Letters to the Editor
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no to de-funding, lets govern first
I'm afraid I take a longer view on this. De-funding now, in the opening days of this Congress would be self-defeating. I have been saying for five years that this step will, eventually, be necessary, but not now.
It is Bush's mess. Hold his feet to the fire. Use the new sane majority and diligent oversight to get a concrete time-table, list of goals, etc out of the Pentagon. Put that in the record. Fund the conflict thru legislation that has these triggers built in, and then hold the current occupant accountable for that. In 6-9 months, when the situation has deteriorated even further, we can, with complete confidence and credibility, de-fund the war and impeach his puniness.
The problem with escalation at this point is that it leads to de-funding the military, which implies Congress essentially giving the boot to the President, which, Constitutionally, requires impeachment. That is a step, despite being so well deserved, which we, as a Nation, are not yet ready for. We need at least 4-6 months of oversight hearings and investigations to drag all the skeletons out of the closet and let things air out a bit.
De-funding the military will also cause harm to the armed forces. They will need time to plan for that, to minimize and manage affairs so they can recovery readiness quickly.
I AM in agreement with hard-ball tactics against the GOP hangers-on still left in Washington. Punish the Cheney collective but reward those with spine enough to actually govern.