[via Kos] Democrat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid responds to the White House bait and switch on the September Iraq Progress Report:
"The White House’s effort to prevent General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker from testifying openly and candidly before Congress about the situation in Iraq is unacceptable. Not only does it contradict the law President Bush himself signed in May, but it appears to be yet another politically driven attempt to avoid giving Congress and the American people an honest and open assessment of a war we can all see is headed in the wrong direction.
"From the very beginning of this war, the Bush Administration has refused to level with the American people about its flawed policy. It has instead done everything in its power to escape accountability and mislead us about the reality on the ground. The result: an open-ended civil war that has taken nearly 4,000 American soldiers’ lives and an Iraqi government that refuses to take responsibility for its own country.
"If the President is going to continue to ask American soldiers to fight in this civil war, ask taxpayers to spend $10 billion each month to fund this war and ask the American people for patience as he conducts this war, then those closest to the situation on the ground must give Congress and the American people a frank and honest account of this war free of White House political spin."
The Administration has done "everything in its power to escape accountability?" Really, Harry? And who holds them accountible? Oh, that's right, fucking Congress. You guys have done nothing but roll for those lying pricks and I don't want to hear any more "talk" from you, Leahy, or anyone else unless you are going to do something about it.
If approving "The Surge" was contingent upon a report directly to Congress from the General on the ground in six months, and the White House refuses to follow through, than cut off the goddamn money. Period. If Bush wants to continue the War, or the Surge or whatever, Congress gets the report it demanded and Bush is bound by law to fucking provide.
Anything else constitutes you "accepting" the "unacceptable."
The American people did their job, they put you in charge of Congress. Now it's time for you to do your job. Bush is only escaping accountibility because you allow it. As Mr Blonde says, "Are you gonna bark all day little doggie, or are you gonna bite?"
3 comments:
Anything else constitutes you "accepting" the "unacceptable."
Yes. I can't say emphatically enough that you hit the nail on the head. All this "tough talk" is little more than collusion with the Bush Administration under the veil of "harsh disagreement" with the Admin. Bullshit.
I am starting to think these guys are in on it too. I think this because the alternative is hopeless incompetence: though the majority is held in both Chambers of Congress, they are still completely under the thumb of a fearmongering Admin. 26% or so of Americans still believe these nutjobs but Congress i still cowed by them. Rove is fucking gone but Congress is still cowed by them.
So I ask you: incompetence, or are they in on it too?
these guys are in on it too
Ding, ding, ding. We have a winner.
I've come to the same conclusion. There's no alternative that makes any sense. I think there's just too much institutional money to be made by making war, and rebuilding what falls down during a war.
God, I don't know what's worse—being in on it, or, just being self-interested pussies always more worried about the next election than doing the right thing.
Personally, I think it's more the latter.
I just wish the Democrats would give up on the strategy to appeal to the mythical middle. The way the country breaks down now, Democrats ain't voting for any Republicans, and vice versa. And trying to govern while being afraid to offend the "undecideds" is a fool's game.
There are no "undecideds" and if there are, they are morons, and it's likely you cannot sway them.
Work on satisfying the people who already voted for you. We have expectations. You have a job to do. Do it.
These pussies luck at a poll that shows Congress' approval ratings in the teens or worse and immediately assume the need to shift towards the center, which is to say, the right.
What they don't realize is that approval number is where it is not because the 26% who still approve of Bush are unhappy OR because the 2% of undecideds are unhappy—it's because their own voters are unhappy!
Just do what is right, do what we sent you there for, and you will hold your seats (and likely pick up more) in 2008.
Keep fucking around, and you might just piss me off enough to walk away.
(NOTE: I'm exhausted, and have no way to guage whether that made any sense or not)
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