Bush cuts off funding for our troops

It's official, and not unexpected:

Bush vetoed legislation to pull U.S. troops out of Iraq Tuesday night in a historic showdown with Congress over whether the unpopular and costly war should end or escalate.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi had this to say in response:

The president wants a blank check. The Congress is not going to give it to him. The president said, in his comments, he did not believe in timelines, and he spoke out very forcefully against them.

Yet in 1999, on June 5th, then-Governor Bush said, about President Clinton, "I think it's important for the president to lay out a timetable as to how long they will be involved and when they would be withdrawn."

Despite his past statements, President Bush refuses to apply the same standard to his own activities. Standards — that's the issue.

If the president thinks that what is happening on the ground in Iraq now is progress, as he said in his comments tonight, then it’s clear to see why we have a disagreement on policy with him. I agree with Leader Reid.

We look forward to working with the president to find common ground, but there is great distance between us right now.

Emphasis is ours. We heard a lot about "flip flops" in 2004 - it was a Bush campaign theme - but it's never been more clear that the real hypocrites are Bush, Rove, Cheney, and their cronies. Remember - It's OK If You're A Republican. Congressional oversight and benchmarks are only appropriate if there's a Democrat in the White House.


Reproduced with permission from cartoonist Andrew Wahl

POSTSCRIPT, from stilwell: Congressional Democrats should send him another bill, with new details, and make him veto that.

The American people hate the occupation of Iraq, and they are disgusted with the Republican Party for supporting it. This alleged president and this incarnation of the Republican Party are in the dumps and headed for the ash bin of history.

Put that on a car magnet.