A RARE MOMENT OF TRUTH IN THE SENATE THIS MORNING

This morning the Senate votes on whether or not to change course in Iraq. I kind of wish it would come off more straight forward but Republican closet queen Mitch McConnell has a knack for being able to keep anything from coming off straight-- forward or otherwise. McConnell can't pass anything but he has enough rubber stamp Republican votes-- basically the whole reactionary GOP caucus-- to block almost anything that he feels doesn't fit in with the Bush agenda. The only way the Democrats can get anti-occupation legislation to a vote is by attaching it to pending legislation. Then Miss McConnell announces a filibuster and the Democrats try to override it with a cloture vote (to shut off debate).

This morning Harry Reid will introduce the Feingold-Reid bill as an amendment to the Water Resources Development Act Reauthorization. Although Chris Dodd, speaks for most people who would want to wind Bush's occupation of Iraq down in wishing for a straight up-or-down vote on the bill, this isn't going to happen until another 5 or 6 Republican senators-- hopefully Coleman, Sununu, Collins, Domenici, Inhofe and Miss McConnell herself-- are defeated next year. Dodd pointed out the obvious: "This is the most important Senate debate since the original vote to authorize the war. This simply cannot be the occasion for hiding behind procedural tactics. That is why I am calling on all my other colleagues running for President to state clearly where they stand on this important legislation by joining me as a co-sponsor of Feingold-Reid and stating how they would vote on the bill."

And they did. Obama:

Today, 1518 days after it began, the war in Iraq rages on, with no sign of a resolution. The Iraqi people appear no closer to the settling their differences. The Iraqi government is more divided and dysfunctional than ever. The Iraqi parliament speaks of adjourning for the summer, without addressing the major issues standing in the way of a ceasefire. And our brave young servicemen and women are still fighting and dying to police someone else's civil war... In January, I introduced a plan that already would have begun redeploying our troops out of Iraq, with the goal of removing all of our combat troops by March 31. But it also would offer enough flexibility to delay our exit in the event that the Iraqis responded with meaningful steps toward peace. I still believe in that approach, which the President vetoed earlier this month. Ultimately, I think it will become the framework for a bipartisan coalition the President can't resist.

Today, I have reintroduced that plan.

Tomorrow, I expect cloture votes on two other proposals. One is the Reid-Feingold plan, which would begin a withdrawal of troops in 120 days and end all combat operations on April 1. The other is Senator Levin's proposal, which would create standards and benchmarks for additional funding.

I will support both, not because I believe either is the best answer, but because I want to send a strong statement to the Iraqi government, the President and my Republican colleagues that it's long past time to change course.

Meanwhile, I'll continue to press for my own plan, and work to find the 16 votes in the Senate to pass it with a veto-proof majority and bring our troops home quickly, safely and responsibly.

And Hillary? She's there too.

Tomorrow, I will cast my vote to send the President a clear message: Democrats are united in fighting to change course, redeploy our troops out of Iraq, and end this war as soon as possible. 
 
When the Senate votes on motions to allow debate on both the Feingold-Reid and Reed-Levin Amendments, I will vote for cloture on both. I do so because we, as a united party, must work together with clarity of purpose and mission to begin bringing our troops home and end this war.
 
The bipartisan Iraq Study Group offered a way forward for beginning the redeployment of our troops out of Iraq. But President Bush rejected those recommendations and refuses to work with Congress to develop a strategy that will enable our troops to start coming home.
 
President Bush vetoed the bipartisan bill to fund the troops, refuses to change course, and stubbornly denies the reality on the ground and the will of the American people.
 
We will continue to press him to follow the will of the people. I will continue to pursue with Senator Byrd our legislation to deauthorize the war by October 11, 2007.  I will continue to do everything in my power to convince the president to change course and to work with my colleagues in the Senate to bring an end to this war as soon as possible.

So what's the bill say exactly?

(a) Transition of Mission-- The President shall promptly transition the mission of United States forces in Iraq to the limited purposes set forth in subsection (d).

(b) Commencement of Safe, Phased Redeployment from Iraq-- The President shall commence the safe, phased redeployment of United States forces from Iraq that are not essential to the purposes set forth in subsection (d). Such redeployment shall begin not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.

(c) Prohibition on Use of Funds-- No funds appropriated or otherwise made available under any provision of law may be obligated or expended to continue the deployment in Iraq of members of the United States Armed Forces after March 31, 2008.

(d) Exception for Limited Purposes-- The prohibition under subsection (c) shall not apply to the obligation or expenditure of funds for the limited purposes as follows:

(1) To conduct targeted operations, limited in duration and scope, against members of al Qaeda and other international terrorist organizations.

(2) To provide security for United States infrastructure and personnel.

(3) To train and equip Iraqi security services.

That's what we elected Democrats to do in the Congress. Going into the bill this morning there are 11 co-sponsors:

* Russ Feingold (D-WI)
* Harry Reid (D-NV)
* Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
* Chris Dodd (D-CT)
* Tom Harkin (D-IA)
* Ted Kennedy (D-MA)
* John Kerry (D-MA)
* Pat Leahy (D-VT)
* Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
* Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
* Ron Wyden (D-OR)

Meanwhile, Bush will veto anything that passes. He'll also try out a new line: "Give the tsar a chance."

Later this morning, I'll let you know how the rest of the Democratic caucus votes-- and which, if any, Republicans abandon Bush's bitch Mitch and her obstructionism to vote in the interests of their own constituents to end this catastrophic occupation. Which reminds me-- I got this photo from Amman, Jordan this morning:



UPDATE: ONLY 29 SENATORS ARE SERIOUS ABOUT ENDING THE OCCUPATION OF IRAQ

Feingold's proposal lost 29-67. Not a single Republican voted for it. The Democrats who joined McConnell and the Republicans to stay the course and extend Bush's occupation of Iraq were predominantly the most reactionary members of the Democratic caucus:

* Max Baucus (MT)
* Evan Bayh (IN)
* Jeff Bingaman (NM)
* Thomas Carper (DE)
* Bob Casey (PA)
* Kent Conrad (ND)
* Byron Dorgan (ND)
* Mary Landrieu (LA)
* Carl Levin (MI)
* Blanche Lincoln (AR)
* Claire McCaskill (MO)
* Ben Nelson (NE)
* Bill Nelson (FL)
* Mark Pryor (AR)
* Jack Reed (RI)
* Jay Rockefeller (WV)
* Ken Salazar (CO)
* Jon Tester (MT)
*Jim Webb (VA)

Very disappointing to see moderates like Jon Tester, Claire McCaskill, Jack Reed, Carl Levin, Jim Webb throw their lots in with the Republicans and the Republican-lite warmongers.