Sep 08 2007

Durbin Takes The Iraq Pledge: No Funding Without End Date For the Debacle

AP:

The No. 2 Democrat in the U.S. Senate said on Friday he could no longer vote for funding the war in Iraq unless restrictions were attached that would begin winding down American involvement there.
 

“This Congress can't give President (George W.) Bush another blank check for Iraq,” said Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin, who has always opposed the war but until now voted to fund it.

“I can't support an open-ended appropriation which allows this president to continue this failed policy,” he said in a speech at the left-leaning Center for National Policy.

Where's Obama?

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    • Armando on September 8, 2007 at 05:18
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    And kudos to him for that.

  2. Durbin’s the Whip, so I think that means Reid goes with him.

    Pelosi has made funding votes on Iraq “of conscience” and refused to whip them. I wonder what will happen in the Senate.

  3. I’ll see if I can dig it up.

    • byteb on September 8, 2007 at 05:26
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    Dunno what happened to Obama..and I like him..as in giving money to his campaign..but this is sad and disappointing. I hope he redeems himself and acts like a leader of the Democratic party. Pronto.

    • melvin on September 8, 2007 at 05:31
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    One at at a time works just fine, if we hurry.

  6. This is the best policy for the country.  I’m glad that he adopted it.

    And …

    (…and I’m saying this knowing that it will get me Troll Rated because I’m now beyond caring, but remember that if you hide the comment you won’t be able to prove I said it so you might prefer the “1” rating…)

    … his stance will play well with the voters when next year, after we lose the vote, the battle starts up about which party “owns” the failure to stop the war.  I think that’s why he’s doing it.  (Or, maybe he thinks they can sustain a veto until they win?  If so, I will apologize to each of you individually.)

    Now — hit me!

      • Armando on September 8, 2007 at 05:21
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      and we do not want leadership whipping now.

      WE whip.

  7. The AP story doesn’t quite get right what Durbin actually said. From the Chicago Tribune, Durbin opposes new war funding without troop cuts:

    Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin promised today that he would no longer vote to fund the war in Iraq unless the money is tied to a withdrawal strategy.

    Durbin, the second-ranking Democrat in the Senate, has been a consistent critic of the war in Iraq but is a pragmatic party leader attuned to political reality. The Illinois senator voted against authorization for the war in 2002 but has since voted for the emergency funding packages that have financed the war.

    We’re in year FOUR of this bogus ’emergency’. It’s only an emergency because you wusses in Congress never forced Bush to put the war in the federal budget. So to me, this latest announcement from Durbin is A TOTAL WUSS MOVE>. Because… Surprise! Always-coy, ever-rosy Gen. David Petraeus is hinting at backing a gradual troop cut in Iraq. Get a clue Durbin and quit shoveling the same old slop.<

    Responding to questions from reporters after his speech, Durbin indicated he was not taking the absolutist position against war funding that has been advocated by Democratic presidential candidates Bill Richardson and Dennis Kucinish. Both have argued for a complete cut-off of war funding.

    Durbin said he would continue to consider voting for annual defense appropriations bills, which include substantial funding for the war in Iraq as well as funding the rest of the military. And he also said he did not advocate blocking legislation the Senate is to consider later this month re-authorizing the Defense Department that some war critics have said she be used as a vehicle for forcing a troop withdrawal.

    But Durbin said he would no longer support the annual “supplemental” funding packages that the Bush administration has used to pay for the bulk of war costs-unless the legislation includes provisions to change strategy and bring the war to a quick end.

    “I’m looking for some language in there that gives me some hope that this war is going to end before I will vote for more (funding),” Durbin said in a conversation with reporters.

    I think Durbin is gaming us.

      • melvin on September 8, 2007 at 06:15
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