Certainly the biggest aspect of this vote is that it would have put Congress firmly on record as demanding that Bush abandon his illegal and immoral war. That alone could have and would have caused big things to happen.

Instead, what did occur is that Congress is now firmly on record as continuing to support the conservatives’ war. That is a travesty and a disgrace.

How many more troops are going to die as a result of funding Bush’s escalation? That isn’t supporting the troops. It is being spineless in the face of an incompetent boy King.

I’m afraid Sestak suffers from the same ailment that afflicted Powell… being trained to follow commands.

[Fools On The Hill — You will follow the rules and keep your discussion on the merits civil. Or you will not be commenting. Are we clear? I will not tolerate that sort of bad behavior with a guest. This is not a mud-wrestling pit, these have been our rules with guests from the moment we started having them. You will either discuss these issues on the merits, or your participation will be limited accordingly. I think that is fairly clear — everyone else has to folow the rules and you are not so exceptional that they don’t apply to you. Capice? — CHS]

Sometimes we must trust the judgement of folks like Adm Sestak. While keeping a close eye on them at all times of course.

Really? Keep a close eye on them while giving them the benefit of the doubt…again and again and again? No. No more benefit. Only doubt. Sestak is willfully wrong in his characterization that giving Bush a blank check is the same as giving support to the troops. That is a lie. Sestak is a liar.

He lost his benefit of the doubt when he caved. There is ONLY getting OUT of Iraq. Completely. No residue. No bases. Nothing. Out.

This really is a monumental task. I had hopes that they could do it right out of the box, with the momentum of the midterm election behind them. But we are asking them to reverse four years of momentum going in the other direction.

OK…there is NO momentum in politics. Momentum only applies to objects with mass. Politics isn’t even hot air, it is vacuum. There is NO impediment to reversing political course (clearly, as the Bushies have been doing political 180s on everything the country had “momentum” on for the last 40 years), only courage or lack of courage. Ethics or lack of ethics.

Sestak and all his Magical Collapsing Democrat comrades lack courage and ethics. They do NOT represent the people, only corporations (big oil, boeing, other military contractors, etc). I wash my hands (and my wallet) of these criminals. They are on their own in ‘08.

It is inexcusable and unacceptable for Sestak or any other Dem to hide behind “we need to support our troops” bullshit. Keeping them in Iraq is NOT supporting them. Bringing them home and defunding Bush’s illegal occupation IS supporting them.

The Dems (and those like Sestak) remain on my embargo list. NOT A DIME, NOT A VOTE will I give to them at all until they make REAL moves to remove our troops from Iraq. No permanent bases, no permanent presence, no 50-year presence either. NOTHING. No US presence at all in Iraq after the withdrawal. Only an apology and reparation payments. Anything else is simply perpetuating the crime and perpetuating THE causes of Islamic terrorism against the US and the West.

I am not willing to give Bush the benefit of the doubt, and feel he would have no qualms about using the troops as hostages in a showdown with Congress… just to prove his point. If there is any truth to the idea that he could deprive the troops of basic necessities, and then blame it all on the Democrats… I really can’t believe that Murtha, Webb, and Sestak would just fall victim to GOP talking points, since they’ve been so outspoken when they could be criticized for it.

Possibly, they really do know something that we don’t have access to.

In the meantime, in case I can’t be around for the discussion, I’m planting a question here. Perhaps someone else will pick it up if I don’t.

What is the real story behind the recent firing of the six Navy commanders in as many weeks? That kind of turnover is pretty alarming. Were they unwilling to go along to get along (with what sounds like a 50-yr plan from Bush for occupying Iraq) and so were punished, as a result? We really need to know.

I have to ask, How dare you?

As an anti-war advocate, are you really smart, or are you a reactionary? Many Democrats who voted for the war funding are otherwise good and very progressive. Do we disregard everything they’ve done because we disagree with their vote this time? Is it…

And, by the way, he’s also been leading the battle to fix No Child Left Behind and has a number of other issues to talk about.

The number of other issues has to wait – this day, there are two issues only, irrevocably linked.

Iraq.
Impeachment.

And not necessarily in that order.

-GFO