WASHINGTON, May 10, 2007
House Defies Bush On Iraq Funding
Passes Limited Funding Bill, Rejects 9-Month Exit Plan; Bush Signals Flexibility On Benchmarks
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Play CBS Video Video Bush Strikes Compromise Jim Axelrod reports on President Bush's compromise that endorses benchmarks for progress in Iraq. The question is, what made him do it?
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Video Funding The Troops Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe is pushing a benchmark bill that sets date-certain goals about the war in Iraq. Sharyl Attkisson reports.
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Video Bush Hints At Compromise President Bush said there may be another veto in the works, but he also hinted at a compromise with Congress on benchmarks to measure progress in Iraq. Susan Roberts reports.
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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., right, accompanied by fellow House Democratic leaders including House Majority Whip James Clyburn of S.C., left, talks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, May 10, 2007, after a closed-door meeting to discuss Iraq war legislation. (AP Photo /J. Scott Applewhite)
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Interactive Battle For Iraq The government, the insurgency, key players, background and photos.
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Interactive Iraq: 4 Years Later The conflict wears on as the nation struggles to rebuild.
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Interactive New Plan For Iraq Key elements of the plan, excerpts from the president's speech, reaction and more.
The 221-205 vote, largely along party lines, sent the measure to a cool reception in the Senate, where Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., is seeking compromise with the White House and Republicans on a funding bill.
Under increasing political pressure from Republicans, Mr. Bush also signalled flexibility, offering to accept a spending bill that sets out standards for the Iraqi government to meet.
“Time's running out, because the longer we wait the more strain we're going to put on the military,” said the president, who previously had insisted on what he termed a “clean” war funding bill.
Mr. Bush and key lawmakers have stepped up expressions of frustration with the government in Baghdad in recent weeks, and Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh spent his day in a series of meetings with key senators appealing for patience.
In a brief interview with The Associated Press, Saleh said the purpose of the meetings was to convey the “imperative of success against terrorism and extremism” in the Middle East.
Despite Mr. Bush's ability to sustain his vetoes in Congress — the House upheld his rejection of a troop withdrawal timetable last week — Democrats called for votes on two separate bills Thursday that challenged him on the war.
“Democrats are not going to give the president a blank check for a war without end,” vowed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California.
The key is deciding what happens if Iraqis don't meet the standards set, reports CBS News chief White House correspondent Jim Axelrod.
Democrats want consequences for failure, but the president won't go that far yet, although he has instructed top aides to negotiate with Congress on that point, Axelrod reports.
The first measure would have required the withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from Iraq within nine months. It fell, 255-171, with 59 Democrats joining almost all Republicans in opposition.
“This war is a terrible tragedy and it is time to bring it to an end,” said Rep. James McGovern, leading advocate of the bill to establish a nine-month withdrawal timetable. “For four long, deadly years, this administration and their allies in Congress have been flat wrong about Iraq,” said the Massachusetts Democrat.
Republicans argued that a withdrawal would be disastrous.
“Now is not the time to signal retreat and surrender. How could this Congress walk away from our men and women in uniform,” said Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Calif.
A few hours later, the House passed legislation providing funds for the war grudgingly, in two installments. The first portion would cover costs until Aug. 1 — $42.8 billion to buy equipment and train Iraqi and Afghan security forces.
Under the bill, it would take a summertime vote by Congress to free an additional $52.8 billion, the money needed to cover costs through the Sept. 30 end of the fiscal year.
“We reject that idea. It won't work,” the president declared after a meeting with military leaders at the Pentagon.
Democratic officials, speaking privately, said Pelosi had agreed to allow the vote on the withdrawal measure in the hope that her rank-and-file would then unite behind the funding bill.
But in an increasingly complex political environment, even that measure was deemed to be dead on arrival in the Senate, where Democrats hold a narrow advantage and the rules give Republicans leverage to block legislation.
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
More From Politics
Michelle Obama tells how her role as the First Lady has changed her perspective.
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See all 474 CommentsPosted by nikosk1 at 02:52 PM : May 12, 2007"
Extremely good point. My bet is ... most of it goes to Blackwater. But after the troops withdrawal, can you imagine Bush asking money for ... Blackwater ?
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/12/world/middleeast/12oil.html?ex=1179633600&en=4881a2134cb37032&ei=5065&partner=MYWAY
Posted by jimibear at 10:20 AM : May 11, 2007
Refuses to discount??? I can't figure out where you're at one this? I DO discount even the remotest possibility. Please tell me you're not one of those Rosie O'Lardass "Bush brought down the twin towers" stooges!!!!!
Posted by Infidel_US at 10:49 AM : May 11, 2007"
Google "Operation Northwoods" and find out about the "remotest possibility".
Bush told reporters Thursday that if pollsters had asked his opinion about Iraq last fall, "I'd have said I disapprove of what was going on in Iraq. They could have put me down as part of the disapproval process."
That was before his decision to send nearly 30,000 additional troops to Iraq, which "would more likely cause me to approve of what's going on in Iraq," he added.
And yet the violence and killing rages on, the only change is the location.
For news that the corporate medial won't report:
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/051107R.shtml
JAIL BUSH JAIL CHENEY They LIED us into Iraq!
"I am outraged, as are the majority of Americans. I'm a lifelong Republican, but it's past time for change," retired Maj. Gen. John Batiste told reporters.
"Our strategy in Iraq today is more of the same, a slow grind to nowhere which totally ignores the reality of Iraq and the lessons of history," Batiste said. "Our president ignores sound military advice and surrounds himself with like-minded and compliant subordinates."
Someone should ask him why they aren't ready now. Posted by Iceman_1960 at 07:07 PM : May 11, 2007
No, somebody should ask him:"if you and the rest of Iraq can get your act together within the next 2 years, then *** have you been doing for the past 4 years? And where in the blankety blank, blank is all that US money you fvckers stole?
"Facing growing opposition to the war among Americans, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said U.S. and British troops would need to stay in Iraq for one or two more years to help stem surging violence. "I think that in one or two years we will be able to recruit our forces, to prepare our forces and say goodbye to our friends," Talabani said in a speech to students at Cambridge University in England. Baghdad also dispatched senior officials to Capitol Hill this week to warn lawmakers that pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq would have disastrous consequences."
Someone should ask him why they aren't ready now.
here is your hero, explaining all he cares about is the money.
Talking to Fox News, the conservative broadcaster, on his visit to Baghdad on Thursday, *** Cheney said: %u201CWe didn%u2019t get elected to worry just about the fate of the Republican party.
again all they care about is the money they are makeing on murdering pur troops...
they should be hanged!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! bush,cheney,rove,rice,rumsfeld, all in whitehouse.............
Not a gentle shot...just a left-handed compliment...after all, there are only 51 pages of posts on this one.....
As for the point of there being more terrorist now than there were, most people would not argue that point. The arguement would be over HOW many more. I tend to be suspicious of round numbers (10,000) and multiples (5 times, 20 times) especally when no one know how many there are now, and how many there were then. After all, no one has a registration list of all terrorists, or a database of all of them with name and address (although maybe AARP has all of them 50 years old and older.... ;) )
This doesn't mean that you have no source, since I truely believe that you saw one. It just means that experence tells me to be careful about taking it at face value.
And this:
http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/48620/
I'm finding all this ***, but not the story I'm looking for. Still digging ... *sigh*
I believe I actually saw that posted here. It was last year some time ... I'll see if I can find it ...
OK, still looking. I know I saw it here or at CNN. Still, in the meantime, try these about the National Intelligence Estimate on terror, and a statement from the State Department's departing terror coordinator:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/09/24/iraq/main2036338.shtml
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2003272931_terrorintel24.html
From msnbc.com, Jan, 2007 : %u201CBut even gloomier comments came from Henry Crumpton, the outgoing State Department terror coordinator. An ex-CIA operative, Crumpton told NEWSWEEK that a worldwide surge in Islamic radicalism has worsened recently, increasing the number of potential terrorists and setting back U.S. efforts in the terror war. "Certainly, we haven't made any progress," said Crumpton. "In fact, we've lost ground." He cites Iraq as a factor; the war has fueled resentment against the United States.%u201D
Congress - Spewlosi and President Harry are you listening to your generals?
Posted by mudrose
What's all this guff about me, huh? *********, first I lose my show and now these people badmouthin' me? It's enough to make an abrasive *** chew gum with her mouth open and scratch her crotch in public.
I'm so annoying I even pi$$ myself off!
Posted by RosieOLardas
ROSIE YOU HAVE WON THE BEST POST OF THE DAY AWARD FOR SIMPLY BEING YOURSELF.
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