Agreement Nears On Iraq Funding Bill

Democrats Close To Compromise On Paying For War Without Setting Timeline For Withdrawal

(CBS/AP)  Flinching in the face of a veto threat, Democratic congressional leaders neared agreement with the Bush administration Tuesday on legislation to pay for the Iraq war without setting a timeline for troop withdrawal.

Several officials said the emerging compromise bill would cost about $120 billion, including as much as $8 billion, originally resisted by the White house, for Democratic domestic priorities such as disaster relief for Hurricane Katrina victims and farmers hurt by drought.

The deal would be considered a victory for President Bush because there are no deadlines for troop withdrawals, reports CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson. But that victory may be fleeting, as more and more Democrats and Republicans are considering September as an unwritten deadline, Attkisson reports.

After a bruising veto struggle over war funding, congressional leaders in both political parties said they hoped the compromise would be cleared for President Bush's signature by Friday.

Despite the concession, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told reporters that the legislation would be the first war-funding bill sent to Mr. Bush since the U.S. invasion of Iraq "where he won't get a blank check."

Reid and other Democrats pointed to a provision that would set standards for the Iraqi government in developing a more democratic society. U.S. reconstruction aid would be conditioned on progress toward meeting the goals, but Mr. Bush would have authority to order the money to be spent regardless of how the government in Baghdad performed.

He said Democrats would look to a different defense bill later this summer to "continue our battle — and that's what it is — to represent the American people like they want us to represent them, to change the course of the war in Iraq."

Republicans said that after weeks of struggle, they had forced Democrats to give up their demand for a date to withdraw the troops.

"I'm optimistic that we will achieve the following: a full four-month funding bill without surrender dates. I think there's a good chance of that," said Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

Rep. John Boehner of Ohio, the House Republican leader, added, "Democrats have finally conceded defeat in their effort to include mandatory surrender dates in a funding bill for the troops, so forward progress has been made for the first time in this four-month process."

Republicans paid a price, too, in terms of billions of dollars in domestic spending that Democrats wrung from them and the administration.

Officials said the final details of the measure remained in flux. They spoke on condition of anonymity, saying that Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi intended to present the proposal to her rank and file at an evening meeting.

In all, officials said the measure included about $17 billion more than Mr. Bush initially requested. Of the $17 billion, about $9 billion would go for defense-related items and veterans' health care. The balance would be for other domestic programs.

[vet_sk]

The democrats were giving the Bush a foriegn policy tool - a full 6 months before Bush rushed to war - even though the weapons inspectors were jumping up and down that there were no WMDs in that 6 month time frame. Or did you not know that or do you just listen to O'Reilly?

I even remember O'Reilly before the war telling a person who knew that there were no WMDs that if he was right, he would never trust the Bush admin again. He didn't keep that promise did he?

And you act as though you are glib about the democrats losing to Bush when you must know (how can you not) what a total disaster this war is.

I lost 10% of my company over there. Be glib of the democrats if you wish, but they were elected to represent the people. Isn't that worth anything to you?

[vet_sk]

Thomas Jefferson said when the leader no longer represent the people, the government needs to be abolished and a new one instigated.

That is what we though we did in November - but it was all a sham. We are not represented anyway.

I had hopes for Nancy and Reid, but no more. The caved to the likes of Bush and McConnel.

WE ARE NOT BEING REPRENTED AND THEY DON'T GET IT!

[ralan40]

Here's proof that the problem is on both sides...and yet people STILL blame Bush 100%
HA HA, boy that Democrat-majority House is really cleaning house. Better to blame Bush for the War...accuse him of lying when the senior democrats had the same info GWB had. By the way...how many senior Congressional Democrats voted for the war??
The president has veto power and appoints cabinet officials and nominates Justices, he can't do much else without congressional backing. Its called "Checks and Balances".

Perhaps those of you living in "Conspirecyville" should look that up yourself instead of vomiting media blurbs from the spoonfed junk you call "news"
You want election reform?
1) Make all ballots write in
2) forbid any political candidate,in any prerecorded speech or publication,from mentioning any proper names. Can only use pronouns when referring to a person
3) political advertising limited to the telephone or mail.
You think corrupt washington types would last long if the rules were changed?

[forthepeopl1]

READ LOOKS GOOD WITH HIS HANDS UP!!!!!!!!!! SO MANY OF THEM SHOULD BE THAT WAY FOR TELLING SO MANY LIES TO THE AMERICANS THAT SUPPORTED THEM IN CONGRESS...

[forthepeopl1]

ok so wants to join in on this great american REVOLUTION
Posted by forthepeopl1 at 09:51 AM : May 23, 2007
+ report abuse
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they cant kill millions of americans at once so if we charge them all at once we will win and take them out and hang them all..

just like in the old days of the west...hang them from the trees in front of the whitehouse and see how many start telling the truth about what they have done to all us americans..
Posted by forthepeopl1 at 09:47 AM : May 23, 2007
report abuse
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if the american NOW dont stand up and start a NATIONAL REVOUTION ON THIS WASHINGTON BULL S/H/I/T/ THEN we as TRUE AMERICANS can say nothing!!!

its time to take all this *** and take our government back now..

[drummer94]

Ya know what just pizzes me off 'bout both parties? They always want to sneak some pork-barrel projects into these things. Have they no shame?

[forthepeopl1]

ok so wants to join in on this great american REVOLUTION

[forthepeopl1]

they cant kill millions of americans at once so if we charge them all at once we will win and take them out and hang them all..

just like in the old days of the west...hang them from the trees in front of the whitehouse and see how many start telling the truth about what they have done to all us americans..

[forthepeopl1]

if the american NOW dont stand up and start a NATIONAL REVOUTION ON THIS WASHINGTON BULL S/H/I/T/ THEN we as TRUE AMERICANS can say nothing!!!

its time to take all this *** and take our government back now..

[abbe7]

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1599682,00.html

[abbe7]

"Last time I checked, Congress still had not declared war on Iraq...
Posted by BareEmperor at 09:15 AM : May 23, 2007"

And look who agrees with you ...

"Gonzales: There was not a war declaration, either in connection with Al Qaida or in Iraq. It was an authorization to use military force. I only want to clarify that, because there are implications. Obviously, when you talk about a war declaration, you're possibly talking about affecting treaties, diplomatic relations. And so there is a distinction in law and in practice. And we're not talking about a war declaration. This is an authorization only to use military force."

[bareemperor]

Last time I checked, Congress still had not declared war on Iraq...

[lars008-2009]

what do you call an organization that:

kills you if you don't join it...

http://islamqa.com/index.php?ref=82201&ln=eng&txt=islam%20law%20kill%20kaafir

kills you if you leave it...

http://islamqa.com/index.php?ref=696&ln=eng&txt=kaafir%20kill

kills you if you don't do what they tell you to do..

http://islamqa.com/index.php?ref=6035&ln=eng&txt=kaafir%20kill

kills you if you speak against it%u2026.

http://islamqa.com/index.php?QR=22809&ln=eng

kills anybody that is not a member of it...

http://www.hauns.com/~DCQu4E5g/koran5.html

still practices pagan rituals...

http://answering-islam.org/Silas/pagansources.htm

allows the r a p e of babies and animals...

http://www.homa.org/default.asp?TOCID=2083225445

a. satanic cult???
b. islam???
c. all the above???

Our Prophet commanded us to fight the kaafirs when we are able and to attack them in their homelands and to give them three choices before we enter their lands: either they become Muslim and be like us, sharing our rights and duties; or they pay the jizyah (poll tax) and feel themselves subdued; or they fight, in which case their wealth, women, children and homes become permissible as booty for the Muslims.
http://islamqa.com/index.php?ref=13759&ln=eng&txt=before%20islam%20arabia%20pagan

[abbe7]

"But unfortunately the republican party is married to Bush, and cares more about giving money to Halliburton than the welfare of America.
Posted by cofmanaaron at 07:08 PM : May 22, 2007"

Don't forget Blackwater. We always refer to the troops as the official US army, and with good reasons. Any idea of how many US mercenaries would still be there after a US Army pull-out ?

[lars008-2009]

NOW CAN WE KILL THEM???

if it is ok for fascist nazi islamic muslims to kill all non muslims everywhere.... is it ok for the non muslims to kill all fascist nazi islamic muslims???

Wouldn't killing 5.1 BILLION people (the number of non muslims in the world) be the very definition of barbarism???
Or is it fascist nazi islam%u2019s way of solving global warming???

Switching Sides: Inside The Enemy Camp

But then in 2000, well before his arrest, something happened which would make Abas question everything he believed in: a fatwa, a religious edict, was issued by Osama bin Laden.

"It should be understood that killing Americans and Jews anywhere found are the highest act of worship and the highest form of good deeds in the eyes of Allah," Simon quotes bin Laden.

Abas and his fellow commanders were ordered to read the fatwa to their men and make sure they carried it out. The others obeyed, but Abas refused. It was his moment of truth. He firmly believed that jihad was to be fought only on the battlefield in defense of Islam; he had always been taught that the killing of civilians had nothing to do with holy war and that it was forbidden.

The fatwa justified killing non-Muslim civilians everywhere.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/05/04/60minutes/main2761108.shtml?source=RSSattr=60Minutes_2761108

[abbe7]

Blackwater, Halliburton, ... will finally get their
extra money ...

You didn't expect that money to be spent to "support the troops", did you ?

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/05/military_payhike_whitehouse_070516/

[toddpw01]

Great, now they have enough money to get them to the next fiscal year. We will not be out of Iraq until after Bush leaves office.

I guess our only option left is Mike Gravel's tactic for a reverse filibuster. Go check him out on youtube, he's got a lot of Vietnam-era lessons to teach us.

[searingtruth]

Mirror

My friends, sometimes the most difficult thing about fighting evil is realizing that it actually exists, and then unambiguously and forcefully calling it what it is.

History shows time and time again that one of evils greatest strengths is its ability to disguise itself as good, or at least a temporary necessity, until that last fatal moment when its revelation becomes clear, indisputable, and inescapable.

So today let us take a clear and unadulterated look into the mirror at ourselves.

Just six years ago we were one of the most respected and admired defenders of democracy and human rights in history. Respected not only by our friends, but even begrudgingly by most of our enemies. In fact, even the fantastic power of our military paled in comparison to the overwhelming might of our moral authority.

Today we are a nation that operates secret prisons occupied by anonymous inmates, illegally abducted and held indefinitely without charge or representation. We are guilty of torture. We are guilty of murder. We are guilty of preemptive war of conquest. We are guilty of the wholesale surveillance of our population, suppressing all hope of privacy and free dissent. And we are guilty of disgracing our nation through the abandonment of even our most basic precepts of morality.

If this is not evil, then nothing we have ever fought against is evil, and nothing we have ever fought for is good.


Excerpt from A Future of the Brave
A Future of the Brave - www.searingtruth.com

[searingtruth]

"... There are times for calm and lucidity, for compromise and even for diplomacy, but the truly fine art of fighting requires that when it is time to slay a dragon--we do not shirk from what needs doing and we do it thoroughly--lest it rise back up from the depths and destroy us all. Something needs killing in Washington and at this juncture, it appears the Democrats do not recognize the paradigm shift, the moving of chess pieces into place for a police state--the usurping and subversion of power. This could be a fatal mistake, especially if we, also blithely continue down a path of appeasement. I and many others are willing to try to slay the dragon. Because there is no shame in failure if we give it our all - ..."
toldyouso21


Indeed fellow patriot. And you are certainly on the list now, along with millions of other patriotic American citizens and I. Thank you for standing proudly and fearlessly as an American, despite all threat.
ST


It%u2019s not %u201CYou have nothing to fear unless you%u2019re doing something wrong%u201D.
It%u2019s %u201CYou have nothing to fear unless the government is doing something wrong.%u201D
SearingTruth

"In a world of universal deceit, telling the truth is revolutionary."
George Orwell, 1984

A Future of the Brave - www.searingtruth.com

[toldyouso21]

Posted by realpatriot1 at 11:15 PM : May 22, 2007

I truly believe that George Bush is a madman. such a person does not care about whether they are popular or even if they win. Winning means different things to different people. To him--nothing trumps loyalty--not even decency and nothing trumps winning, not even morality finally, nothing trumps standing steadfast and never backing down--not even the truth and honor. When a person is of that mindset, they are very dangerous, but predictable. The old games of shaming them or even showing public sentiment do not work. There are times for calm and lucidity, for compromise and even for diplomacy, but the truly fine art of fighting requires that when it is time to slay a dragon--we do not shirk from what needs doing and we do it thoroughly--lest it rise back up from the depths and destroy us all. Something needs killing in Washington and at this juncture, it appears the Democrats do not recognize the paradigm shift, the moving of chess pieces into place for a police state--the usurping and subversion of power. This could be a fatal mistake, especially if we, also blithely continue down a path of appeasement. I and many others are willing to try to slay the dragon. Because there is no shame in failure if we give it our all--. Something indeed, needs killing. But who in the Democratic camp has the stomach and the stamina to do it?