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.

[emhawks]

Read the article @ CBS.com/Politics where Senator Hagel discusses impeaching Bush.

[emhawks]

IMPEACH BUSH! INDICT CHENEY! If they're not impeached/indicted before they leave office in 1/2009, hopefully Bush & our beloved VP can be brought up on war crimes charges in the German international court; this is being done to Rumsfeld & couldn't happen to a more deserving person ( unless it happen to Cheney).


REOPEN THE 9/11 INVESTIGATION! I doubt 9/11 will be reopened until after Bush/Cheney leave office, but I intend to continue to do my small part & press for this tragedy to be re-investigated more accurately. I'm not a conspiracy theorist. However, the more I research the events of 9/11, the more I believe the Bush/Cheney adm. was involved in it.

[younastybw]

Why was Clinton impeached for making a decision that only hurt his family? Bush has made decisions that has caused over 3000 American soldiers to lose their lives. He's constantly telling lies and he's still in office. People are being killed all over the world because of his screw ups. It's time he be censored and impeached.

[younastybw]

This man is the most arrogant, bullheaded, and dumbest person to ever be voted to lead the U.S.A. He made a comment in a speech a while ago about getting Congress to cut spending, but, he asks for more money to fight this screwed up war every few weeks. He's upset about the provisions that the Dems have in this latest request, talking about it's not what the American people want. We want the troops home and you out of office. That's what we want.

[j4401]

Message to Bush: Its the accountability stupid!

[bluestardad]

SUPPORT THE TROOPS, SOUNDS GOOD BUT ACTIONS SPEAK VOLUMES! THE ISRAELI AIPAC REPUBLICANS HAVE FAILED THE TROOPS ON ALL COUNTS BECAUSE THEY ARE ONLY CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR OWN ADGENDA!

The War in Iraq is still not the war on Terror and Iraq still did not attack America on 911! President Bush and the Republicans have failed on their Support for the Troops on all Counts!


If you follow the money trail you will find that most of those elected officials who support the war in Iraq are under the influence of AIPAC.

http://www.aipac.org/forms/join_aipacClubs.htm



Now here is the real kicker! President Bush is funding Al Qaeda in Lebanon with funds from Iraq! This is Impeachment and Treason! Here is the proof Read it!
http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/070305fa_fact_hersh


If you think Americas sacrifice is worth it contact your ELECTED OFFICIAL and tell them http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

The House Speakers email address: [e-mail]

[e-mail] Here is the Republican Party email address too!

[e-mail] Here is the Democratic Party email address also!

[firststate]

The "bush" economy is based on the war. Government spending is propping up the economy much like FDR's WPA, but those WPA projects produced a great deal of our infrastructure.

WPA left something besides severely wounded soldiers undergoing privatized rehabilitation in housing conditions that would disgust a slum lord. Most of the $5,000.00 per second that is being spent on Iraq is obviously not going into soldier's or veteran's benefits. Instead they misplaced about $10 Billion in Iraq, some of it from the more than 300 tons of cash sent Bremer to distribute. Who needs a 401(K), eh Paul?

Congressman Cunningham managed to steer enough contracts to friends to have been worth more than $2 million in his bribes per the fee schedule for bribes he maintained on his desk, from the profits but disabled vets must pay more for their prescriptions at VA facilities.

The mismanagement of the Duhbaya and tricky dickeyII administration also allowed Halliburton to overcharge the US almost exactly the amount to cover their taxes. They got away with stealing the money from the treasury then put it back in the treasury and were credited with a tax payment. Then they decide to move to Dubai to save on taxes. It's like a bank robber leaving a teller with the robbery money and going to another teller who removes the dye packs and credit his account, but the bank's charges are too high so he changes banks.

henry6543 wrote:

"Of course, the Democrats will still be blaming Bush until 2016, probably, long after he's no longer President."

Wait - you Republicanazis have been blaming Clinton for everything that has happened during Bush's reign of terror (or reign of stupidity).

You republicanazis are the most hypocritical morons out there - you do exactly the same things that you accuse the Democrats of doing.

Pathetic morons.

henry6543 wrote:

"The sky is blue - it's Bush's fault.
My car is dirty - It's Bush's fault.
Look a big hurricane - It's Bush's fault.
The Socialists hate us- It's Bush's fault.
That's all I've heard for 6 years."

Then you should know who to blame.

[frankly6]

Bushism:

"I mentioned early on that I recognize there are hurdles, and we're going to achieve those hurdles."
Source: Federal News Service, "Remarks by President George W. Bush," Jan. 22, 2003