Senate Republicans today easily blocked an effort by Democrats to act on a war spending bill that would have provided $50 billion for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, but would have required that troop withdrawals from Iraq begin within 30 days.
The bill had numerous other strings attached a well, including a goal of completing re-deployment from Iraqby mid-December 2008 and a narrowing of the Iraqmission to focus on counter-terrorism and training of Iraqi security forces.
The vote today was the latest attempt by Democrats to force President Bush to shift his war strategy, but they were able to muster only 53 of the 60 votes needed to cut off debate and move to a vote; 45 senators voted against the measure.
A Republican counter-measure, which would have provided $70 billion for the military operations with no strings attached, also failed.
The House approved the supplemental war spending bill earlier in the week, and Democrats there had hoped that the Senate leadership would force the Republicans to filibuster, adding drama to what has become a familiar routine of Republicans using their powerful minority to block war-related legislation.
Things are getting desperate for the Defeat Caucus. Their short position on Iraq is looking like a bad move given how well things have gone since the surge began in earnest. At this point, they know the war can only be lost on Capitol Hill, and are doing everything they can to do so.
In the art of war, attacking the enemy’s flow of material support required to conduct combat operations is always a critical strategic goal.
It looks like the Democrats in Congress think that our forces in Iraq and Afghanistan are the enemy and they have just struck a strategic blow at the ability of our country to support its servicement in ‘harm’s way.’
If this Democrat effort in Congress causes lose of life among our servicemen, then the fault will lie squarely at the feet of the radical left wing of the Democrat Party and all of those Democrats who permitted those radicals to have their way.
And the issue is so saliently clear, that I think that the American voter will put the blame at the feet of the Democrat Party.
A rational argument can be made that this constitues treasonous actions against our own military.
The Democrats routinely call for the defeat of this country. When have they ever been called on it?