In an interview last night on the Charlie Rose Show, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pointedly said, “… the Iraqis need to know that we are not looking to leave Iraq.” “Ever?” Rose asked. Rice responded, “We are not going to leave an Iraq that is not capable of defending itself and with a foundation for future reconciliation.”
President Bush would veto the new Iraq spending bill being developed by House Democrats because it includes unacceptable language restricting funding, White House press secretary Tony Snow said Wednesday morning.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Snow said of the bill: "There are restrictions on funding and there are also some of the spending items that were mentioned in the first veto message that are still in the bill."
The White House threatened on Wednesday to veto a proposed House bill that would pay for the war only through July — a limit Defense Secretary Robert Gates warned would be disastrous.
The warnings came as Democratic leaders wrestled with how to support the troops but still challenge President Bush on the war. Bush has requested more than $90 billion to sustain the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through September.
Democrats were unbowed.
"With this latest veto threat, the president has once again chosen confrontation over cooperation," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
In a flash of defiance, House Democratic leaders this week promoted legislation that would provide the military $42.8 billion to keep operations going through July, buy new equipment and train Iraqi and Afghan security forces. Congress would decide shortly before its August recess whether to release an additional $52.8 billion to fund the war through September.”In essence, the bill asks me to run the Department of Defense like a skiff, and I’m trying to drive the biggest supertanker in the world, "Gates told senators Wednesday. ”And we just don’t have the agility to be able to manage a two-month appropriation very well."
The Executive [as in Executive Branch] is supposed to be the "do things" part of our government. He’s doing nothing and shooting down anyone else’s attempts to act. He’s not capable of doing much more than sitting there like he did when he was told about 911 – frozen.
Impeachment of both George W. Bush and Richard Cheney is the only answer to the Iraq War.
Bush and Rice appear to be in suspended animation. I think that Bush should be called the sunshine president. One of my many roles on the PTSA was sunshine lady. Whenever someone was sick I was supposed to send a get well care and if someone won an award or had some other nice thing happen I was to send a gift or a card of congratulations or both. I guess what I’m getting at is that Bush is the sunshine president. His job is to kiss and hug people when terrorist strike like at 911 services and when the country has hurricanes or tornados etc. He is also good at waving to people at the WH when he walks to his helicopter or at airports. He could be a greeter at grand openings at stores and county fairs. I admit he is good at all of the above. But he isn’t good at much else, especially not as President of the United States. I hope that one or all of the people who selected this empty shirt will finally get the message and admit it and do something about it before it’s too late. I guess I’m just day dreaming.
Joyhollywood, It sounds like you’re giving him a recommendation as a WalMart greeter.