and maybe I’ll follow…
Russert: As you well know you voted to authorize this war, voted to fund this war at lest ten times. Are you now saying that you will not vote one more penny for the war in Iraq.
Clinton: And these extraordinary brave young men and women should begin to come home out of refereeing this sectarian civil war. I voted against funding last spring – I understand we are going to have vote shortly about funding and I will vote against it. Because I think it’s the only way that we can demonstrate clearly that we have to change direction…
All of these words are fine and dandy… You are supporting cutting off funding the Iraq. And you want to be the President of the USA? How about showing some leadership skills first, OK?
Get a filibuster proof group of Senators to refuse to allow voting on any more money going into the Iraq follies and even I, being an ardent anti-Hillary advocating Liberal, will consider supporting your candidacy.
Just a reminder of what a real leader needs to do in order to end the funding of this disaster:
As a form of obstructionism in a legislature or other decision making body, a filibuster is an attempt to extend debate upon a proposal in order to delay or completely prevent a vote on its passage. The term first came into use in the United States Senate, where Senate rules permit a senator, or a series of senators, to speak for as long as they wish and on any topic they choose, unless a supermajority group of 60% of senators brings debate to a close by invoking cloture.
If you don’t have the skills to lead a minority of the Senate to do the right thing here, why in the hell would anyone in their right mind give you the keys to the White House?
The same thing goes for all of the other all-talk and walkless candidates in the Senate. If none of you have the leadership skills to walk over Reid and lead a simple minority of 40 Senators to filibuster more Iraq funding for bush’s failed policies, than none of you have the leadership skills to be the President.
You want the support of the Dem voters? The overwhelming number of Americans that are against the Iraq follies? The no-party-affiliation indies, like myself, that make up the fastest growing voter block in the nation?
Prove it now.
But… Don’t even bother to come back as “THE” Dem candidate asking for my support if this is still an election issue later on. Because most of us know that you can end it NOW with a simple filibuster. That is how to yield the power of the purse.