Saturday, November 19, 2005
The three who voted YES for immediate pullout:In the New York Times, we read: (excerpts, emp add) Uproar in House as Parties Clash on Iraq Pullout
Republicans and Democrats shouted, howled and slung insults on the House floor on Friday as a debate over whether to withdraw American troops from Iraq descended into a fury over President Bush's handling of the war and a leading Democrat's call to bring the troops home.
The battle boiled over when Representative Jean Schmidt, an Ohio Republican who is the most junior member of the House, told of a phone call she had just received from a Marine colonel back home.
"He asked me to send Congress a message: stay the course," Ms. Schmidt said. "He also asked me to send Congressman Murtha a message: that cowards cut and run, Marines never do."
Democrats booed in protest and shouted Ms. Schmidt down in her attack on Representative John P. Murtha of Pennsylvania, a Vietnam combat veteran and one of the House's most respected members on military matters. They caused the House to come to an abrupt standstill, and moments later, Representative Harold Ford, Democrat of Tennessee, charged across the chamber's center aisle to the Republican side screaming that Ms. Schmidt's attack had been unwarranted.
"You guys are pathetic!" yelled Representative Martin Meehan, Democrat of Massachusetts. "Pathetic."
The measure to withdraw the troops failed in a 403-to-3 vote late Friday night.
[...]
The uproar followed days of mounting tension between Republicans and Democrats in which the political debate over the war sharply intensified. With Mr. Bush's popularity dropping in the polls, Democrats have sought anew to portray him as having exaggerated the threat posed by Iraq before the American invasion in 2003. Republicans have countered that Democrats were equally at fault.
The measure's fate was sealed - and the vote count's significance minimized - when the Democratic leader, Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, criticized the Republican tactics and instructed Democrats to join Republicans in voting against an immediate withdrawal.
"Just when you thought you'd seen it all, the Republicans have stooped to new lows, even for them," said Ms. Pelosi, who assailed Republicans as impugning Mr. Murtha's patriotism.
[...]
House Democrats greeted Mr. Murtha with a standing ovation on Friday as he entered the chamber. Who voted YES? Three Democrats: And how about Republicans countering that Democrats are "equally at fault." For what? From the news report, one might conclude that Republicans are saying Democrats are equally at fault for exaggerating the threat. That can't be right. Or have the Republicans now resorted to blaming the Democrats for misleading the public into war? Things are so crazy out there, it just might be the case. [UPDATE] There is no hidden secret about the three votes. Sorry if anybody was looking for one. It's just that when a news report mentions a vote like this, it's nice to know who was in the extreme minority, and the story often doesn't say. So it's off to the house.gov website to find out, and post on it. Strictly FYI stuff.
posted by Quiddity at 11/19/2005 12:48:00 AM
7 comments
I think we should remind Republicans at every moment that their party just introduced a congressional bill to cut and run from Iraq.
I agree, Democrats are equally at fault. They voted for the war. At the time of the vote, Pelosi said, "the intelligence I have seen does not justify" a yes vote.
So they had accurate intelligence they just didn't have the courage to vote against the war. Because that is where the courage is needed; to say no to war.
Has no one ever read "March of Folly" by Barbara Tuchman. It explains this all. History is ever repeating itslef.
By-the-way: a response to the "cut and run" accusation should be "get out of a burning house."
I would have thought most dems would vote 'present' in order to evade the GOP trick of having them 'go an record' to stay the course.
The Democrats are to blame for voting for the the motion to go to war; they are not to blame for playing around with the intelligence. They should have questioned it more. I know I didn't believe most of it.
I think we should heartily congratulate the 3 Democrats who had the courage to support this resolution. I have yet to hear a coherent reason to continue in Iraq any longer than absolutely necessary to effect a safe withdrawal of our troops.
The Repugs have completely gone off the deep end. They are getting desperate to find some way to smear the Democrats and blame them for Bush's war. Sorry, no sale guys. When you lie to someone and they believe you, they are guilty of gullibility, but you are guilty of lying and lying is by far the more serious offense.
Laurie,
Good point.
The intelligence wasn't credible.
WMD: Iraqi had been beaten down to the level of an undeveloped country by the Gulf War. There was no way for them to have a full blown nuclear weopons' program.
Al Qaida: Why would a militant islamist group make common cause with a secular arab regime. Exactly the type of regime they are most against.
Well, it's nice to know that there are 3 democrats left in the house. If only we could toss all the others out and replace them with individuals as principled without electing more Republicans.
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