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.
Opinion on the issue covered a wide spectrum. “The only good measure that exists in Iraq now is body counts, and that's not a very good measure,” said Sen. Mark Pryor of Arkansas, a moderate Democrat.
Congress acted as the top U.S. military commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, said at a Pentagon news conference that the U.S. mission "may get harder before it gets easier."
Less than three months after Bush announced an increase in troop strength and a shift in tactics, Petraeus said improvements were evident in both Baghdad and the Anbar Province in western Iraq. At the same time, he said the accomplishments “have not come without sacrifice” and that greater American losses have resulted from increased car bombings and suicide attacks, plus the greater concentration of U.S. troops among the Iraqi population.
There were no surprises in the Senate vote, in which 48 Democrats and one independent joined Republicans Gordon Smith of Oregon and Chuck Hagel of Nebraska in supporting the bill. Sen. Joseph Lieberman, a Connecticut independent who typically votes with the Democrats, sided with 45 Republicans in opposition.
In a clear warning to the White House, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, opposed the legislation but issued a statement saying her patience with the war was limited.
“If the president's new strategy does not demonstrate significant results by August, then Congress should consider all options including a redefinition of our mission and a gradual but significant withdrawal of our troops next year,” she said. Like Hagel and Smith, Collins is coming up on a 2008 re-election campaign.
Democrats have long argued that Republicans must choose between a politically unpopular war on the one hand and a president of their own party on the other.
The legislation requires a troop withdrawal to begin July 1 if Bush cannot certify that the Iraqi government is making progress in disarming militias, reducing sectarian violence and forging political agreements, otherwise by Oct. 1.
While the beginning of a withdrawal is mandated, the balance of the pullback is merely advisory, to take place by April 1, 2008.
Troops could remain after that date to conduct counterterrorism missions, protect U.S. facilities and personnel and train Iraqi security forces.
The war aside, Democrats included more than $10 billion in the legislation that Bush did not ask for. Included was $3.5 billion for the victims of Hurricane Katrina; $2.3 billion for homeland security and smaller amounts for rural schools, firefighting, children's health care and other programs.
© 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
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