Got this via Dr. Dean at DNC. Senator Reid is right on this one. Let them filibuster.ÂÂ
It’s going to be a long night for the U.S. Senate.
Senate Republicans are threatening to filibuster a bill by Senators Levin and Reed that would require President Bush to begin troop withdrawal within 120 days, with most coming home by April 2008.
But Senator Majority Leader Reid has decided that he’s not going to let them just make a threat and walk away — he’s going to make them stand up in front of the American people and show them just how much they want to stay in Iraq. A few Republicans have started to say the right things, but we don’t know whether they actually have the backbone to stand with the American people and vote the right way, and the threat of a filibuster gives them all the cover they need.
Now, let’s not kid ourselves: they can filibuster, and we probably won’t have the votes to stop them. But if Senate Republicans are against ending the war, then they should show it by voting against the legislation — a straight-up-and-down vote on a bill that the majority of Americans support. That’s how a democratic government works.
Instead, they’re threatening to block the vote, and we’re going to force them to explain themselves in front of the American people.
So let’s show Senator Reid that we’re united behind him. We’ve created a simple tool that will let you write a letter and fax it to your Senators instantly — you can let them know all night long just how much opposition there is to the war in Iraq.
Send your Senators a message right now:
http://www.democrats.org/IraqObstruction
A handful of Republicans loyal to President Bush plan to block the bill even though a similar version passed in the House by a 223-201 margin last week. Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Friday that we need to give the troop escalation time because it is just beginning to “show signs of military success.” But how many times have we heard something like that in the last five years?
As Senator Reid said yesterday:
“Republicans are using a filibuster to block us from even voting on an amendment that could bring the war to a responsible end. They are protecting the President rather than protecting our troops.
“They are denying us an up or down — yes or no — vote on the most important issue our country faces.
“I would like to inform the Republican leadership and all my colleagues that we have no intention of backing down.”
Tell your Senator that you’re not going to back down either:
http://www.democrats.org/IraqObstruction
Since the American people put Democrats back in charge of Congress, the Republican minority has resorted to obstructionism and political games to block any responsible progress toward ending the war in Iraq. Now they’re refusing to even allow a vote on bringing the troops home.
For the first six years of George Bush’s presidency, the Republican majority in Congress failed this country. They had their chance to make their case to continue the war in Iraq, and the American people didn’t buy it.
Now it’s your chance to make the case. Tell your Senators to pass the Levin-Reed amendment and bring the troops home:
http://www.democrats.org/IraqObstruction
Thanks for all that you do,
Gov. Howard Dean, M.D.
Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following statement Tuesday in response to the Democrat-sponsored talk-a-thon, which will delay consideration of further amendments to the Defense Authorization Bill:
“While Republicans are focused on the dangers posed by al Qaeda in Iraq, and the warnings that the United Nations and Baker-Hamilton Commission have given in recent days about the consequences of withdrawal, Democrats plan to spend the next 24 hours in what they have described as a ‘publicity stunt.’ This issue is far too serious to waste the next day on ‘publicity stunts.’ This is a serious issue, and deserves serious consideration.
“Our enemies aren’t threatened by talk-a-thons, and our troops deserve better than publicity stunts.â€Â
Glad you agree with the Senator that our troops desercve better than publicity stunts.
You mean like the “Mission Accomplished” banner, or President Bush carrying a fake turkey for Thanksgiving?
Has it occured to you John that we’ve wasted the last couple of years and thousands of dead and wounded Americans staying in extended and multiple tours of duty in Iraq without the proper body armor or shielded Humvees all so John McCain and Joe Lieberman can walk around a Bagdhad market to proclaim that we’re in our 4th year of making steady progress in Iraq?
I want the Republicans to filibuster. I want to see them them defend a war poorly managed by the president and defy th ewill of the majority of Americans who want us out of Iraq.
Didn’t Maliki just proclaim they were ready for Americans to withdraw?
After ignoring Baker-Hamilton now the GOP leadership tries to grab on to it as a life preserver. The evidence continues to mount that the only result of the continued U.S. presence in Iraq will be further U.S. and Iraqi casualties, decreased readiness of our military to be able to respond to military and terrorist threats abroad and more international hostility to the U.S.
Dan—While I agree with your points I don’t think Senators McCain or Lieberman are on publicity stunts when they travel there, no more then Senator Clinton or a variety of Democrats who’ve gone there are on publicity stunts.Maybe I misunderstood what you said. McCain and Lieberman are wrong on many things about this war but I think they really believe in the war and truly see progress (much as a person dying of thirst in the desert sees a mirage). Plenty of hacks in the Administration who do the publicity stunts though.