IS THERE ANY WAY OUT OF THIS OTHER THAN IMPEACHMENT? IF NOT, IT'S TIME TO GO FOR IT

So Bush started the day by saying-- again-- that he doesn't care what the Congress says about the deteriorating Iraq situation. He's in his own little world of make believe and the troops are staying put. He's the Decider. So the House of Representative closed the day by passing HR 2956, the Responsible Redeployment From Iraq Act, 223-201. Only 4 Republicans agreed to put narrow partisan loyalties to Bush and fear of Cheney aside and join the majority of Congressmembers in passing this. The 4 Republicans who were brave enough to do what the American people want their representatives to do were Wayne Gilchrest (MD), John Duncan (TN), Walter Jones (NC) and Jo Ann Emerson (MO).

Alas, there were 9 Cheney Democrats who are against ending the occupation and are still voting for escalation and endless war, 9 Democrats who should not be supported for re-election in 2008:

John Barrow (GA)
Dan Boren (OK)
Chris Carney (PA)
Brad Ellsworth (PA)
Tim Holden (PA)
Jim Marshall (GA)
Jim Matheson (UT)
Vic Snyder (AR)
Gene Taylor (MS)

It's criminal that the DCCC solicits unsuspecting grassroots Democrats for contributions based on ending the Iraq occupation and doesn't explain that for every dollar you give the DCCC a potion goes to John Barrow, Jim Marshall Brad Ellsworth and Chris Carney. These 4 are the most endangered Democrats in the House and they think voting like Republicans will save their asses-- especially if Democrats don't know. If it's time to cut off the funding to Bush it's also time to cut off the funding to the DCCC unless they promise to stop financing Barrow, Marshall, Ellsworth and Carney.

Not since the Vietnam war have the legislative and executive branches fought so bitterly over the president’s authority as commander in chief to prosecute an unpopular war. Around the Capitol this morning, televisions were tuned into the White House news conference, as members of Congress and their aides passed around the White House’s Iraq status report.

Lawmakers in both parties bristled at the president’s suggestion that Congress was overstepping its role in the war debate. Among them was Senator George V. Voinovich, an Ohio Republican who has called for a change of direction in Iraq.

“We have a role to express our opinion in regards to the way he does anything,” Mr. Voinovich said in an interview. “He should welcome our point of view because it does reflect the point of view of the people who elected us to office.”

And a new poll today shows that only 19% of Americans view Bush's escalation policy in Iraq as successful.

Republicans, by a 38% to 23% margin, say the surge has been a success. Democrats, by a 63% to 8% margin, consider it a failure. Among those not affiliated with either major party, 12% say the surge was a success. Thirty-nine percent (39%) of unafiliateds consider it a failure while 33% say it’s too early to tell.

Virtually all surveys on Iraq have shown a similar partisan divide, but support for the President’s position is eroding. Most Americans now want U.S. combat troops out of Iraq by early next year. Most American voters (53%) say that Democrats in Congress have not done “enough to change President Bush’s policies in Iraq.” Americans continue to view the situation in Iraq as the top issue facing the country today.

Despite the desire for a troop withdrawal, just 21% of voters now believe it is likely that President Bush will announce a troop withdrawal in the near future. Sixty-four percent (64%) say such an announcement from the President is Not Very Likely or Not at All Likely.

Time for Ms. Pelosi to put a certain something (11 words, starts with I; think Ken Starr abusing it) back on the table. Barbara Boxer thinks she should. Even if Bush and Cheney can't be found guilty of whatever Articles of Impeachment Waxman draws up and the House passes-- and they won't be-- I suspect that Bush's fear of being impeached by the House-- and his absurd lust for respectability as though some historian will someday judge him to have been a legitimate president, let alone a competent one-- will motivate him to compromise with Congress on ending the occupation.


UPDATE: REPUBLICAN "OPPONENTS" TO BUSH-CHENEY WAR AGENDA WERE ALL HOT AIR

For whatever reason, most of the Republican senators Americans were counting on to start voting to oppose the continued occupation of Iraq-- the ones who had announced they think its a terrible, failed policy-- voted... to continue the occupation of Iraq. Especially disappointing, of course, were the big mouths who made all the noise about a need for a change-- Domenici, Lugar and Voinovich. The one House member who tried to get in on the free publicity was Northern California's most crooked rubber stamp rep, John Doolittle. He made some noise last week but, of course, voted with Bush and Cheney and against his constituents this afternoon. Maybe they promised him the pardon he'll soon be needing.

Rep. John Doolittle removed any thought that he was abandoning his support of President Bush's policy in Iraq on Thursday when he voted to oppose a Democratic resolution to begin withdrawing U.S. troops within 120 days.

...Last week, in a meeting with his constituents and with the Sacramento Bee's editorial board, the conservative Roseville Republican said the war had turned into a "quagmire" and that his position had evolved to the point where he now favored pulling back U.S. troops from the front lines.

The congressman's comments were widely reported as him joining a handful of Republicans parting company with the president over the war.

Doolittle said Thursday that he is not responsible for how his remarks were interpreted, but he has not abandoned the president, or given up on the president's "surge" policy. That policy boosted U.S. troop strength there to help Iraqi troops battle insurgents in neighborhood-by-neighborhood combat. "I've been a staunch supporter of the president, and I remain that," Doolittle said.

Emphasis was mine. Hopefully the Bee will remember how he played them-- and the voters-- for suckers.