I detect a definite abdication/jellyfish problem. Or too many cocktails. -- ondelette

Or preparing to hang the White House with the rope they themselves have woven.

Lawmakers, aides say Murtha Iraq-withdrawal proposal dead

By Mike Soraghan

August 01, 2007

A proposal by Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) for the House to vote on withdrawal from Iraq without a timetable has been nixed, several lawmakers and aides said.

The opposition of the Progressive Caucus also apparently doomed a proposal by Reps. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) and John Tanner (D-Tenn.) demanding a redeployment plan from President Bush. The measure will not get a vote this week.

Progressive Caucus lawmakers met Tuesday morning and agreed they would not support any Iraq measure that does not include a firm timetable for withdrawal.

“We don’t want to see any retreat,” a Progressive Caucus member, Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), said.

That kicks the withdrawal debate ahead to September, when Gen. David Petraeus is to issue a report on the success of

President Bush’s “surge” plan. Many Republican lawmakers have said they will re-evaluate their support of Bush’s strategy based on the report.

But House leaders are still emphasizing a vote this week on giving troops more time at home between deployments. The legislation by Abercrombie and Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.) mirrors an unsuccessful bill by Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) that would require soldiers to spend as much time at home as they do in the combat zone.

“We wanted to have the strongest possible vote as everyone left town for August,” a Democratic aide said...

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/lawmakers-aides-say-murtha-iraq-withdrawal-proposal-dead-2007-08-01.html

But they shouldn't lose track of trying to end the war.

No one agrees with me here, but I think Petraeus is playing his own game, not the White House's, he wants to succeed with a counterinsurgency strategy in Iraq and thinks he can do it. His desires and those of the White House temporarily coincide because both are arguing for more time, and Petraeus is trying mightily to find signs that his strategy is working. That is what makes him look like a propaganda piece, but listen very carefully and you will notice differences. O'Hanlon and Pollack saw change bursting out all over, Petraeus and Odierno had statistical evidence of calming in Anbar province only and were waiting to see if it was a "blip" or real, for instance. Ultimately, he isn't a Loyal Bushie, and he will be to blame for any failures, unlike a Loyal Bushie. And the difference could be exploited quietly by Congress. It might lead to a more successful exit.

But like I say, nobody agrees with me here.

I go with ondelette--definitely abdication. Though it may be technically constitutional, how many of our laws are currently written in the following manner?:

From [the office of the President] Congress

1. Congress has decided there is a [crisis / problem / need to update rules to help out lobby / need to be seen doing something].

2. Congress decrees that by date [=today's date + 2 years +/- 6 months] that Executive Department [choose one most closely linked to choice in statement 1] shall develop and implement rules to handle [insert choice from statement 1].

3. Once said rules are developed and implemented, Executive Department [use answer from statement 2] shall report to Congress on effects [every six months / annually / biannually / whenever they want to]. {Please note, that if said Executive Department is directed to not report such reports due to executive order, privelege, or whim, that option 4 shall be considered in force}

4. It is the sense of Congress that such rules must be [helpful / not hurtful / beneficial to consumers (wink) / impressively large]

5. Hereby enacted on [today's date].

[Please print or sign name legibly, or have office assistants use your signature stamp]

Maybe the beheading of Daniel Pearl didn't register with you?

Daniel Pearl was beheaded in Pakistan, a putatative ally, not Iraq. Whether or not Pakistan is a "war zone" is a legitimate question. Are you suggesting we invade Pakistan?

To all those commenting on Democrats "kicking over" the game board when losing I apologize. I should have said "stealing" the game board when losing. Like I always say, it's the Democrats that set the standard for skulduggery, and fraud. And as always, IOKIYAD.

House erupts in chaos
In a massive flare-up of partisan tensions (video link courtesy Breitbart.tv), Republicans walked out on a House vote late Thursday night to protest what they believed to be Democratic maneuvers to reverse an unfavorable outcome for them. http://www.politico.com/blogs/thecrypt/0807/House_erupts_in_chaos.html

Points for chutzpah though. Heh.

...throw up.

House erupts in chaos

In a massive flare-up of partisan tensions (video link courtesy Breitbart.tv), Republicans walked out on a House vote late Thursday night to protest what they believed to be Democratic maneuvers to reverse an unfavorable outcome for them. http://www.politico.com/blogs/thecrypt/0807/House_erupts_in_chaos.html

Republican opponents of withdrawal amendments often say they won’t support an “artificial timetable” for withdrawal. Murtha said his language was intended to remove that reasoning and see if Republicans still supported the administration. He also questioned whether troops can be withdrawn... Democrats expressed concern that the measures, especially Abercrombie-Tanner, would give Republicans “cover” to say they’d voted for a change in course in Iraq without taking concrete steps to remove troops.

Abercrombie said that argument doesn’t hold water. He said Democratic leaders should have scheduled a vote on his bill “if the Democratic Party wants to go home and say they did something on Iraq. The only ‘cover’ we care about is the cover that the troops need in Ramadi and Fallujah.”

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/lawmakers-aides-say-murtha-iraq-withdrawal-proposal-dead-2007-08-01.html

I'm trying to listen to Glenn.

http://www.yearlykosconvention.org/ustream

WE'RE trying to listen to Glenn. kthx

To all those commenting on Democrats "kicking over" the game board when losing I apologize. I should have said "stealing" the game board when losing.

Now your metaphor doesn't even make any sense. What exactly has been "stolen"?

Like I always say, it's the Democrats that set the standard for skulduggery, and fraud.

Yeah, well, you're completely wrong. The Republicans have shown us they're better at it. How could you or anyone else possibly disagree?

And as always, IOKIYAD.

You're the only one around here who seems to think that "Clinton did it" makes something OK.