Congress OKs War Funding, Minus Timeline

Deadline Demand Dropped By Democrats In Response To Earlier Bush Veto

(CBS/AP)  Five months after taking power, congressional Democrats are still looking for an elusive change in course in Iraq.

Bowing to President Bush, the Democratic-controlled Congress grudgingly approved fresh billions for the Iraq war Thursday night, minus the troop withdrawal timeline that drew his earlier veto.

“The Iraqi government needs to show real progress in return for America's continued support and sacrifice,” said the commander in chief, and he warned that August could prove to be a bloody month for U.S. troops in Baghdad's murderous neighborhoods.

Democrats dropped troop withdrawal deadlines because they were unable to overcome a veto and unwilling to risk cutting off money for the troops, reports CBS News radio correspondent Bob Fuss.

The Senate's 80-14 vote to send the legislation to the president came less than two hours after the House gave its approval on a margin of 280-142. In both cases, Republicans supplied the bulk of the support, an oddity in an era of Democratic control.

Democrats in both houses coupled their concession with pledges to challenge Mr. Bush's his policies anew — and force Republicans to choose over and over between the president and public sentiment on the unpopular war. “This debate will go on,” vowed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada was even more emphatic. “Senate Democrats will not stop our efforts to change the course of this war until either enough Republicans join with us to reject President Bush's failed policy or we get a new president,” he said.

But Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky cautioned against more of the same. “I want to make it clear ... that if all funding bills are going to be this partisan and contentious, it will be a very long year,” he said.

From the White House to the Capitol, the day's events closed out one chapter in an epic struggle pitting Congress against the president over a war that has claimed the lives of more than 3,400 U.S. troops.

Democratic presidential politics played a role, as Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, then Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, cast votes against the legislation, which was strongly opposed by anti-war activists.

In the House, Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio choked back tears as he stirred memories of the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. “After 3,000 of our fellow citizens died at the hands of these terrorists, when are we going to take them on? When are we going to defeat them,” he asked.

The legislation includes nearly $95 billion to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through Sept. 30. In addition to jettisoning their plan for a troop withdrawal timeline, Democrats abandoned attempts to require the Pentagon to adhere to troop training, readiness and rest requirements unless Mr. Bush waived them.

The bill establishes a series of goals for the Iraqi government to meet as it strives to build a democratic country able to defend its own borders. Continued U.S. reconstruction aid would be conditioned on progress toward the so-called benchmarks, although Mr. Bush retains the authority to order that the funds be spent regardless of how the Baghdad government performs.

In exchange for providing the war money on Mr. Bush's terms, Democrats won White House approval for about $17 billion in spending above what the administration originally sought. Roughly $8 billion of that was for domestic programs from hurricane relief to farm aid to low-income children's health coverage.

Democrats also won a top priority — the first minimum wage increase in more than a decade. The current federal wage floor of $5.15 an hour will go to $7.25 in three installments of 70 cents.

Five months after taking power, Democrats also insisted on a variety of provisions to aid milk producers, American and Continental Airlines and rural counties hurt by the falloff in revenues from timber harvested on federal lands.

[liberate40]

Right on! Why should only middle class and the poor should fight the Bush wars? Send those party-hopping Bush brats to Iraq!

[liberate40]

War funding bill must include drafting the White House brats (Bush's twin daughters) and sending them to Iraq.

[forthepeopl1]

JULY 21 2007 IS WHEN AMERICANS WILL BE FREE AGAIN

EVERYONE THAT WANTS TO HELP WITH THIS SHOULD BE TALKING TO ALL MEDIA OUTLETS AND TELLING THEM THAT AMERICANS ARE READY TO TAKE WASHINGTON ON AND ITS NOT A FEW AMERICANS ITMILLIONS OF AMERICANS THAT WILL TAKE BACK THERE COUNTRY..

I AM WILLING TO GIVE MY BLOOD FOR ALL AMERICANS TO GET OUR COUNTRY BACK TO WHAT OUR FORFATHERS WANTED.

AM A VET AND AM READY TO TAKE CHARGE OF THIS AMERICAN BOYCOT/COOP IF WE THE PEOPLE DONT DO THIS NOW WE WILL BE GIVENING UP ON OUR CONSTITUTION AND WHAT ALL OUR VET HAVE DIED FOR..

DAVID A BELANGER,VET US ARMY,[e-mail]

ok so wants to join in on this great american REVOLUTION


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..


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..

they are the ones that started this and we will finnish it now..we the people will take our country back and everyone in washington can sit there and thinks we the people are ok with what they are doing..go ahead and let them think that we are comming to take them out

[citizenusa-2009]

Anyone that says non-support of WAR is essentially non-support of our SOLDIERS is a moron who thinks everyone else is ignorant. This is the oldest form of blackmail. It's a comment designed to make one feel BAD for trying to do something GOOD...(bringing our soldiers home alive), and is used when there is no other way to justify ongoing slaughter in the name of ???. You will find the joker who drones this line to be someone who is not the sharpest knife the the drawer.

[iceman_1960]

"In the House, Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio choked back tears as he stirred memories of the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. "After 3,000 of our fellow citizens died at the hands of these terrorists, when are we going to take them on? When are we going to defeat them," he asked.

Hey Boehnhead -- almost 3,500 of our fellow Americans have died in Iraq so a lousy Republican administration can save face.

And Saddam didn't attack us on 9/11.

Go to h*ell, Boehnhead.

[iceman_1960]

Rudy Giuliani accused Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton of "not supporting the troops."

Very original, Rudy.

Giuliani's idea of supporting the troops is to keep them indefinitely in the middle of an ugly sectarian civil war in Iraq, getting killed and wounded for no other reason than for Bush and his Republican administration to save face.

[rliller]

Let me say this very clearly; Democratic control of Congress was a staged event. The establishment orchestrated this in order to calm the public. They created a false sense of security for the millions and millions of people who were getting angrier by the day. Their little gate keeping activists groups like MoveOn.org were only going to keep the public under control for so long by marching the masses down to empty buildings in DC. So the establishment did the smart thing, they gave the Democrats a big useless pacifier: Congress. And just like any pacifier, you can suck all you want...but you're only going to end up with is spit It is time to revolt and take back out Constitution, our government.

[forthepeopl1]

JULY 21 2007 IS WHEN AMERICANS WILL BE FREE AGAIN

EVERYONE THAT WANTS TO HELP WITH THIS SHOULD BE TALKING TO ALL MEDIA OUTLETS AND TELLING THEM THAT AMERICANS ARE READY TO TAKE WASHINGTON ON AND ITS NOT A FEW AMERICANS ITMILLIONS OF AMERICANS THAT WILL TAKE BACK THERE COUNTRY..

I AM WILLING TO GIVE MY BLOOD FOR ALL AMERICANS TO GET OUR COUNTRY BACK TO WHAT OUR FORFATHERS WANTED.

AM A VET AND AM READY TO TAKE CHARGE OF THIS AMERICAN BOYCOT/COOP IF WE THE PEOPLE DONT DO THIS NOW WE WILL BE GIVENING UP ON OUR CONSTITUTION AND WHAT ALL OUR VET HAVE DIED FOR..

DAVID A BELANGER,VET US ARMY,[e-mail]

ok so wants to join in on this great american REVOLUTION


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..


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..

they are the ones that started this and we will finnish it now..we the people will take our country back and everyone in washington can sit there and thinks we the people are ok with what they are doing..go ahead and let them think that we are comming to take them out

[ajmarine1]

usaadvisor101,

"go right on supporting Bush if that is what you want to do, but don't give me this oh I'm tired of libs and Neocons arguing."

I am tired, you guys just go on and on about Bush or how the lib's are cowards or whatever, it's time to step back, take a breath, and remember, we are all Americans. Our enemies are laughing there a**,s off at us.

As far as Israel, their creation started all of this; I don't know why the US government supports them like they do. Iran Contra, support for Saddam, more things that the government thought needed to be done. People that post on these things act like they have all the answers and know everything that went on with the government. I don't, nor should I know everything our government knows. Maybe I'm not smart enough to know everything, I just have faith that which ever party is in control of the White House and Congress has the best interests of the country at heart.

I don't care what you think of Bush, I'm just trying to get back a little respect for the office of President, history will judge Bush as either a man with a visionary plan to drag the Middle East into the 21th Century or as a stupid man with a stupid plan.

Again, I don't care who wins in the Middle East, heck give it all to Iran for all I care; just bring this never ending killing to an end.

[ajmarine1]

usaadvisor101,

I've seen your posts and I know you have a passion and drive for your points of view, that is your right; I'm just tired of "Lib's and "Neocon's" going at it. We are all Americans.

I am 57 years old and I've grown up with the Middle East; I think the whole thing is a festering boil that no one has wanted to lance until now because it would envolve war. I would like for all sides to choose sides, arm themselves and have at it, winner take all. I'm sick of hearing about the Middle East and I wish someone had the b**ls to commit to a "real war" and get this straightened out once and for all, or get out of the region and shut up. Develope Hydrogen fuels and leave them to their own fates.

There are no "nocombatant" Marine's or other service personnel, you life is always on the line when you serve your country. Your servce, no matter what you did, is respected and appreciated.

P.S. Don't call me "Sir" please, I was only a Corporal when I got out.

As you know, "No one wants to fight a war, but someone has to know how."

Semper Fi.

[forthepeopl1]

JULY 21 2007 IS WHEN AMERICANS WILL BE FREE AGAIN

EVERYONE THAT WANTS TO HELP WITH THIS SHOULD BE TALKING TO ALL MEDIA OUTLETS AND TELLING THEM THAT AMERICANS ARE READY TO TAKE WASHINGTON ON AND ITS NOT A FEW AMERICANS ITMILLIONS OF AMERICANS THAT WILL TAKE BACK THERE COUNTRY..

I AM WILLING TO GIVE MY BLOOD FOR ALL AMERICANS TO GET OUR COUNTRY BACK TO WHAT OUR FORFATHERS WANTED.

AM A VET AND AM READY TO TAKE CHARGE OF THIS AMERICAN BOYCOT/COOP IF WE THE PEOPLE DONT DO THIS NOW WE WILL BE GIVENING UP ON OUR CONSTITUTION AND WHAT ALL OUR VET HAVE DIED FOR..

DAVID A BELANGER,VET US ARMY,[e-mail]

ok so wants to join in on this great american REVOLUTION


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..


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..

they are the ones that started this and we will finnish it now..we the people will take our country back and everyone in washington can sit there and thinks we the people are ok with what they are doing..go ahead and let them think that we are comming to take them out

[beanerman4]

"Democrats won White House approval for about $17 billion in spending above what the administration originally sought."
"Democrats also won a top priority %u2014 the first minimum wage increase in more than a decade."

*******Consolation/Booby Prizes*******

"Five months after taking power, Democrats also insisted on a variety of provisions to aid milk producers..."

This is so we can all, democrats too, mimic cows and "moo" with the herd.

[randalds]

John Boehner burst into fake, rehearsed tears as he tried to link Iraq to 9/11.

Posted by Iceman_1960 at 08:07 AM : May 25, 2007


I don't think they were fake tears as much as drunk ones. I mean even while crying he was slurring his words so bad that he sounded just like the old drunk at every bar crying about how things were "in his days" and how the kids of today just "don't understand". I like to tip the scotch a bit too much myself from time to time and I would swear in court he was sloppy drunk.

[starleo146]

PostedAaaBee 1:51 You know we are not on opposite sides what you posted I absolutely agree the problem was me I guess what I hear are leaks to the media by someone is how they handle it . I could be wrong again but I know I have heard things and the insurgents just followed accordingly.

[tucano2]

The REAL war is here at home where the President and several members of Congress are waving white flags of surrender to the Illegal Aliens. Consider the following.
Here are some 5/07 poll results for you (Rasmussen Poll).
52 percent USA voters LESS likely to support any candidate favoring illegal aliens to stay and be converted to "citizens"

56 percent favor ENFORCE CURRENT LAWS instead of granting either legal status or "citizenship" to illegal aliens

79 percent favor increased border security, PENALIZING EMPLOYERS who hire illegals, and INCREASED cooperation between local police and ICE.

51 percent favor having an effective fence all the way from San Diego to Brownsville, some 2000 miles.

71 percent have little or NO CONFIDENCE IN GOVERNMENT to weed out bomb-throwing terrorists

64 percent favor immediate deportation of illegal aliens

IS THERE ANY PARTICULAR EXCUSE THE INDIVIDUALS CURRENTLY IN THE SENATE ARE DEAF TO WHAT REAL AMERICANS DEMAND OF THEM? We need to question each one as to their loyalty to the AMERICAN people. We know the President is anti-American and even more so the tighter he wraps himself in our flag, the last refuge of a total scoundrel.

[aaabee-2009]

:)

[ajmarine1]

AaaBee,

You seem to be an intelligent individual, very passionate about your views, and "yes" we are in a time when people should be passionate when people are being killed.

You do a good job of "letting your antiwar position being know. And you do it without calling people names; a very refreshing breath of clean air on some of these blogs.

[aaabee-2009]

You and I may be on opposites sides of this one. :) I believe there already is a gag order on the media.

But what you said does agree with what bugs me about Bush's excuse that the war cannot have timelines because the insurgents only have to wait us out.

I am pretty sure that means America can NEVER leave Iraq, it will not matter when our soldiers go, the insurgents will still be there. They live there. The insurgents will ALWAYS be able to wait us out. No matter when we leave.

But if America stays (to halt the resurgents or whatever) we can also protect our oil interests at the same time, couldn't we?

But the media discussing anything about oil would mean that our troops were over there fighting to get oil and dying to get oil and American families wouldn't take that lying down.

[infidel_us]

it's in Tenet's book also, along with more damning information. The story hasn't broke on CBS yet, go to MSNBC.
Posted by rsoxfan1123 at 12:09 PM : May 25, 2007

"It is likely that Democrats and Republicans on the Hill will question how the administration could have predicted a short, easy war given these warnings and why it has taken more four years for them to surface."

I will keep an open mind, but I will be very interested in hearing what they have to say about this. This administration better have one hellava good excuse for "disregarding" this intelligence.

[starleo146]

AaaBee I am so glad you said that about the media just listen yesterday during the Bush news conference he said," there will be a report by General Petraus as to how we are doing in September". Now my first thought was well all the insurgents have to do is give us all they have in August, and a reporter asked that to him,so my concern is everything is put out there, our troops have no element of surprise, do we ever hear what the insurgents next move will be we can have accountability without giving out our next move. I think some kind of gag on the media is called for. they must realize how they put our troops in danger.