Your tax dollars at work, my friends. :|WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 ? Even as the Bush administration urges Americans to stay the course in Iraq, Republicans in Congress have put down a quiet marker in the apparent hope that V-I Day might be only months away.
Tucked away in fine print in the military spending bill for this past year was a lump sum of $20 million to pay for a celebration in the nation?s capital ?for commemoration of success? in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Not surprisingly, the money was not spent.
Now Congressional Republicans are saying, in effect, maybe next year[/b]. A paragraph written into spending legislation and approved by the Senate and House allows the $20 million to be rolled over into 2007.
The original legislation empowered the president to designate ?a day of celebration? to commemorate the success of the armed forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, and to ?issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe that day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.?
The celebration would honor the soldiers, sailors, air crews and marines who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and it would be held in Washington, with the $20 million to cover the costs of military participation.
Democrats called attention to the measure, an act that Republicans are likely to portray as an effort to embarrass them five weeks before the midterm election. The Democrats said both the original language and the extension were pushed by Senate Republicans. A spokesman for the Republican-controlled Senate Armed Services Committee said it was protocol not to identify sponsors of such specific legislation.
The overall legislation was approved in the Senate by unanimous consent and overwhelmingly in the House after a short debate.
Democrats nevertheless said they were not pleased.
?If the Bush administration had spent more time planning for the postwar occupation of Iraq, and less time planning ?mission accomplished? victory celebrations, America would be closer to finishing the job in Iraq,? said Rebecca M. Kirszner, communications director for Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the Democratic leader.
Lt. Col. Brian Maka, a Pentagon spokesman, said late Tuesday that the event was envisioned as an opportunity for ?honoring returning U.S. forces at the conclusion? of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. ?As the funds were not used in F.Y. 2006,? the official said, using the initials for fiscal year, ?the authorization was rolled over into F.Y. 2007.?
geez, straightalker, ya had me there for a second or two. until you mentioned ol' ted kennedy i thought you were talking about the party that's presently in total control of the nation.Term limits that prevent someone like Teddy Kennedy from making a 40 year career out of shilling for special interests would be a powerful start on the way to curing the current tragicly very sick USA Government.
Originally posted by: tweaker2
geez, straightalker, ya had me there for a second or two. until you mentioned ol' ted kennedy i thought you were talking about the party that's presently in total control of the nation.Term limits that prevent someone like Teddy Kennedy from making a 40 year career out of shilling for special interests would be a powerful start on the way to curing the current tragicly very sick USA Government.
The overall legislation was approved in the Senate by unanimous consent and overwhelmingly in the House after a short debate.
Democrats nevertheless said they were not pleased.
Originally posted by: EagleKeeper
The overall legislation was approved in the Senate by unanimous consent and overwhelmingly in the House after a short debate.
Democrats nevertheless said they were not pleased.
The Dems did not want to be on the record against soimething, just bitch about it afterwards.
This seems to be what they are also saying regarding the Iraq fiasco.
That way they can have their cake and eat it also.
Originally posted by: straightalker
It's really all about who is for the New World Order and who is not. Politics in the USA now is driven by that darkside determiner. "You are either for us or against us." That's the attitude at the top. The team player attitude America should have in our Government has been replaced by private interest agendas that are closely linked to profit and power accumulation. At the expence of the long term health and survivability of the Nation.
Term limits that prevent someone like Teddy Kennedy from making a 40 year career out of shilling for special interests would be a powerful start on the way to curing the current tragicly very sick USA Government.
Congress (from both sides of the aisle) have rubber stamped actions or just generated partisan lip service.Originally posted by: LegendKiller
Originally posted by: EagleKeeper
The overall legislation was approved in the Senate by unanimous consent and overwhelmingly in the House after a short debate.
Democrats nevertheless said they were not pleased.
The Dems did not want to be on the record against soimething, just bitch about it afterwards.
This seems to be what they are also saying regarding the Iraq fiasco.
That way they can have their cake and eat it also.
Unlike republicans who have managed to do everything wrong in the last 6 years. It's easy to sit and say "you can't do any better" when I can say "We can't do any worse".
Face it, everybody in this country was hoodwinked by Bush and his cronies, republicans, democrats, everybody. However, now it's time to acknowledge that and take measures to stop it, but no Republican is willing.
Originally posted by: ayabe
Rule change.
People who attach riders to other bills must disclose who they are.
This ridiculous stuff needs to stop, all the pork etc that gets attached to military spending bills pretty much have no way to be voted down because then it will be, "Why do you hate our troops?".
Originally posted by: NeoV
yah, the biggest problem facing this country right now is Ted Kennedy's 'shilling' for special interests....
Originally posted by: EagleKeeper
Congress (from both sides of the aisle) have rubber stamped actions or just generated partisan lip service.Originally posted by: LegendKiller
Originally posted by: EagleKeeper
The overall legislation was approved in the Senate by unanimous consent and overwhelmingly in the House after a short debate.
Democrats nevertheless said they were not pleased.
The Dems did not want to be on the record against soimething, just bitch about it afterwards.
This seems to be what they are also saying regarding the Iraq fiasco.
That way they can have their cake and eat it also.
Unlike republicans who have managed to do everything wrong in the last 6 years. It's easy to sit and say "you can't do any better" when I can say "We can't do any worse".
Face it, everybody in this country was hoodwinked by Bush and his cronies, republicans, democrats, everybody. However, now it's time to acknowledge that and take measures to stop it, but no Republican is willing.
Very few times have they gone on record for "their principles". My quoite is an example of the latest.
Even though they (Dems) may be unable as a party to do something, indivigually, they cowtow when the chips are down and then complain.
Originally posted by: LegendKiller
Originally posted by: EagleKeeper
The overall legislation was approved in the Senate by unanimous consent and overwhelmingly in the House after a short debate.
Democrats nevertheless said they were not pleased.
The Dems did not want to be on the record against soimething, just bitch about it afterwards.
This seems to be what they are also saying regarding the Iraq fiasco.
That way they can have their cake and eat it also.
Unlike republicans who have managed to do everything wrong in the last 6 years. It's easy to sit and say "you can't do any better" when I can say "We can't do any worse".
Face it, everybody in this country was hoodwinked by Bush and his cronies, republicans, democrats, everybody. However, now it's time to acknowledge that and take measures to stop it, but no Republican is willing.
Originally posted by: ebaycj
Originally posted by: ayabe
Rule change.
People who attach riders to other bills must disclose who they are.
This ridiculous stuff needs to stop, all the pork etc that gets attached to military spending bills pretty much have no way to be voted down because then it will be, "Why do you hate our troops?".
No, Riders just need to be eliminated. Congress already gets half a year off. If riders being eliminated would cause "gridlock" in congress, then dammit they should work longer. They do get paid 4.5 times the average american salary, they are not entitled to work half time on top of that.
The American people should require WAY more out of their elected representatives, and the elected representatives should be honored to work their butts off to represent their constituency.
The current batch of sh1t that we have in congress / presidency needs to go, ASAFP.
Originally posted by: compuwiz1
Originally posted by: NeoV
yah, the biggest problem facing this country right now is Ted Kennedy's 'shilling' for special interests....
How is he still alive? I saw him in an interview, on tv, a few months ago, and could not believe how lucid his thoughts and speech were, given the billions of brain cells he must have killed over the years.
But, you're right, he is a POS. BUT, the people have kept re-electing him. How many terms is this now, for Ted?
Originally posted by: LegendKiller
Originally posted by: EagleKeeper
The overall legislation was approved in the Senate by unanimous consent and overwhelmingly in the House after a short debate.
Democrats nevertheless said they were not pleased.
The Dems did not want to be on the record against soimething, just bitch about it afterwards.
This seems to be what they are also saying regarding the Iraq fiasco.
That way they can have their cake and eat it also.
Unlike republicans who have managed to do everything wrong in the last 6 years. It's easy to sit and say "you can't do any better" when I can say "We can't do any worse".
Face it, everybody in this country was hoodwinked by Bush and his cronies, republicans, democrats, everybody. However, now it's time to acknowledge that and take measures to stop it, but no Republican is willing.