Breaking: House passes Iraq timetable; Update: Bush rips Dems over bill; Update: Video added
posted at 1:08 pm on March 23, 2007 by Allahpundit
Share on Facebook | regular view
To help get reluctant lawmakers on board, Democrats added “sweeteners” to the $124 billion emergency supplemental spending bill.
The legislation includes some $21 billion to pay for items not in Bush’s original request to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, including $25 million to bail out spinach growers in California hurt by last year’s E. coli outbreak…
Defense Secretary Robert Gates called for Congress to pass the bill quickly, or the military would be forced to take severe stopgap measures because of a lack of funding.
No one’s enthusiastic about the bill and it’ll die in the Senate or on Bush’s desk, but at least she succeeded in asserting her authority. That’s the only thing that was accomplished here, not counting the fingerpointing that’ll start once the bill fails and both parties blame each other for not funding the troops.
While we wait for the roll, here’s an attack ad produced by the office of GOP Deputy Whip Eric Cantor that’s making the rounds. Eh.
Update: Here’s the roll. At a glance, I count only two Republicans — Wayne Gilchrest and Walter Jones — in the majority. Most of the Democrats who voted no, most notably Maxine Waters and Lynn Woolsey, did so because they’re stridently anti-war, not Blue Dogs.
Update: Ah, here we go. Gateway Pundit lists all the legislative bribes that had to be made to get a majority to vote Pelosi’s way.
Update: Bush is laying into the Dems at a press conference as I write this and, I might add, doing a hell of a job at it. We’ll have video shortly.
Update (Ian): I can’t remember the last time Bush said something that got me excited (and Allah too!):
Update (Ian): Video: Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX) lectures Murtha on what it means to be a marine.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Comment pages: 1 2 3 Next »
Surrendercrats strike fear into the heart of Islamofascists, no?
Good Lt on March 23, 2007 at 1:11 PM
Er, no. On second thought, hell no.
steveegg on March 23, 2007 at 1:14 PM
“AP” I beg to differ here. There was no victory over something that is DOA. She “gave” concessions to buy votes from the other hypocrits in order to say she got something through. She got SQUAT through. It stinks and to characterize that she “got it done” is a mass absurdity of the day. Really. It sucks. Its dead. Its ridiculous.
auspatriotman on March 23, 2007 at 1:15 PM
Well, so much for Bobby Jindal – his campaign office called the other day to ask if they could use my name in an ad (I’m still trying to figure out why they’d want to! must be an ad with lots of supporter’s names in tiny print or something) and I agreed. Now, not so much. He’s proved he can be bought – and to allow himself to be bought when he has every reason to expect Bush to veto it means he’s not even that smart.
Laura on March 23, 2007 at 1:18 PM
Problem here folks… This sets the stage for our troops NOT getting funding…
Now… Iran is pushing, both in the UN, and as demonstrated by the taking of the British Sailors… do you really think they would be pushing EXCEPT for the fact that they read the papers about how our own defeatocrats are surrendering???
This aint happening in a vacuum.
Romeo13 on March 23, 2007 at 1:19 PM
The money on a stick kind of negotiations.
Speakup on March 23, 2007 at 1:19 PM
You have more confidence then I do. So far there has been no signs of backbone or action from anyone of the elected masses that gives that particular line of reasoning any confidence.
Maybe that is what this bill should be named “A No Confidence vote on military action in Iraq”
LakeRuins on March 23, 2007 at 1:19 PM
Nice: The United States House of Representatives just told the mullahs it is ok to rename Baghdad to Ayatollah Kohmeini
City.
Like Fred Thompson said: ‘people beating on the undercarriage of helicopters’.
I have some Stars and Bars here someplace.
Limerick on March 23, 2007 at 1:23 PM
whores.
jummy on March 23, 2007 at 1:26 PM
You can buy more votes using spinach farmers in CA then you can by using troops in harms way, that is the real message.
Firetruck the troops let’s get some money for the homeboys.
I am at a lost of what to do anymore. Those in Washington continue to carry on as if nothing but getting reelected matters anymore and everything else is negotiable. And of course too many of their enablers continue to reward this sort of behavior.
LakeRuins on March 23, 2007 at 1:26 PM
I wonder how long it’ll be until somebody let’s our troops actually win a war.
If Congress just took a few decades off …. would anybody notice? Maybe we could pay them not to work. Like subsidies for farmers in Iowa – that kind of thing.
Professor Blather on March 23, 2007 at 1:26 PM
Classic. Succinct. Accurate. Right to the point.
Well done.
Professor Blather on March 23, 2007 at 1:27 PM
Referring to getting the votes? Yes. Referring to getting the bill into final law? No. The Bush Administration says it plans to veto.
amerpundit on March 23, 2007 at 1:27 PM
Yep, just in time for amadinejad to give his speech at the UN.
What will it be?
1. peace offering
2. threat of war
rockhauler on March 23, 2007 at 1:27 PM
Except you should probably apologize to actual whores. Not really fair to them, is it?
Professor Blather on March 23, 2007 at 1:27 PM
Pusilaminous stooges.
Pulchritudinous Patriot on March 23, 2007 at 1:28 PM
Once this bill gets final approval I wonder how many of the recipients of this “pork” will stop to realize that the money was gotten courtesy of the blood of those in harms way? Nobody gives a shit anymore.
LakeRuins on March 23, 2007 at 1:29 PM
You know, maybe term limits aren’t a bad idea.
Slublog on March 23, 2007 at 1:30 PM
There are like, 15 different ways to look at this bill.
It’s so screwed up, you’ve got hawks and doves siding, and fiscal conservatives with socialists.
Does ANYONE have any idea whats going on???
Ringmaster on March 23, 2007 at 1:31 PM
I was always against them…til now.
Limerick on March 23, 2007 at 1:32 PM
Yeah, there are some things whores won’t do for money.
ReubenJCogburn on March 23, 2007 at 1:33 PM
Yeah they said they were going to get serious on immigration issues too. So far that toughness has resulted in 2 Border Agents in jail and more waiting to go on trial and the classification of the Minutemen as a radical group.
They promised to get tough on terrorists too but have you looked at our colleges lately?
LakeRuins on March 23, 2007 at 1:33 PM
Well said. I’d feel cleaner with an actual whore than I would being in the same room as one of these cowards.
Nothing like sending a signal to those religious fanatics killing our people that all they have to do is just wait until our Congress is tired and unwilling to allow our troops to fight this MUST win war.
Yakko77 on March 23, 2007 at 1:34 PM
I’ve been against them for years, but between the last Congress and this one, it might just be time for a renewed push. We need to clean house, and it isn’t going to happen as long as those in office can continue purchasing their power with our money.
Slublog on March 23, 2007 at 1:34 PM
Ha! Jindal didn’t vote for it after all – maybe those couple hundred phone calls we hit him with helped after all, because he was sounding like one of the Yaes earlier today.
I agree that the port recipients don’t care whether it’s blood money if they can still stay in power, but I still can’t get behind term limits. Voters need to get off their ass and get involved – we get the government we ask for.
Laura on March 23, 2007 at 1:35 PM
And at least a good whore will give ya your moneys worth…
And you can walk away with a smile…
Nothing to smile about with this Congress.
Romeo13 on March 23, 2007 at 1:35 PM
There is only way to look at this bill. It was supposed to be an appropiations bill to fund the war in Iraq period. it ceased to be that a long time ago and is now some sort of vote buying Ponzi scheme. Try this on E-Bay and they would be prosecuting.
LakeRuins on March 23, 2007 at 1:36 PM
And people wonder why the Food for Oil program was such a shambles. No peace for pork!
BohicaTwentyTwo on March 23, 2007 at 1:36 PM
Maybe its time for another civil war in this country. Get both sides up in arms and then let the winner decide if we will be what our Founding Fathers intended, or if we will be a dhimicrat surrender monkey puppet.
Wyrd on March 23, 2007 at 1:40 PM
Here is a side bar to this story….
Troop morale just took a hit….not because the ‘country’ doesn’t support them…but because all the jail-house-lawyers in the barracks will be running and screaming that they get to stay home with their ipods and girlfriends. Any of y’all who have been and NCO/Officer know exactly what I am talking about. The SadSacks and the shirkers just got a shot of meth in the jugular. Don’t give me that, how dare you say that stuff about our troops, cause if you have been there you know exactly what is going on inside CONUS billets right now.
Limerick on March 23, 2007 at 1:40 PM
So, not only did they get the Iraq withdraw they wanted, they also incraesed minimum wage and taxes with this bill.
And here they said they weren’t the party of cut and run, and tax raising. Whores indeed.
If I was President Bush, I’d issue signing statements saying everything but the military funding is null and void, and laugh in their faces. When he vetoes it, they’ll start spouting, “Bush vetoed to fund the military! ZOMG! He hates the troops!”
Enoxo on March 23, 2007 at 1:40 PM
That would be ideal, but it’s becoming clear that voters can be bought. Pork is a form of voter corruption – they allow themselves to be purchased in a sense by their own government via their congressional representative.
Slublog on March 23, 2007 at 1:41 PM
Honestly President Bush can veto it and then instruct the Pentagon to shift funds from other places to fund actual operations in Iraq and the GWOT until a new bill is drafted.
I remember Reagan doing it and I remember going without a paycheck for a couple of weeks, so don’t tell me it can’t be done.
LakeRuins on March 23, 2007 at 1:44 PM
“The Surrender and Conversion Act of 2007.”
Now we turn to Zawahiri for his reaction: “Oh muslims! Today is a great victory in the jihad against the infidels! When the caliph is restored, this day will be remembered as the great turning point to our victory! So remember this day, oh faithful ones, for this is our Midway! This is our Normandy! And yes, oh muslims, this is OUR ‘Gates of Fire’! Now use this great victory that allah has given us, use it as incentive to finish off the infidel crusaders who occupy the Land Between Two Rivers! Let infidel blood nourish the sands of Babylon!”
Tony737 on March 23, 2007 at 1:45 PM
I agree with you, Slublog, but I’d rather find a way to change the voters than the system.
Laura on March 23, 2007 at 1:45 PM
Slubbo, I can’t believe it took you THAT long to favor term limits…
I’ve always liked term limits because it not only keeps the current bunch of malcontents infesting DC at that time from getting too comfortable, it forces us to actually focus on building a movement and effective leadership at all times.
Bad Candy on March 23, 2007 at 1:46 PM
I wish the spinach growers and citrus growers and dairy farmers and peanut farmers and shrimpers and others would all go on a mass protest telling the government to give that money to the troops instead of them. Not gonna happen, but it’s a nice fantasy.
aero on March 23, 2007 at 1:46 PM
Whores at least admit they’re whores.
amerpundit on March 23, 2007 at 1:47 PM
Bulls-eye, Slubbo.
It doesn’t always work, but people can be bought. Of course this is par for the course in Nebraska and some of those states, its basically a contest to see who can get them the most in subsidies.
Bad Candy on March 23, 2007 at 1:49 PM
I would love nothing more than to do just that, but it’s clear the pocketbook reigns supreme. People would rather line their pockets with government cash than do the right thing. It makes me sick.
I’ve always been a slow learner. Just ask my wife. :-)
Slublog on March 23, 2007 at 1:49 PM
Hey, my Congressman didn’t get jack and he is such a good little Democrat back bencher. What’s up with that?
Babs on March 23, 2007 at 1:51 PM
“Elections have consequences.”
Indeed they do, Babsie. Indeed they do.
mojo on March 23, 2007 at 1:51 PM
…. and we should call them that to their faces. Forever!
God Bless our Troops, can you imagaine the happiness in Iran, Syria, and Al Queda today? Big circles on calenders all over the middle east.
To them, they just won……. end of story.
The Democrtic party has just guarenteed the defeat of the United States in the Terrorist’s War against us. Next up, Islamofacists entering an elementary school near you turning your children into headless lumps of flesh….. think of that the next time you see Nancy Pelosi in front of the TV cameras.
PinkyBigglesworth on March 23, 2007 at 1:52 PM
Viet Nam, Part Deux…
Romeo13 on March 23, 2007 at 1:52 PM
Elections are Term Limits
Our problem is not enough people actually do anything more than complain and most aren’t knowledgeable enough on these types of issues to cast what I would call an informed vote.
To me this isn’t just about the money for funding or the withdrawal or the pork. It is the fact that all of this and more are rolled into one bill and no matter which party you belong to or how you vote there is something in it which some folks will love and some will hate. It is up to the politician to figure out which way his district swings and then preach to the choir ignoring all of the other unpleasant stuff.
Nancy will tout the withdrawal plan
Byrd will brag about the pork
Any Republican left who are still in favor of fighting this war will tout the spending approval.
In other words a platypus
LakeRuins on March 23, 2007 at 1:53 PM
wow…my day sucks now
tomas on March 23, 2007 at 1:59 PM
I have a question. Has anyone here ever been the direct recipient of government cash? I mean for one of these bail-out or aid programs, not Social Security-type stuff. I’m guessing that it’s a relatively small portion of the population that benefits from this kind of pork spending (except for the entire region that got Katrina aid, of course). I mean, how many spinach farmers can there be? It’s not that I want spinach farmers to go bankrupt, but I don’t see how many voters they’re actually buying off with this sort of thing. Because that’s the ultimate goal, right? Bring home lots of pork so the voters of your district keep sending you back to Congress so you can get more pork.
If anything, I would think they’d lose voters among those of us who resent the hell out of this stuff. Nobody bailed my family out when we hit financial difficulties because of an uncontrollable and unexpected downturn in my husband’s industry. We had to switch gears quickly and get back on our feet on our own. Truth is, government handouts would have helped and made us feel better in the short-term, but we’re better off now because nobody helped us. We were forced to work even harder, learn new things, and adapt, and we’re better off now as a result than we would have been if we had stayed put and let someone else solve our problems for us. Regardless, I resent having to pay to bail other people out when my family had to work our rear-ends off to survive for awhile.
My favorite pork spending is when the government places a regulatory burden on an industry that threatens to kill the industry, so the government has to pay compensation to save that industry from the government’s own idiotic regulations.
aero on March 23, 2007 at 2:01 PM
Jeez, Bush is hitting the Dems hard on this, anybody else watching? “Political theatre… substituting their judgement for that of commanders on the ground… promise to veto… blames the Dems for delaying money for the troops… willing to undermine the gains that the troops are making on the ground… this is not gonna happen,”
Maybe he really will veto it if it gets through the Senate.
Laura on March 23, 2007 at 2:04 PM
I think the problem is that the wrong people resent it.
Look at Byrd and Lott. The people of West Virginia and Mississipi vote these gluttons in year after year, and don’t seem to care that the pork windfall coming to their states means high taxes for the rest of us.
Slublog on March 23, 2007 at 2:06 PM
He really layed into them. I liveblogged it. He didn’t take any questions, either.
amerpundit on March 23, 2007 at 2:07 PM
I have. Not for Katrina, although we did get money from the Red Cross and State Farm. But when I lost my first husband, I was four months pregnant. No insurance. I couldn’t find a job and ended up getting on welfare until six weeks after my daughter was born and I got a job. And I kept the state insurance for a few months after that until my employer’s insurance covered my daughter.
Laura on March 23, 2007 at 2:08 PM
The bill is so full of pork is should offend Kieth Ellison.
E L Frederick (Sniper One) on March 23, 2007 at 2:10 PM
And here is my favorite pork payment
Vaccine Compensation: Provides $50 million to compensate individuals for injuries caused by the H5N1 vaccine, which is a flu vaccine. Payment to Widow of Rep. Norwood: Provides $165,200 to Gloria W. Norwood, the widow of former Rep. Charlie Norwood (R-GA), an RSC Member, who passed away last month. In the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2005 (H.R. 1268), Congress provided $162,100 to Doris Matsui, the widow of former Rep. Robert Matsui.
Ain’t it nice to know that your taxes are being used to fund a Congressional widows fund? Any of these folks ever heard of Life Insurance?
LakeRuins on March 23, 2007 at 2:12 PM
Bush is right. It would take an army of lawyers to figure it out.
CrimsonFisted on March 23, 2007 at 2:13 PM
Send in Shotgun Dick! **BANG**
E L Frederick (Sniper One) on March 23, 2007 at 2:16 PM
RE – Update. Did Bush find his balls again or somethin? “laying into democrats” – only took him 3 years.
lorien1973 on March 23, 2007 at 2:16 PM
I haven’t been a direct recipient of government cash, other than student loans (which I am paying back, thank you). I have been a victim of government handouts, however.
For years, we in the Northeast paid a set price for milk, based on the Northeast Dairy Compact. This compact basically made milk more expensive, so that Jim Jeffords (spit) could say he was helping dairy farmers in his home state.
Slublog on March 23, 2007 at 2:16 PM
Three? More like 6!
Slublog on March 23, 2007 at 2:18 PM
Yeah well I will wait and see what he does if the bill actually makes it to his desk before I am willing to give him credit for finding anything.
LakeRuins on March 23, 2007 at 2:20 PM
5 words:
Return the Line Item Veto
Canadian Imperialist Running Dog on March 23, 2007 at 2:21 PM
I dunno. Bush was pretty good for a long time after 9/11. After the Iraq invasion, he turned into a gutless piece of crap. IMHO. It’s like he was spent after the runup and didn’t have anything left. I’ll have to watch his comments here to see if that’s changed.
lorien1973 on March 23, 2007 at 2:21 PM
Awfully nice of Laura to give those back to him.
Chad on March 23, 2007 at 2:21 PM
True. Maybe I’m just looking for more red meat than I can handle. :-)
Slublog on March 23, 2007 at 2:22 PM
Bout time he grew a pair and started smacking around the clowns.
Bad Candy on March 23, 2007 at 2:22 PM
President Bush may be able to talk some smack but I have visions more of Bluto in Animal House then I do the leader of the free world. As soon as he turns around to see if his fellow Republicans are following his lead he probably will get a good view of a lot backsides clothed in expensive suits fleeing the other way.
LakeRuins on March 23, 2007 at 2:25 PM
Thanks for your response, Laura. I meant pork-style federal bailouts, though, not welfare assistance. I’m actually in favor of limited individual assistance of the type you describe.
aero on March 23, 2007 at 2:26 PM
How long before we see the McCain – Kennedy compromise version of this bill???
LakeRuins on March 23, 2007 at 2:27 PM
Channeling John McLaughlin….
WRONG!
George Bush NEVER had to fight the Democrats for anything because of his massive approval numbers after 9/11. The Dems didn’t have the support to oppose anything that Bush wanted!!! BYE-BYE!!!!
/McLaughlin sequence terminated.
Bad Candy on March 23, 2007 at 2:27 PM
mark kirk got it right. i’m going to send him a thank you.
jummy on March 23, 2007 at 2:28 PM
Bush seems to govern better when he has an active opposition. He can go on the offensive instead of trying to coodle the worst elements of his own party.
JackStraw on March 23, 2007 at 2:30 PM
Can we please leave the whores/prostitutes out of the discussion? People that directly trade sex for money are much, much more honorable and decent than these politicians.
thirteen28 on March 23, 2007 at 2:32 PM
Hey Jack, didn’t know you posted here…
Ace’s lack of posts has us wandering huh?
Obviously I have a different handle here.
Bad Candy on March 23, 2007 at 2:32 PM
I try to spread my moron around. So much moron, so little time.
JackStraw on March 23, 2007 at 2:37 PM
We’re not really all that faithful, are we?
Slublog on March 23, 2007 at 2:39 PM
God Bless George Bush!
Where have you been? We missed you.
gatewaypundit on March 23, 2007 at 2:39 PM
I love seeing Bush’s enemies driven before him….hear the lamentation of their women…
unamused on March 23, 2007 at 2:40 PM
Having a cutie stand right behind you will make anybody watch! Go Bush!
ballz2wallz on March 23, 2007 at 2:41 PM
Nope.
I’m Sin BTW, in case you wondered.
Good statement by Bush, needed to be done, and hopefully puts the dems on the defensive and makes them own up to some responsibility to the war.
Bad Candy on March 23, 2007 at 2:42 PM
Has the Pres. Bush I voted for in ‘04 returned? I hope so.
Yakko77 on March 23, 2007 at 2:43 PM
The left has been trying to maneuver to where they can pull out and place the blame entirely on Bush and the Republicans, but I don’t think they can get away with it, its too obvious.
Bad Candy on March 23, 2007 at 2:44 PM
Megadittos to that!
“Shane” Bush is back, restoring law and order to the Wild West!
Jen the Neocon on March 23, 2007 at 2:46 PM
Nice comment from bush, but one press conference isn’t enough. the lunatics run the asylum and you have to treat them as such.
lorien1973 on March 23, 2007 at 2:46 PM
hey! what do you guys think this is? a chatroom?
Ropera on March 23, 2007 at 2:49 PM
Good job George … now let’s see much more of that in the future, starting with telling the dems to go stuff it with their fabricated attorney “scandal”.
darwin on March 23, 2007 at 2:53 PM
One of our political parties has effectively joined the Jihad.
liberty on March 23, 2007 at 2:56 PM
Is it legal, at a protest, to burn an effigy of Pelosi?
dingoatemebaby on March 23, 2007 at 2:57 PM
Where the hell was the version of the President in 2006 when we needed him to step forward and lead. Now someone needs to enlighten him about immigration and kick out the illegals once and for all, then lock the door.
Wade on March 23, 2007 at 2:59 PM
Dems Exit strategy…
They will send the same bill up again, and again… forcing Bush to veto each time, until he either has to cave because the troops are out of money, or Bush has to start bringing them home, due to lack of funds…
Even if the Senate passes a clean bill, it has to go to conference….
Romeo13 on March 23, 2007 at 2:59 PM
Wow… Shep Smith’s lead story on Fox??? F***’n PET FOOD???
I love my dog, but love my country more….
Sigh…
Romeo13 on March 23, 2007 at 3:01 PM
Let us see how the MSM is going to spin this that Bush is the one not funding the troops…….
PinkyBigglesworth on March 23, 2007 at 3:07 PM
Finally! George finally took his balls out of Nancy Pelosi’s purse.
Matticus Finch on March 23, 2007 at 3:07 PM
Shep Smith is an ass. I’m still not over his Katrina “coverage.” Oliver Willis liked it – ’nuff said.
Laura on March 23, 2007 at 3:08 PM
Aww poor Bush…he got his money but he doesn’t like the strings attached to it. Let’s solve the problem with a pity party. It must be tough when you have to deal with a real Congress after 6 years of a puppet one. Better get used to it fast, you only have 2 years left…
JaHerer22 on March 23, 2007 at 3:09 PM
Begun the flame war has.
Slublog on March 23, 2007 at 3:10 PM
And another thing; I’ve been trying to keep my cussing to a minimum (worst I’ve said in the past two weeks is “DANGIT”), but I’m going to blow a gasket if the Dems push this much further. This ain’t funny and it ain’t politics. People’s lives are at stake.
Matticus Finch on March 23, 2007 at 3:12 PM
Comment pages: 1 2 3 Next »