Bush To Dems: Opposition Wastes Time

President Accuses Congress Of Delaying "The People's Business" With Investigations, Iraq Resolutions

(CBS/AP)  President George W. Bush accused the Democratic-led Congress of wasting taxpayers' time picking fights with the White House instead of resolving disputes over money for U.S. troops and the firings of the U.S. attorneys.

In his weekly radio address Saturday, Bush called on Democratic leaders in Congress to move beyond political discord and take bipartisan action on both issues that have driven a wedge between the Bush administration and Capitol Hill.

He urged them to accept his offer to allow lawmakers to interview his advisers about the dismissal of eight federal prosecutors — but not under oath — and provide documents detailing communications they had about the firings with outside parties.

Democrats, armed with subpoenas for Bush's top political adviser Karl Rove and other top aides, are pressing the White House to allow the advisers to answer questions under oath about the firing of eight federal prosecutors. Bush says the Democrats are simply playing politics, trying to create a media spectacle.

"Members of Congress now face a choice: whether they will waste time and provoke an unnecessary confrontation, or whether they will join us in working to do the people's business," Bush said. "We have many important issues before us. So we need to put partisan politics aside and come together to enact important legislation for the American people."

The president also accused Democrats of partisanship in the House vote on Friday for a war spending bill that requires combat operations in Iraq to cease before September 2008.

Democrats said it was time to heed the mandate of their election sweep last November, which gave them control of Congress. Passage marked their most brazen challenge yet to Bush on a war that has killed more than 3,200 troops and lost favor with the American public.

Bush said the emergency spending bill the House narrowly passed, 218-212, would cut the number of troops below a level that U.S. military commanders say they need and set an artificial timetable for withdrawal.

"By choosing to make a political statement and passing a bill they know will never become law, the Democrats in Congress have only delayed the delivery of the vital funds and resources our troops need," Bush said. "The clock is running. The Secretary of Defense has warned that if Congress does not approve the emergency funding for our troops by April 15, our men and women in uniform will face significant disruptions — and so will their families."

The $124 billion House legislation would pay for war operations this year but would require that combat troops come home before September 2008 — or earlier if the Iraqi government did not meet certain requirements.

Bush said that to get the votes needed to pass the bill, House Democrats included billions of dollars in domestic spending for local congressional districts, including $74 million for peanut storage and $25 million for spinach growers, that has nothing to do with the war.

"Even with all this extra spending tacked on, the vote in the House was very close," Bush said. "This means that the Democrats do not have enough votes to override my veto."

Ownership of the phrase "the people's business" was contested in the Democratic Party's response to the president's address this morning by New Hampshire Rep. Paul Hodes.

Hodes, elected in November, was part of the Democratic takeover of both chambers of Congress. He has opposed the war and any efforts to escalate it.

"Last November, people in New Hampshire and across the country voted for change. They voted for a new Congress that would stop acting as a rubber stamp for this president and begin confronting the problems and challenges facing our nation," Hodes said.

The Democrats' plan to bring U.S. troops home from Iraq next year responds to voters' demand for change, Hodes said.

The Senate is expected to take up legislation as early as Monday.

[tucson23]

Bush: We're not doing anything wrong, and we're always honest and right, so you Democrats are wasting time by opposing us. After all, allowing you to interview Rove and Myers without being under oath, and with no transcripts, will CERTAINLY reveal the truth in this matter, so what's the problem? This is truly the most intellectually dishonest Administration in history...or are they just the least intellectual? You be the judge.

[bigsk8fan]

Mr. Bush, we elected this congress to oversee your administration. We got tired of the "do-nothing" and "rubber stamp" Republicans that preceded them. You call it picking a fight. We say, "you had 6 uninterrupted years". Now look Democrats have already proposed a balanced budget. We are asking troops to come back from a war in Iraq where that country did not even attack us. This is different than what happened in Afghanistan where the Taliban actually shielded Al Qaeda. You have set back the environment, which you only now acknowledge to be a problem. You have underfunded education in the "No Child Left Behind Act". And you did not offer much help in the Gulf after the hurricanes. Finally, why were you asleep at the wheel on 9/11?

[tucson23]

Oh yeah, and the Republican Congress under Clinton NEVER wasted their time passing laws they knew Clinton would veto, did they? If you didn't already notice that Bush thinks the American people are stupid, here's some more evidence. What a ****.

[bigsk8fan]

Let us not waste time and be foolish by calling our President a "****". We know he has a "tin" ear when it comes to criticism.

[patriotic9]

Members of Congress now face a choice: whether they will waste time and provoke an unnecessary confrontation, or whether they will join us in working to do the people's business(stated by BUSH)
Join him in working to do the people's business?That's funny!
Is there any business in which he had great job performance.He is sending Billions of US tax doallrs to Iraq to open schools when in our country capital,One in every three individuals are illitrate and High School graduates are incapable of reading their High School diploma.
Billions of US tax dollars are going to Iraq to open Hospitals while our own soldiers are not getting satisfactory treatment at Walter Reed.
Worst of all,he is sending our Tax Dollars on the name of REBUILDING IRAQ to a DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED RELIGIOUS RADICAL named "MALIKI" for the killing of our troops deployed there.
Bush has screwed our country big time.

[karlimhof]

I say, let's waste all the time we need - and in the meantime - start scaling back the deployment because the money is not there - period.

Bush, go to the diablo !

[energyecon]

SCREW that noise - the return of the Democrats to control of Congress has FINALLY put the American people back on the agenda - it feels *** GOOD to have some oversight and a functional Constitution again!

[migrainegram]

The picture says it all..."You'll do as I say or else!"

Whatever.

[bm6005]

Bush certainly knows about wasting time.

[corpknot]

Translation of Bush Threat

"My Bosses want their Money!"

[karlimhof]

THE BUSH WAR
THE BUSH WAR
THE BUSH WAR
THE BUSH WAR
THE BUSH WAR
THE BUSH WAR

let us not forget who started it! and lied us into it ! and is still lying about it - and his VP too.

Bush/Cheney: we don't believe you anymore!

[naber1961]

W is a master of wasting time he was wasted the last 6 years not listening to a thing the majority of the American people have had to say that doesnt go along with his dictatorship. He surely doesnt waste time listening to Rove and all of that regime.

[riholehtorg]

I have information concerning alien technology. To be more exact, then I know that important politicians such as George Bush and his administration (*** Cheney, Condoleezza Rice, Robert Gates, etc), but also Vladimir Putinil and other heads of state (e.g. John Howard, Lula da Silva, Hu Jintao, Manmohan Singh, Felipe Calderon, Stephen Harper, Tony Blair, Jacques Chirac, etc) have alien technology in their possession. The alien technology in question is high-tech Internet, which originates from extra terrestrials and which they get via the secret services, military intelligence, intelligence bureaus, and the army.
The majority of alien technology is situated in Area 51. They also develop military technology there and communicate on a regular basis with extra terrestrials who also visit to share their knowledge about various technologies. Even Mr. Bush has been on board of flying saucers.
The alien technology in question, meaning high-tech internet, is mostly black, and looks like a laptop with 30 x 40 cm dimensions. Usually one person has several sets of high-tech internet %u2013 one to observe an alien creature, and the other to check up information about it. Obviously, the technical data of high-tech internet is superb: the resolution is high, which makes the picture extremely lifelike.

[homespunlady]

George is finally learning what the words "checks and balances" mean. My prayers are almost answered. There's a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.
Yeah! Congress has finally started to find a spine. Some of the pork may be questionable but I'm betting that it was the cost of getting some to agree.
Too bad George doesn't have the common sense to understand this is NOT a dictatorship despite all the efforts to make it so.
Firing US Attys that are involved with corruption investigations hints at protectionism of the criminals at least and deep involvement in that corruption at the worst. It's too suspicious of an action and copping an attitude, blaming someone else, acting arrogant and offensive just makes the impression worse.
That reaction is exactly what my children do when they know they're guilty of something they shouldn't be doing and have been called on it. Anyone dealing with kids and teenagers if they think about it will recognize his reactions and what they really mean.

[jerr11]

"President George W. Bush accused the Democratic-led Congress of wasting taxpayers' time picking fights"

Wasting taxpayers' time?

WHAT ABOUT TAXPAYERS' MONEY??!!

We're spending 2.5 billion a week in Iraq to fund your cockameny scheme to take over another country!

Just so that your neocon buddies can make a killing from the spoils of war.

So waste my time, I got plenty of time!

Just don't waste any more of my money in that ******** called Iraq.

[stevepdx1]

oversight's a ***, isn't it

[fryedbread]

I guess the lamest duck has the loudest quack. Bush has become almost as petulant as he is incompetent. He is right though, there is no time to waste. It will take us years to repair the damage he has done to both America's foundation and her reputation.

George, it's still not too late for you to see that it is you who is the opposition. Neither America nor Iraq, nor world opinion or even the opinions of your own generals are with you. You stand alone in stubborn opposition to reality and reason, and you are spilling American blood to do it. You are wasting something far more important than time.

[monty_4]

What's the problem...Congress is finally DOING the people's business instead of GIVING them the business. Get this pompous, self-important tyrant out of office! He has not idea what democracy is!

[corpknot]

I am surprised that brain could generate enough power for him to stand there and hold his finger up at the same time!

[daily_planet]

This administration is wasting much more than time. Their choices are costing the lives of thousands and disabling injuries to many more thousands. They are wasting the hope of people all over the world.

[wayfedup]

My name is Riho Lehtorg and I have a great spiritual teacher and mastersaint and became supreme, by the way supreme-god perhaps the game chief or two crack off all the universe-I will. Place I became is kab or eii, higher rise don%u2019t possible, became like told hierarchical scheme highest level-became so named the god eye, there don%u2019t never leave and have endless joyfulness and intoxicating blessedness given and you are same important as the source-one who start the game-


DUDE! puff puff, GIVE!!!

[cperrym]

G. Bush has never discussed the level of casualties he finds acceptable. We now have 3200 dead and 24000 wounded. Through 2008 a reasonable projection is 5000 dead and 30000 wounded. Since this is an open ended war, is the prospect of 10000 dead and 50000 wounded out of the question? Our direct cost of this war will approach one trillion dollars. Our legacy cost are approaching that number now. Is this OK with you chicken hawks?

[rsoxfan1123]

"Members of Congress now face a choice: whether they will waste time and provoke an unnecessary confrontation, or whether they will join us in working to do the people's business"

In other words, "look the other way and pretend a crime wsn't committed or get ready to fight" My way or the highway says chief big shot.

[down-ndirty]

The bush administration is in its "bitter death throes" of defeat. It's lying on its back like a dying cockroach with its many legs thrashing about trying to grasp at anything to stay alive.

[jimfinster]

Looks like old GW has a short memory. The "people" spoke loud and clear in Nov 2006. Too bad this fool doesn't have the decency to resign.

[tnichlsn]

Bush has done for/to the US what Robert Mugabe has done for Zimbabwe. Both should be forcibly removed from office and tried/convicted and put away before they do more harm..

[bigsk8fan]

tnichlsn, there has already been war crimes charges filed against rumsfeld, two top generals, and other top white house and defense dept officials. only a matter of time til W leaves office and charges are filed against him too. one US general is even willing to testify on these war crimes charges.

[forthepeaple]

BUSH BETTER BE SHEDDING EVERYTHING, AND CHENEY BETTER BE RUNNING LIKE HE DID FOR THE WAR..THEY BOTH DID.THE CHICKEN S/H/I/T/S/ THEY ARE, HIDDING BEHIND AMERICANS TROOPS,TREATING THEM LIKE PONDS FOR THEM TO PLAY WITH. THEY SHOULD BE TREATED AS TRADERS TO THIS COUNRTY..

[hsinco-2009]

Personally, I am extremely tired of this Chimp wagging his finger and lecturing AT us.

I support impeachment.

[forthepeaple]

HEY BIG, WHERE CAN I READ THAT ABOUT RUMSFELD, AND THE GENERAL.

[bigsk8fan]

forthepeaple, just do a google search on "rumsfeld war crimes trial". hey, this is the internet, how else would you search? You can even see the original case filed early on in W's 1st term. It was dropped because they felt that the US would follow up on war crimes. Alas, we only put the enlisted army soldiers at risk. And of course, passed a new law granting immunity to the top folks. so only recourse left was for international war crimes. even foxnews reported on this back on November 14, 2006.

[corpknot]

Translation Number Two of Bush Threat.

"I thought that you uppity Democrats in Congress would have learned by now that if you all even dare to interfere with anything that I'm trying to do for my big-money friends who have been so mutually beneficial to me, that I will have to go to Cheney and Rove for help. Now I know that Cheney is already upset because a lot of this payout goes to Halliburton as well as Rove who will lose of a lot of money also, not to mention what it's going to cost me. Now you know that Cheney's Orwell is good, but his Hitler's even better and as far as Karl Rove goes, well that is pretty much a toss up. And you'll also have to deal with Limbaugh and O'Reilly who make a good living off of stuff like this. However, in the meantime I'll just paint it all like some cheap political stunt by power crazy Democrats, while Coulter, O'Reilly and Limbaugh will just say that what you're doing are just more liberal, commie lies aimed at destroying this country."

In the end, you can't win this because I still have enough Corporate Lackeys i.e. Republicans in both houses to prevent and override of my eminent veto. And that my friends, is the way it is!

Oh and by the way when my term is done I am sure that history will show that I have done more to damage his country and what it stands for than any other president in history. So in time I will even get credit for this.

[forthepeaple]

I FEEL THE SAME WAY I JUST WANT TO WALK RIGHT UP TO HIM AND BREAK THAT F/U/C/K/I/N/G/ FINGER HE PUTS IN ALL AMERICA FACES...

[jal477]

You know, I can't believe the DEMS. They wasted all this time paying for votes and passing meaningless legislation. Great phot-op Nancy!! You know, if this was such a huge win and the Dems had a solid position on Iraq, why couldn't they just take a vote without all the extra pork? The fact is, if they wanted this emergency spinach spending passed, why couldn't they just put that into a separate piece of legislation? This wasn't even a symbolic victory for the DEMS. It would've been if the bill would have addressed Iraq, separately. Of course, when the Republicans added pork to thier bills (and I didn't agree with them when they did it) they were crucified by the media. When Nancy does it, it's referred to like "no big deal". LOL!

[scott4261]

George W. Bush's attitude reminds me of that of a small child. If they ARE being honest, why object to anyone testifying under oath? Will someone please explain that one to me?

[fascistusa]

You thought we lived in a Democracy??

What??!!

I'm the Dictator!! The Decider!!!

Give me the Money of I'm gonna have one HELL of a B.F.

*** FIT!!!

[forthepeaple]

BIG, AGAIN WHERE CAN I READ ON THAT.GET INFO ON IT

[rsoxfan1123]

JAL477-they are doing whaever they have to to put a stop to bush's little war that is costing us in excess of $2 billion per week. The deadline they gave him, fall 2008, will have given him a total of 5 and 1/2 years to do whatever it is he wants to Iraq. That's long enough. The American people are sick and tired of spending hundreds of billions of dollars on bush's mess.

[forthepeaple]

EVEN THE WHITEHOUSE PRESS FAIRY SNOW IS RUNNING AWAY..HE HAS HAD IT...

THEY CAN RUN BUT THEY CANT HIDE ANYMORE

[scott4261]

Yeah, it is kind of funny that none of these Bush apologists have a probelm with tens of billions of our money going down a black hole in Iraq!

[jal477]

It's going to be funny, but sad, when Sen. Pelosi has to explain to servicemember's families that they couldn't get the necessary funds out to Iraq in time because they were too busy wasting time on stuff they absolutely knew had no chance at passage. This is putting the lives of those in Iraq in even greater danger than it is right now. What President Bush should do is scold her like this right in front of her podium.

[rsoxfan1123]

Rumsfeld war crimes. Wait until Bush gets out of office, he'll be tried as well.

From the Universoty of Pittsburgh School of Law:
"Eleven former Abu Ghraib detainees and one Guantanamo detainee all claiming to have been victims of US torture initiated a criminal complaint in Germany Tuesday asking that the German Federal Prosecutor investigate and ultimately prosecute former US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and other top US officials and advisors for authorizing the commission of war crimes in the US "war on terror."
US and German lawyers jointly allege that Rumsfeld personally ordered harsher torture methods against Mohamed al-Qahtani , the so-called "20th hijacker" from the Sept. 11 attacks being held at the US prison camp in Guantanamo Bay when he did not confess to terrorist activities under initial interrogation sessions. It additionally cites alleged orders to commit or failures to prevent torture by US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, former CIA director George Tenet , and recently retired US Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez , the former commander of all US forces in Iraq. CCR provides additional background materials.

[forthepeaple]

HEY JAL44--WHAT IS YOUR DEAL. SO YOU THINK ALL AMERICANS SHOULD DIE FOR THE BUSH CRIME FAMILEY..

THIS IS EXECTLY WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO WITH THIS DICTATOR. SHOW HIM WHO IS THE REAL BOSS WITH THE CHECK BOOK..

[rsoxfan1123]

JAL477-it'll be up to bush. he doesn't have to veto it. He is the one cutting off the funds, not the dems. Don't try that spin around here; it is becoming obvious you are a paid republican hack because no one else is spouting that nonsense. People on this blog actually read the stories.

[rsoxfan1123]

JAL-what bush SHOULD do is respect the voters of this nation, accept this last huge input of tax dollars into his Iraq fiasco, clean this *** up and began getting the united states out of that mess before we bankrupt ourselves to the point we may never recover.

[one_american]

Looks like the Democrats ambitions for unlimited "power" in Congress, and the micro-management of the war by Democrats is just another liberal illusion.

The President is going to complete the mission in Iraq no matter how liberals try to destroy our Government and country.

Get over yourselves, liberals. You can't lead the free world by retreating.

[forthepeaple]

JAL 44/ I THINK YOU SHOULD GO BACK TO YOUR CELL AND LET BABA. AND CRY ON HIS SHOULDER. OK AND CALL ANYONE OF YOUR LOSERS IN THE REP/PARTY THAT I PROMISS YOU THEY WILL LOSE THERE SEATS OVER THERE VOTE ON THIS.....

[scott4261]

If we cut off funding for the war, that does NOT mean the troops will not be with nothing with which to fight this war. It DOES mean that Bush will HAVE to start bringing them home. But the point is moot anyway, because the Democrats do not have the veto proof majority to accomplish this. The numbers are just not there. So this war of choice will continue, whether we like it or not until the next president brings them home.

[jal477]

Hey forthepeople,

If this legislation had a chance of passing the Senate I might have agreed with your previous statement. Unfortunately, I would like to see the political BS thrown out. Do you think a September '08 timing is genuine or politically motivated? Geee....I wonder what else is taking place around that time frame? Stop playing politics with soldiers lives. That's all I'm saying. I think we should all be able to agree with that.

Hey Rsox8fan,

Do you think the soldier's give a *** about the elections? They only care that those folks over here are getting them what they need over there.

[corpknot]

Now it's one thing to be dumb enough to get led down the path on this great corporate benefit, a.k.a. The War in Iraq, but it's really quite another to wear your ignorance like a badge of honor, call yourself a patriot and everyone else a traitor or a bottom feeder because they are brighter and less gullible. As an honorably discharged veteran who served my country, I've spent most of my life not thinking that a scam like these boys have been running since 2001 could ever happen here. I am not talking about Afghanistan. I'm talking about WMAs, freeing the Iraqi people with "Operation Freedom" or "Spreading Democracy in the Middle East" while Bush and his Republicans do their best to subvert it here with dirty tricks galore. Now if you are not bright enough to put two and two together then you certainly can't do the math on this one and see that this has never been about anything other than money, Big Money. Ever notice how this guy never talks about peace. Now I know a lot of you boneheaded Bush supporters can't bring yourself to use that word for the fear of being called a commie or less of a man, but that just makes it all the more obvious that you never went to war, even for the right reasons. What they really want is a war without end, $500 billion for this bloodbath isn't enough, they are going for $1 trillion. So just watch Bush scurry around every time he sees an opportunity to stuff the wallets of corporations and the wealthy. That's what he works hardest at.