, you deserve to live amongst them."

Of course, one small difference is that they don't have the military/industrial capacity to wage large-scale war, like Hitler & Stalin did. And they have no way to get it.

But hey, don't let these annoying facts get in your way. RANT ON!

[bildooreilly]

Lieberman, I could care less about Darfur, Iraq, Lebanon or any of these other places, I could care less about these countries. I don't like my tax money going to foreigners, I don't agree with democrats and republicans both giving North Korea over $10 Billion dollars of our money over the last 10 years, I don't agree with both parties funding islamic schools in indonesia, or printing up the talibans textbooks like they did years ago. I don't want my money going to freakin foreigners, but both your bogus political parties do.. so eat *** you paid posting moron..

[wayfedup]

lieberman... 18, is it? would that be age, or IQ?

[lieberman18]

Doofuss,

walk the walk. and go patrol the border,BUT you had better *** remember that the Democrats love the ILLEGAL much more than the Republicans do.


Ever hear of J.D. Hayworth? He tried to put an end to the ILLEGALS coming into Arizona. A pro-ILLEGAL democrat, Harry Mitchell defeated him. Guess there will be one more vote for kids clogging our classrooms no speak inglis - and senoritas clogging the emergency rooms of hospitals with kids that should have been born in Mexico.

But hey, you want to protect American jobs and stick up for American citizens, right. Just cheer on Pelosi, Reid, Mitchell, and Villaraigosa, Bustamante, and Gravejda.

[jimfinster]

It may refer to the age of boys he likes.

[wayfedup]

lieberman18... WHEN AM I GOING TO SIGN UP for Bush's IDIOTIC WAR?? NEVER!! WHEN ARE YOU GOING AFTER OSAMA BIN LADIN?

[lieberman18]

Ahhh, doofuss - I struck a nerve. Maybe what is left of your brain will go into work.

Clinton SENT THE B-52s to Belgrade, egghead. We had no mission whatsoever there. Did you rant and rave about him?

Pelosi helped open our borders, and worse, she hired ILLEGALS. But never mind, you the rest of the Neo-Fascist Sharia embracers LOVE HER MADLY.

You're funny. Just keep writing the obscenities and the spew. That's about all you Pelosi-Dem lovers are good for, besides hating America, Christians and Jews.

[lieberman18]

Sorry, I know it will break your hate-filled hearts, but I've got to get off this clown-filled train.

Enjoy the circus, clowns? - and don't forget to tell Plastic Princess she had better sign up for a Hajibi very soon - that is, after she signs away the last American jobs to her ILLEGAL friends.

Enjoy the ride, clowns. LOL

[wayfedup]

lieberman18...
What? You're CUTTING AND RUNNING???

[jimfinster]

He is late for church. Going to pray for a brain.