Congress Approves $70B For Wars

Passage Of Massive Spending Bill Marks Dems' Failure To Force Change In Bush's Iraq Policy

(AP)  Congress approved $70 billion Wednesday for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, a bitter finish for majority Democrats who tried to force a change in President Bush's war policy.

The House's 272-142 vote also sent the president a $555 billion catchall spending bill that combines the war money with money for 14 Cabinet departments.

Bush and his Senate GOP allies forced the Iraq money upon anti-war Democrats as the price for permitting the year-end budget deal to pass and be signed. But other Democrats were eager to avoid being seen as not supporting troops who are in harm's way - and avoid weeks of bashing by Bush for failing to provide that money.

"This is a blank check," complained Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass. "The new money in this bill represents one cave-in too many. It is an endorsement of George Bush's policy of endless war."

The vote reflected the reluctance by each party to deny money to troops in the field. At the same time, anti-war Democrats had found their position weakened by the decline in violence in Iraq.

War spending aside, Bush's GOP allies were divided over whether the overall spending bill was a victory for their party in the months-long fight with Democrats over agency budgets.

Conservatives and outside groups such as the Club for Growth, which seeks to elect lawmakers opposed to tax and spending increases, criticized the bill for having about $28 billion in domestic spending that topped Bush's budget and was paid for by a combination of "emergency" spending, transfers from the defense budget and other maneuvers.

Republican leaders acknowledged some excesses. But they said the measure could have cost a lot more if the GOP and the White House not stood firm against more than $20 billion in additional domestic spending included in Democratic spending bills that passed last summer.

"The fact is we got the number down to the baseline," said House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio.

Boehner supported moves that effectively broke Bush's budget cap to provide record budget increases for veterans and to build a fence and provide additional security along the U.S.-Mexico border.

While disappointed on the Iraq money, Democrats said the spending bill smoothed the rough edges of the president's February budget plan. That proposal had sought below-inflation increases for most domestic programs and contained numerous cuts and program eliminations.

For Democrats, just finishing the budget ended up as the driving goal. They wanted to avoid the humiliation of failing to enact the spending bills after criticizing then-majority Republicans for not doing so last year.

The spending legislation affects virtually every part of the government other than the Defense Department's core programs. It would pay for food and toy safety inspections, NASA, the FBI, the Coast Guard, education, health research and national park operations.

It also contains about 9,000 pet projects sought by lawmakers, at a cost of more than $7 billion, according to Taxpayers for Common Sense, a Washington-based group that fights such projects.

The bill would raise the pay of federal civilian workers by 3.5 percent, extend farm subsidies the food stamp program until March 15 and eliminated money for a next generation nuclear warhead. It also would keep banks from entering the real estate business.

But the White House succeeded in using veto threats to rid the bill of more contentious items such as ending a ban on U.S. aid to overseas family planning groups that perform abortions and easing financing of agricultural and medical sales to Cuba.

[mcv57]

Don''''''''t be so hard and judgmental on Americans, foreigners. Its corrupt infrastucture of greedy politicians, corporate bribery, and government officials painted a false picture and deception for the last 30-40 years. Actually, the American government is trying to cover-up its exploitation by seeking foreign funding on its taxpayers backs.

I am sure you have millions upon millions of your fellow uneducated dumb*as*ses who trusted their government.

As an American veteran I am ashame that the lower and middle class citizens have allow this debacle to unfold. George Bush should be hanged for treason against the U.S. Constitution. The Bushwacker is pulling his last trump card - unprovoked WAR.

[canyoutellme-2009]

I know a way to STOP this madness... DON''T PAY YOUR TAXES. If EVERYONE in the nation stops paying taxes, what will they do? Arrest us ALL? Can''t put 300M people in prison... but it WILL bankrupt the gov''t in a heartbeat.

[bareemperor]

Truckloads of Ca$h are being delivered to our Congressmen and women.
When will someone look into the spending habits of our elected ''officials''???
Why else would this many people vote against the American public''s wishes?

[rowdytexan2]

Posted by verifyuser at 08:45 PM : Dec 19, 2007

Nor for long!! :)

[searingtruth]

"The Republican and Democratic parties have delivered us into the hands of darkness."
SearingTruth


A Future of the Brave - www.searingtruth.com

[bluestardad]

AMERICA YOU GET WHAT YOU DESERVE....

YOU VOTED THESE CRIMINALS IN

AND LET THEM STAY!

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT OR SHUT UP!

[mcv57]

bluestardad,

You first, even the Roman citizens were afraid of the pretorian guard. The FBI so corrupt you begin to wonder why they still exist.

Go head, get organized I will march on Pennsylvania Avenue with you.

[mcv57]

anyway, I did not vote for the Bushwacker. I wrote Bozo the Clown on my ballot, for real. The infrastructure is so layed to waste, that I thought I''d get a few laughs before it crumbles.

[searingtruth]

No one is surprised when the majority Democrats do exactly what the minority Republicans tell them to anymore.

That''s why this thread is so bare.
ST


"Dictators usually surround themselves with at least the minimal trappings of democracy, most often a powerless and amoral parliament or congress to rubber stamp their every crime."
SearingTruth

A Future of the Brave - www.searingtruth.com

[downtowner97]

Take THAT you spineless liberals. Now we get to borrow $70 billion more from Communist China that we''ll get to pay back double. We can easily pay our debt back to China by printing hundred dollar bills over a weekend or two. Never mind that each dollar we print is worth less than the last, we''ve got a war to fight!

[samrensho]

Congress is as corrupt as the administration. They''re all lining their pockets at the tax payers expense.

[samrensho]

Hey Nancy, George says "Whose your daddy".

[nothappyatall]

Congratulations democraps, you just showed the nation that y''all are as SPINELESS and corrupt as the repubicCONS, caving in FOUR times to this Bush monster is 4 times too many.
I''m changing to the Libertarian party come January.

[jetranger7]

The ENTIRE Political party is Corrupt, both sides, the Republigoons , and the DIM-O'' CREEPS !! Enough is Enough of both parties, their all fraudulent, this country is gone, not about to go, but already gone ! Whats even worse is some bumbling idiot, whos gonna tell us he supports the troops, with a bumper sticker, and then immediately heads down to WAL-MART to shop, what a moron !!!!

[republic1776]

There''re into in together, Good Cop, Bad Cop

As long as we have a 2 Party system we''re stuck with these pieces of $hit.

Both "sides" live like royalty on our dime!

[woodjd42]

JetRanger7
I''m with you. One of my biggest complaints is of these jerks that say "support the troops" but do nothing but put a bumper sticker on their car and support cutting the Vets budget.
Most of these idiots defending this Iraq war and calling people like myself un-American, coward, and a host of other names, have never even served much less been in combat. I guess that''s why they follow someone like bush and chaney.

[antizion]

Screw the troops. That is nothing more than pentagon welfare for idiots with an anger management problem.

70 billion or the three trillion this war will cost in the end could buy free education and health care for the rest of our lives.

Of course the merchants of death and oilmen like Bush and Cheney would have to cut back on their profiteering. Too f''ing bad.

RE-ELECT NOBODY and if your votes are not counted again this time... Eat the rich.

[watcher269-2009]

YES!! 70 Billion more for Iraq - and 00.00 for our children and schools - Now that''s America!!!

Support the Troops and Fu*k the Children!!

[watcher269-2009]

Is that all? 70 Billion? Those Cheap Republicans - why can''t they support the war? Those Bedwetting Commie Republicans. Just think how much more money for military spending there would be if we started Taxing Churches. Why do they get a free ride? They want to be involved in politics - Tax them and let them pay for the increases in military spending.

Say YES to Taxing Churches! It''s the only way to shut them up!

[cbs_oliver]

In the meantime, greed for oil has led the UN to illegal acts in Iran.

"Bush, Maliki Break Iraqi Law to Renew U.N. Mandate for Occupation
By Raed Jarrar and Joshua Holland, AlterNet
December 20, 2007
http://www.alternet.org/story/71144/

On Tuesday, the Bush administration and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki pushed a resolution through the U.N. Security Council extending the mandate that provides legal cover for foreign troops to operate in Iraq for another year.

The move violated both the Iraqi constitution and a law passed earlier this year by the Iraqi parliament -- the only body directly elected by all those purple-finger-waving Iraqis in 2005 -- and it defied the will of around 80 percent of the Iraqi population.
Earlier in the week, a group representing a majority of lawmakers in Iraq''s parliament -- a group made up of Sunni, Shiite and secular leaders -- sent a letter to the Security Council, a rough translation of which reads: "We reject in the strongest possible terms the unconditional renewal of the mandate and ask for clear mechanisms to obligate all foreign troops to completely withdrawal from Iraq according to an announced timetable."

We don''t know if it was even read by members of the Security Council, but we do know that it, like previous communications from the Iraqi legislature, was completely ignored.

...the commercial media has so far ignored the story entirely, reporting only that "Iraq" had requested that the mandate be renewed."

[mike71067]

George W. Bush - "lame duck" my asss.

[samsel3]

The administrations interest in Iran & nukes is a smoke screen for their real agenda. Their true interests are Cheney''s energy policy.Condi Rice is a former board member of Chevron oil and mouthpiece for the administrations energy policy. Part of that policy is the The Caspian Sea pipeline which will go through Turkmenistan, Afghanistan,Pakistan,India & Nepal.It will be cheaper to construct if they can go through Iran, but regime change is necessary first. The Caspian sea area holds one third of the world''s oil and south asian oil markets are their target market. This pipeline was also the reason for the Afghanistan invasion. Cheney''s energy policy is the root of all these middle east wars, a federal court judge sealed all documents associated with it for the administration, and it''s a shame that the national media are not allowed to discuss or comment on it. More troops are needed in Afghanistan to protect the contractors building the pipeline. Iran stands in the way of total control of global oil with direct sales of oil to china and is now in the crosshairs. China said there would be dire consequences if the US interfered with there direct oil contracts with Iran. Both parties in the Congress should be very concerned with China''s growing war machine and need for oil. They are the real threat & the administration doesn''t care they are in control!!! All that matters to them is BIG OIL and their corporate stock portfolios

[mudrose-2009]

Is that all? 70 Billion? Those Cheap Republicans - why can''''t they support the war? Those Bedwetting Commie Republicans. Just think how much more money for military spending there would be if we started Taxing Churches. Why do they get a free ride? They want to be involved in politics - Tax them and let them pay for the increases in military spending.

Say YES to Taxing Churches! It''''s the only way to shut them up!
Posted by watcher269

They get a free ride because the Constitution says they get a free ride. The can get invovled in politics because the constitution gives them the right to get involved in politics. And I believe last time I looked that I lived in America and according to our Declaration of Independence, our Constitution is based on the belief that our rights are derived from God, not man. Our Founders had no problem with expression of religion in the public square you dolt. It was the intention that all people could worship as they pleased. And since people belong to Churches and Churches are comprised of people, why shouldn''t the Churches speak out. Maybe you should go to Canada, England or the Netherlands. There you could do what you *** well please without the so-called Churches bothering your sensitive ears.

[mudrose-2009]

Posted by samsel3

You really should share your intelligence with Leaky Leahy. The two of you together might be able to form one brain.

[hungry1968]

Congratulations - "Cowards of Congress".


Giving money to Bush for his illegal war of aggression, is the EXACT SAME THING as giving it to al Maliki, Muqtada al Sadr, or any other Bush supporting terrorist.

[mudrose-2009]

YES!! 70 Billion more for Iraq - and 00.00 for our children and schools - Now that''''s America!!!

Support the Troops and Fu*k the Children!!

Posted by watcher269

The Dimnowits have been fu*king the children for over 40 years now. It''s called ABORTION. DEMOCRATS, THE PARTY OF DEATH.

[mudrose-2009]

Congratulations - "Cowards of Congress".


Giving money to Bush for his illegal war of aggression, is the EXACT SAME THING as giving it to al Maliki, Muqtada al Sadr, or any other Bush supporting terrorist.
Posted by hungry1968

Don''t fret just yet, Pewlosi, Reid, Leahy, et al will be certain Al-Qaeda gets all rights and privileges that America can offer to any legitimate terrorist.

[bareemperor]

We will be rewarding Congress with our votes in 2008... NOT.

[hungry1968]

They get a free ride because the Constitution says they get a free ride. The can get invovled in politics because the constitution gives them the right to get involved in politics.

Posted by mudrose at 08:57 AM : Dec 20, 2007



Please tell us all - which amendment to the constitution gives the church the right to NOT pay taxes?

If they want to act as the single most powerful lobbyist organization in the country, then they should be taxed appropriately.

[hungry1968]

Don''''t fret just yet, Pewlosi, Reid, Leahy, et al will be certain Al-Qaeda gets all rights and privileges that America can offer to any legitimate terrorist.

Posted by mudrose at 09:01 AM : Dec 20, 2007


Al Qaeda already has all the rights and privileges that they''ll ever need. How many people can murder 2976 people and walk away from the crime, and you don''t have to worry about getting caught because the president called off the search?

Well, other than the president himself that has murdered almost 4,000 service men and women without being charged with his illegal activities.

And you call the Democrats the party of death?

[hungry1968]

Please tell us all - which amendment to the constitution gives the church the right to NOT pay taxes?

If they want to act as the single most powerful lobbyist organization in the country, then they should be taxed appropriately.

Posted by hungry1968 at 09:05 AM : Dec 20, 2007


Hey Mudhole - where did you go? Did you run away already? Here''s a little something for you - a gift if you will:


http://www.usconstitution.net/

[mudrose-2009]

America%u2019s tax laws are designed to favor non-profit and charitable institutions which presumably benefit the community. The buildings of private schools and universities, for example, are exempt from property taxes. Donations to charities like the Red Cross are tax deductible. Organizations which engage in medical or scientific research can take advantage of favorable tax laws. Environmental groups can raise tax-free funds by selling books.

Churches, however, tend to benefit the most from the various tax exemptions available, in particular because they qualify for many of them automatically, whereas non-religious groups have to go through a more complicated application and approval process. Non-religious groups also have to be more accountable for where their money goes, while churches, in order to avoid possibly excessive entanglements between church and state, do not have to submit financial disclosure statements.

[mudrose-2009]

By and large, the worldwide multi-cultural feeling is that religious institutions occupy a special place in all societies that is best served by tax-exemption, and that societies (of various types) are best served when religions are allowed to freely make moral statements, even if they have political impact.

[mudrose-2009]

Organizations that are exempt under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) are those whose purposes are religious, charitable, scientific, literary, or educational. They may also foster national or international amateur sports competition, prevent cruelty to children or animals, or test for public safety.

[mudrose-2009]

And you call the Democrats the party of death?

Posted by hungry1968

DEMOCRATS, THE PARTY OF DEATH.

[katg21]

Well, other than the president himself that has murdered almost 4,000 service men and women without being charged with his illegal activitiesPosted by hungry1968

Psycho. Why don''t you call other wartime presidents murderers?

[katg21]

Say YES to Taxing Churches! It''''''''s the only way to shut them up!
Posted by watcher269


Ah yes, tax churches and we''ll all be saved! What an idiot!

[hungry1968]

Organizations that are exempt under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) are those whose purposes are religious, charitable, scientific, literary, or educational. They may also foster national or international amateur sports competition, prevent cruelty to children or animals, or test for public safety.

Posted by mudrose at 09:25 AM : Dec 20, 2007



You said that the constitution gives them the right to be exempt from taxes. Where in the constitution does it say that?

In the above passage from the tax code, where does it say that they are exempt from taxes while acting as a paid endorser / supporter / lobbyist for specific candidates or political parties?

[mudrose-2009]

You said that the constitution gives them the right to be exempt from taxes. Where in the constitution does it say that?

In the above passage from the tax code, where does it say that they are exempt from taxes while acting as a paid endorser / supporter / lobbyist for specific candidates or political parties?

Posted by hungry1968
TRY THE FIRST AMENDMENT. IT''S A SIMPLE LITTLE AMENDMENT THAT SAYS AN AWFUL LOT. MAYBE IF YOU TAKE ONE WORD AT A TIME, AND PARSE IT CAREFULLY, IT WILL SOMEHOW HIT YOU AS TO WHAT THAT MEANS.

[hungry1968]

DEMOCRATS, THE PARTY OF DEATH.

Posted by mudrose at 09:27 AM : Dec 20, 2007


Who supports the death penalty?

Who supports the war in Iraq?

Who won''t provide funding for health care for children?

Who won''t provide federal funding for stem cell research which has great potential to cure some of the worst diseases and illnesses we''ve ever known?

Who advocates offshoring all of our excellent paying jobs to foreign countries that use slave AND child labor, while those companies pour poison and pollution directly into the environment?

Who does absolutely NOTHING about DARFUR?

Who created a war that has created 2 million refugees, killed (an estimated) 850,000, 4,000 American soldiers, and had another 20,000 American soldeirs maimed for life?

No question - the party of death is absolutely the GOP. And those that support them are just as guilty.

[hungry1968]

By and large, the worldwide multi-cultural feeling is that religious institutions occupy a special place in all societies that is best served by tax-exemption, and that societies (of various types) are best served when religions are allowed to freely make moral statements, even if they have political impact.


Posted by mudrose at 09:23 AM : Dec 20, 2007


I''m also glad to see Pat Robertson (christian terrorist) endorsing Guiliani - the GOP candidate IN FAVOR OF ABORTIONS!!!

Bwaa haa haaa!!!!

[hungry1968]

Psycho. Why don''''t you call other wartime presidents murderers?

Posted by katg21 at 09:28 AM : Dec 20, 2007


Because no other presidents have plunged us into a war for no legitimate reason.

Duh.

[katg21]

Because no other presidents have plunged us into a war for no legitimate reason
Posted by hungry1968

Vietnam???

[hungry1968]

Ah yes, tax churches and we''''ll all be saved! What an idiot!

Posted by katg21 at 09:32 AM : Dec 20, 2007


If the churches paid income and property taxes, like every other paid lobbyist organization has to, how much money could be raised?

They had enough to pay $600 million dollars CASH in hush money to people molested in the LA diocese.

That''s enough to pay for 12 hours in Bush''s war!!!

[mudrose-2009]

Posted by hungry1968

WHO SUPPORTS ABORTION, UNFETTED, PARTIAL-BIRTH ENDLESS RIVERS OF DEAD, DISMEMBERED, CHILDREN? WHO SUPPORTS DISMEMBERING EMBYROS RATHER THAN ADULT STEM CELL RESEARCH?

WHO SUPPORTS SOCIALIZED MEDICINE?

IF THE AFRICAN UNION AND THE UN DON''T GIVE A ***** ABOUT DAFUR, AND MUSLIM HACKS IN DAFUR ARE BLOCKING ANY SORT OF INTENATIONAL AID FROM REACHING THE PEOPLE, WOULD YOU LIKE US TO OPEN UP ANOTHER FRONT SO YOU CAN FEEL BETTER?

SOLDIERS AREN''T VICTIMS. THEY KNOW FULL WELL WHAT THEY ARE GETTING INTO AND IT WOULD BEHOOVE YOU TO NOTE THAT OUR TROOPS HAVE VOLUNTEERED FOR SEVERAL TOURS OF DUTY IN IRAQ BECAUSE THEY FEEL THEIR JOB IS NOT DONE.

PLEASE SPARE ME YOUR SAPPY HUMANITARIAN *********. IT REALLY ISN''T SINCERE. IT''S DOPEY, RATHER!

YOU ARE SO FULL OF HYPOCRISY IT ISN''T FUNNY.

[nolalou]

hungry1968, thanks for your post on GOP''s culture of death. I couldn''t have said it better myself! I do wish the Senate had the votes to stand up to Bush on the Iraq war funding, but the fact is they have only a one vote majority, and some so-called democrats won''t go along with the rest of the party. We also have Lieberman, who aligns himself with the Democrats, but votes like a right wing hawk on Iraq ! I hope with the next election that the Democratic majority in the Senate will increase, coupled with a Democratic president, so we will finally see and end to the US presence in Iraq.

[hungry1968]

TRY THE FIRST AMENDMENT. IT''''S A SIMPLE LITTLE AMENDMENT THAT SAYS AN AWFUL LOT. MAYBE IF YOU TAKE ONE WORD AT A TIME, AND PARSE IT CAREFULLY, IT WILL SOMEHOW HIT YOU AS TO WHAT THAT MEANS.

Posted by mudrose at 09:38 AM : Dec 20, 2007


It says, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

In other words, Congress will in no way create or endorse a religion, and in no way will it prohibit people from exercising that religion.

Where does it say, as you stated, that they are exempt from paying taxes?

I''m particularly interested in how they are exempt from paying taxes while acting as a paid lobbyist.

[hungry1968]

Posted by mudrose at 09:50 AM : Dec 20, 2007


Adult stem cells, and skin cells, don''t hold anywhere near as much promise as embryonic stem cells. Most of these stem cells are thrown out as medical waste anyway - why not use them to save lives?

Supporting socialized medicine makes them the party of death? How can you possibly rationalize giving everyone health care, as advocating death?!?!?!

As far as Darfur, I don''t think we should get involved. But one of the battle cries for invading Iraq was that Saddam Hussein committed genocide. Why is genocide in Iraq a good enough reason to invade and have our troops slaughtered, but when it comes to the Sudan, we just close our eyes and pretend it doesn''t exist?

"SOLDIERS AREN''T VICTIMS. THEY KNOW FULL WELL WHAT THEY ARE GETTING INTO AND IT WOULD BEHOOVE YOU TO NOTE THAT OUR TROOPS HAVE VOLUNTEERED FOR SEVERAL TOURS OF DUTY IN IRAQ BECAUSE THEY FEEL THEIR JOB IS NOT DONE."

That passage from you says to me, "It''s perfectly acceptable that our troops are dying for nothing" and is the most offensive post I''ve ever seen.

GOP - the party of more wealth for the wealthy at the expense of the lives of the poor and middle classes.

[hungry1968]

How dare you, Hungry ? You just chased Muddy away from here with all your facts and the simple fact that she''''s being called out on her BS. Cheers!

Posted by parrot2 at 10:05 AM : Dec 20, 2007



Bush is on tv right now announcing more contempt and hatred for America - she''s busy m@sterb@ting to his image on tv.

[mudrose-2009]

Ah yes, tax churches and we''''''''ll all be saved! What an idiot!

Posted by katg21 at 09:32 AM : Dec 20, 2007


If the churches paid income and property taxes, like every other paid lobbyist organization has to, how much money could be raised?

They had enough to pay $600 million dollars CASH in hush money to people molested in the LA diocese.

That''''s enough to pay for 12 hours in Bush''''s war!!!

Posted by hungry1968

HOW ABOUT WE JUST TELL THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THAT THEY WILL BE TAXED 100% SO THAT FROM NOW ON THEY WILL HAVE CRADDLE TO GRAVE CARE SO THAT YOU CAN SIT ON YOUR FAT AZZ AND FEED OFF OF EVERYONE? THIS WAY YOU WON''T HAVE TO PAY FOR ANYTHING OR ANYONE. IT WILL ALL BE SIMULTANEOUSLY GIVEN AND TAKEN AWAY. AND YOU CAN SURRENDER TO YOUR EVERY WHIM WITHOUT ANY SORT OF MORAL AUTHORITY LOOKING OVER YOUR SHOULDER TELLING YOU HOW UTTERLY PIGGISH YOU ARE. HOW''S THAT, DOES IT HELP.