WASHINGTON, April 26, 2007
Senate Passes Iraq Withdrawal Bill
Legislation Requiring Troop Pullouts Beginning In October Passes 51-46
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Play CBS Video Video Bill Passes, Showdown Begins The House passed a controversial war funding bill that sets a timeline for U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq, despite President Bush's promises to veto any such measure. Bill Plante reports.
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Video Clock Ticking On Iraq Funding The House passed a bill to start pulling out U.S. troops from Iraq by October this year, even as Gen. David Patreaus is in Washington pleading his case for more time in Iraq. Karen Brown reports.
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Video McCain On Iraq & Campaign '08 Harry Smith questions presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., along with his wife, Cindy, about the Iraq funding showdown and hitting the campaign trail.
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Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., speaks during the Senate's debate of the Iraq spending bill that includes a provision to withdraw U.S. forces by the end of the year, April 26, 2007. (CBS)
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(AP / CBS)
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Interactive 110th Congress The balance of power shifts and new leadership takes control as the latest session convenes.
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Interactive Iraq: 4 Years Later The conflict wears on as the nation struggles to rebuild.
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Interactive Bush Presidency The president's agenda, plus facts, figures, major events and key personalities.
The 51-46 Senate vote was largely along party lines, and like the House passage a day earlier it underscored that the war's congressional opponents are far short of the two-thirds majority needed to override a Bush veto.
Democrats marked Thursday's final passage with a news conference during which they repeatedly urged Bush to reconsider his veto threat. “This bill for the first time gives the president of the United States an exit strategy” from Iraq, said Rep. David Obey of Wisconsin.
The legislation is "in keeping with what the American people want," added Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada.
The White House was unmoved. "The president's determined to win in Iraq. I think the bill that they sent us today is mission defeated," said deputy press secretary Dana Perino. "This bill is dead before arrival."
Given that standoff, Republicans and Democrats alike already were maneuvering for position on a follow-up bill.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell dismissed the just-passed legislation as "political posturin" by Democrats that deserves the veto it will receive. "The solution is simple: Take out the surrender date, take out the pork and get the funds to our troops," he said.
The bill would provide $124.2 billion, more than $90 billion of which would go for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The bill also specifies that before combat units are deployed, the president would have to certify to Congress that they're "fully mission capable," and then wait 15 days. In addition, deployments are limited to one year, reports CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson.
Democrats added billions more for domestic programs, and while most of the debate focused on the troop withdrawal issue, some of the extra spending also has drawn Bush's criticism.
The day's developments amounted to a landmark of sorts.
The vote occurred nearly four years after Bush stood on the deck of an aircraft carrier before a banner that read “Mission Accomplished” — and 113 days after Democrats took power in Congress and vowed to change course in a war that has cost the lives of more than 3,300 U.S. troops.
During Vietnam, a longer and far deadlier war for U.S. forces, Congress went years before it was able to agree on legislation significantly challenging presidential war policy.
In the current case, any veto override attempt would occur in the House, and even Democrats concede they lack the votes to prevail.
With House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at his side, Reid said Democrats hoped to have a follow-up war-funding bill ready for the president's signature by June 1. Despite administration claims to the contrary, he said that was soon enough to prevent serious disruption in military operations.
Several Democratic officials have said they expect the next measure will jettison the withdrawal timetable, a concession to Bush. At the same time, they say they hope to include standards for the Iraqi government to meet on issues such as expanding democratic participation and allocating oil resources.
Bush and congressional Republicans, eager to signal the public that they do not support an open-ended commitment to Iraq, have both embraced these so-called benchmarks. Unlike Democrats, they generally oppose using benchmarks to require specific actions, such as troop withdrawals.
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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- Now if we could just get didntinhale to hold his breath until he turns blue. He's already shown that he can act like a childish spoiled brat by spamming threads (his poor poor children, to be stuck with something like this for a father?).
Of course it would even nicer if the CBS moderators actually do what they are paid to do and dump him, but it does usually take awhile to wake them up. Sometime weeks. - Reply to this comment
- Why is didntinhale still here ?
If CBS is going to tolerate this criminal here, and not take steps to prosecute him, then I cannot see any great usefulness in these forums.
But maybe it's just taking a long time.
They have his IP number, which identifies his Internet Service Provider; it may be taking time for the latter to pull off his mask of anonymity.
Maybe patience is required for the wheels of justice to turn. - Reply to this comment
- IF the Democrats in Congress really support the troops, they wouldn't have put in a surrender date.
The surrender date the Democrats put in the bill is PROOF that they are just playing politics with the troops.
... - Reply to this comment
- IF the Democrats in Congress really support the troops, they wouldn't have put in a surrender date.
The surrender date the Democrats put in the bill is PROOF that they are just playing politics with the troops.
... - Reply to this comment
- IF the Democrats in Congress really support the troops, they wouldn't have put in a surrender date.
The surrender date the Democrats put in the bill is PROOF that they are just playing politics with the troops.
... - Reply to this comment
- rats rats rats wmd wmd wmd war war war gay gay gay hate hate hate
obama obama obama?
lmao - the subliminally stupid still survive. - Reply to this comment
- Well, j4401, at least they don't let truth and honesty get in their way of posting.
- Reply to this comment
- These Obama haters are total idiots!
- Reply to this comment
- Icecunt? lmao He is loading up the CBS and FBI switchboards in a desperate attempt to find someone who gives a shi-t
Posted by didntinhale at 01:10 PM
Forget CBS and FBI you need to worry about His Momma look what she did to him - Reply to this comment
- IF the Democrat Congress really support the troops, they wouldn't have put in a surrender date.
The surrender date the Democrats put in the bill is proof that they are just playing politics with the troops.
... - Reply to this comment
- IF the Democrat Congress really support the troops, they wouldn't have put in a surrender date.
The surrender date the Democrats put in the bill is proof that they are just playing politics with the troops.
... - Reply to this comment
- It is proven that the war in Iraq has increased the number of terrorist. Why do you support more terrorist? Why do you want more Americans to die? Why do you want Iraq to suffer? Why do you want American Wives, mothers, and children to go through life without their loved ones?
What turned you so angry at the USA? Why do you hate us? Was your father a coward who got kicked out of the military? Or a spy?
Can you think back to a time when you didn't hate the USA? Did this start in college (if you went)? Or does it go deeper? - Reply to this comment
- IF the Democrat Congress really support the troops, they wouldn't have put in a surrender date.
The surrender date thee Demoicrats put in the bill is proof that they are playing polotics with the troops
... - Reply to this comment
- IF the Democrat Congress really support the troops, they wouldn't have put in a surrender date.
The surrender date thee Demoicrats put in the bill is proof that they are playing polotics with the troops
... - Reply to this comment
- IF the Democrat Congress really support the troops, they wouldn't have put in a surrender date.
The surrender date thee Demoicrats put in the bill is proof that they are playing polotics with the troops
... - Reply to this comment
- It is proven that the war in Iraq has increased the number of terrorist. Why do you support more terrorist? Why do you want more Americans to die? Why do you want Iraq to suffer? Why do you want American Wives, mothers, and children to go through life without their loved ones?
What turned you so angry at the USA? Why do you hate us? Was your father a coward who got kicked out of the military? Or a spy?
Can you think back to a time when you didn't hate the USA? Did this start in college (if you went)? Or does it go deeper? - Reply to this comment
- I logged off at 8:30 last night and he and Randy were still talking about me after 1 am.
You were here from 10 in the morning till 830 at night.
You are definately the princess of spam. - Reply to this comment
- He has called CBS the FBI and His Mommy about me.
Posted by didntinhale
they forgot the insane asylum - will you go peacefully didntinhale but swallows ? - Reply to this comment
- To: Obama,Hillary and Richardson
We the people of the right minded have joined together to buy you and all like minded first class airline tickets to go to Bagdad to negotiate with the well intended militias ,insurgents and any terrorists. Harry and Nancy have agreed to give you full support to negotiate a truce with all of the above. However, should things get nasty they will deny the credibilty of your mission and retract all support ( sound familar ). Should your headless bodies not be recovered under such circumstances you will be presumed dead and no longer a potential candidate. Harry and Nancy promise to launch a full criminal investigation of any potential misconduct by alleged terrorists by the FBI should the evidence be sufficent to warrent the initiation of talks with the alledged host country were the alledged potential misconduct took place provided they are willing to jointly investigate those alledged potential misconducts with the appoval of the UN. Good luck on your mission of peace with Islamic Extremists. - Reply to this comment
- Bush starves the troops by not signing the bill.
Simple as that. This is not a dictatorship.
CONS offer nothing but insults, fear, and hatred, and rhetoric.
Time for actions, Republican rhetoric has destroyed America. - Reply to this comment
The road ahead in Afghanistan, and the crucial decision Obama faces.
