pudge's Journal: The Democrats Did Not "Cave"

I've heard reporter after reporter and pundit after pundit complain that the Democrats caved by passing a war spending bill with no requirements for pulling out.

They are all wrong.

The Democrats said up front, all along, that this is what they would do. They said they would pass a bill requiring a pullout, but at the end of the day, they would make sure the troops got funded. They knew Bush was going to veto any requirements for pulling out, so they knew they would at the end pass a bill with no such requirements. This was their plan all along, from the beginning. They did precisely what they planned to do, and what they said they would do.

Not that I mind the far left being angry. I like it. So feel free to disagree with me, if it will result in making the left more angry at the Democrats!

I'm just surprised

[nandorman]

So many people don't understand the number of ways Congress could actually end the war if they actually wanted to. From attempting to repeal the 2002 Iraq war resolution (yes, probably subject to a veto, but who knows?) to simply not including the funding of the troops in the budget, as well as others.

Yes, a repealing of the war resolution may require the President to sign it, and they may not have all of the votes to override a veto - but then wouldn't such a display anger the American public further a

Re:

[Qzukk]

b) they are too gutless to do it.

If they do it and Iraq collapses into utter chaos, then it will be their fault. If they let the troops stay and Iraq collapses into utter chaos, the Republicans will still try to pin it on them but they'll have the defense of stating that they let The Decider "stay the course".

Re:

[nandorman]

Okay, a valid point. So let me restate: they are either gutless or they need to stop lying about their intentions.