Armando keeps haranguing me and filling up my email box with posts about how the bloggers are endorsing doing nothing about the war. Here’s his latest. And he has developed a mantra that he flogs like a dead horse. Here it is.
I ask for three things: First, announce NOW that the Democratic Congress will NOT fund the Iraq Debacle after a date certain. You pick the date. Whatever works politically. If October 2007 is the date Dems can agree to, then let it be then. If March 2008, then let that be the date; Second, spend the year reminding the President and the American People every day that Democrats will not fund the war past the date certain; Third, do NOT fund the Iraq Debacle PAST the date certain.
Some argue we will never have the votes for this. That McConnell will filibuster, that Bush will veto. To them I say I KNOW. But filbustering and vetoing does not fund the Iraq Debacle. Let me repeat, to end the war in Iraq, the Democratic Congress does not have to pass a single bill; they need only NOT pass bills that fund the Iraq Debacle.
But but but, defund the whole government? Defund the whole military? What if Bush does not pull out the troops? First, no, not defund the government, defund the Iraq Debacle. If the Republicans choose to shut down government in order to force the continuation of the Iraq Debacle, do not give in. Fight the political fight. We’ll win. Second, defund the military? See answer to number one. Third, well, if you tell the American People what is coming for a year, and that Bush is on notice, that i t will be Bush abandoning the troops in Iraq, we can win that politcal battle too.
Understand this, if you want to end the Iraq Debacle, this is the only way until Bush is not President. If you are not for this for ending the war, tell me what you do support. I think this is the only way. And if you shy away from the only way to end the Debacle, then you really are not for ending the war are you?
Here’s my question. What do you want me do about it? Nancy Pelosi pushed for the strongest bill that she could get. It has no chance of being reconciled with anything that might pass the Senate. If the defense appropriations bill cannot be passed in a form acceptable to Armando, then he wants us to simply not pass a defense appropriations bill. Fine. We can lobby the Democrats to not pass a defense appropriations bill.
Armando wants us to announce that we will not fund the Iraq War after a date certain. Pelosi attempted that. It was a partial success, as far it goes, but it won’t be ratified by the Senate, so who cares?
Here’s the problem with Armando’s plan. First we have to announce a date certain and then we have to keep reminding people about that date certain over the six to twelve months so that the American people are mentally prepared for a shutdown of the government or a sudden cut-off for money for our troops. When are we going to make this announcement? Where are the votes to make this resolution?
Armando is flailing around attacking people like Matt Stoller and David Sirota for ‘doing nothing’. He has a plan, but the plan cannot be initiated. What can we do? Tell Pelosi to try again? Tell Reid to whip Lieberman and nine other Republicans into shape? We don’t have the votes.
What can we do to get the votes before the end of the Bush administration? That’s a good question. I don’t have an answer. Weakening the Bush presidency so that more Republicans find their self-interest lies in distancing themselves from Bush and his war is probably the best strategy that we can pursue. The more Senate Republicans, like Gordon Smith, that come out against the war, the closer we get and the more cover is provided for worried Blue Dog Democrats.
I don’t understand why Armando is interpreting a lack of embrace for his wishful thinking as an endorsement of the status quo or a home-team mentality. His plan isn’t going to happen, so it doesn’t do any good to keep flogging it.
Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid cannot just announce that they will not fund the Iraq War after a date certain and that they are prepared to shut down the government or abandon our troops in the field if they are not recalled by that date. To make such an announcement they would have to have the support of their houses of Congress. And they don’t have that support. It does no good to blame them for that. It does no good to ask them to do something they cannot do.
It’s not Pelosi and Reid that have to be convinced, but individual members of Congress. There are people down at the Pentagon right now that are protesting against the war. There are people writing letters, and on their blogs, and talking to their friends. The people want this war over. But it is not going to end from a lack of funding this year. No announcement that it will end next year from a lack of funding is going to be forthcoming this spring.
It’s frustrating, I know. It’s tragic. There is one thing that we can rely on, however. The Iraq War is going to eventually drag everyone down with it. The votes will eventually be there. We can hasten that time, but we can’t force that time to be right now.
