maat
06-17-2009, 04:58 AM
Jeremy Scahill, of Rebel Reports, has a great piece here (first paragraph here)(I didn't post the whole thing, emphasizing certain parts, but perhaps someone else might want to):
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In a vote that should go down in recent histories as a day of shame for the Democrats, on Tuesday the House voted to approve another $106 billion dollars for the bloody wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (and increasingly Pakistan). To put a fine point on the interconnection of the iron fist of U.S. militarism and the hidden hand of free market neoliberal economics, the bill included a massive initiative to give the International Monetary Fund billions more in U.S. taxpayer funds.
http://www.alternet.org/world/140715/shame:_the_'anti-war'_democrats_who_sold_out_/?page=1
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THESE parts are particularly disgusting (the bolded parts):
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In other words, Obama took a position that amounted to providing political cover to Democrats to support the war funding, while pledging to implement, through other means, the very policy they supposedly found objectionable.
From the jump, the White House and Democratic Leadership had the gloves off in the fight. Consider this report from last week:
Rep. Lynn Woolsey of California, a leader of the antiwar Democrats, said the White House is threatening to withdraw support from freshmen who oppose the bill, saying “you’ll never hear from us again.”
She said the House leadership also is targeting the freshmen.
It’s really hard for the freshmen,” she said. “Nancy’s pretty powerful.”
Jane Hamsher, meanwhile, reported on Monday that it appeared Emanuel was "cutting deals with Republicans to go easy on them in the 2010 elections in exchange for votes." In the end, the White House got five Republicans to vote for the funding, including New York Republican John McHugh, the man President Obama nominated two weeks ago to be Army secretary. A "senior Republican source" according to FOX News "suggested McHugh could be creating a conflict of interest by voting on military-related legislation while his Army secretary nomination is pending before the Senate."
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And, finally, my favorite part - those reps who have some spine:
Below are the Democrats who stood against Obama's expanding war the day their votes mattered (See where your Representative stood here):
Tammy Baldwin, Michael Capuano, John Conyers, Lloyd Doggett, Donna Edwards, Keith Ellison, Sam Farr, Bob Filner, Alan Grayson, Raul Grijalva, Michael Honda, Marcy Kaptur, Dennis Kucinich, Barbara Lee, Zoe Lofgren, Eric Massa, Jim McGovern, Michael Michaud, Donald Payne, Chellie Pingree, Jared Polis, Jose Serrano, Carol Shea-Porter, Jackie Speier, John Tierney, Nikki Tsongas, Maxine Waters, Diane Watson, Peter Welch, and Lynn Woolsey.
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I highlight Bob Filner, because he represents part of San Diego, and always votes the way a progressive would want him to vote. I'm only about an hour north of San Diego, and have gotten to hear him speak a few times. He's just inspiring. He's a co-sponsor of H.R. 676, the bill that is the TRUE public healthcare option IF Medicare is anything more than a hollowed-out shell shortly.
Rahm E. is SUCH a despicable creep.
=====================================================================================
In a vote that should go down in recent histories as a day of shame for the Democrats, on Tuesday the House voted to approve another $106 billion dollars for the bloody wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (and increasingly Pakistan). To put a fine point on the interconnection of the iron fist of U.S. militarism and the hidden hand of free market neoliberal economics, the bill included a massive initiative to give the International Monetary Fund billions more in U.S. taxpayer funds.
http://www.alternet.org/world/140715/shame:_the_'anti-war'_democrats_who_sold_out_/?page=1
=====================================================================================
THESE parts are particularly disgusting (the bolded parts):
=======================================================================================
In other words, Obama took a position that amounted to providing political cover to Democrats to support the war funding, while pledging to implement, through other means, the very policy they supposedly found objectionable.
From the jump, the White House and Democratic Leadership had the gloves off in the fight. Consider this report from last week:
Rep. Lynn Woolsey of California, a leader of the antiwar Democrats, said the White House is threatening to withdraw support from freshmen who oppose the bill, saying “you’ll never hear from us again.”
She said the House leadership also is targeting the freshmen.
It’s really hard for the freshmen,” she said. “Nancy’s pretty powerful.”
Jane Hamsher, meanwhile, reported on Monday that it appeared Emanuel was "cutting deals with Republicans to go easy on them in the 2010 elections in exchange for votes." In the end, the White House got five Republicans to vote for the funding, including New York Republican John McHugh, the man President Obama nominated two weeks ago to be Army secretary. A "senior Republican source" according to FOX News "suggested McHugh could be creating a conflict of interest by voting on military-related legislation while his Army secretary nomination is pending before the Senate."
=======================================================================================
=======================================================================================
And, finally, my favorite part - those reps who have some spine:
Below are the Democrats who stood against Obama's expanding war the day their votes mattered (See where your Representative stood here):
Tammy Baldwin, Michael Capuano, John Conyers, Lloyd Doggett, Donna Edwards, Keith Ellison, Sam Farr, Bob Filner, Alan Grayson, Raul Grijalva, Michael Honda, Marcy Kaptur, Dennis Kucinich, Barbara Lee, Zoe Lofgren, Eric Massa, Jim McGovern, Michael Michaud, Donald Payne, Chellie Pingree, Jared Polis, Jose Serrano, Carol Shea-Porter, Jackie Speier, John Tierney, Nikki Tsongas, Maxine Waters, Diane Watson, Peter Welch, and Lynn Woolsey.
=======================================================================================
I highlight Bob Filner, because he represents part of San Diego, and always votes the way a progressive would want him to vote. I'm only about an hour north of San Diego, and have gotten to hear him speak a few times. He's just inspiring. He's a co-sponsor of H.R. 676, the bill that is the TRUE public healthcare option IF Medicare is anything more than a hollowed-out shell shortly.
Rahm E. is SUCH a despicable creep.