FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
As the Los Angeles Times rightly sums it up, the Democrats' "Yearlong campaign to bring the war in Iraq to an end concluded with a whimper yesterday as the Senate failed again to pass a timeline for withdrawing U.S. troops from the conflict."
The House still has to approve this revised spending bill, with unrestricted war funds for Iraq and Afghanistan, but it seems likely to pass there with strong Republican support.
No, it's not your imagination. As recently as last month, House and Senate Democrats vowed not to give President Bush any more money for the war in Iraq without withdrawal timelines. But the president threatened to veto the massive spending bill needed to keep the government running unless he got the war money. And the Democrats, lacking any backbone whatsoever, of course immediately surrendered. These people make the French look courageous.
Democratic Senator Russ Feingold offered the failed amendment that would have required the withdrawal of most U.S. troops within 9 months. He remained defiant, saying that nothing is more important to him or his constituents than "ending this disastrous war."
But Republicans insisted that they were doing the right thing for the troops, and that Washington can't ignore the military progress in Iraq.
Here’s my question to you: Should Congress have refused to pass funding for the war in Iraq without some timeline for troop withdrawals?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
B writes:
They will be criticized for not standing up to Bush, so why not just do what the majority of Americans want and demand a timeline. I think they worry about their image too much and we as Americans, not being totally stupid, see that. The troops could have been home months ago.
John writes:
No, Congress should not have refused funding for our troops. They are not simply pawns in some beltway power struggle; they are our sons and daughters, and do need resources to stay that way. Unfortunately, the situation is more complicated than having one right or wrong answer to this political tug-of-war.
Jeremy writes:
Are you kidding me? I'm actually supposed to expect that this Democratic-controlled Congress, who claimed they would take us in a new direction with the war in Iraq, to actually keep their word and make some sort of progress? Seriously, stop pulling my leg. To this date they have done absolutely nothing to bring our troops home and Bush has essentially had his way just as he did when Republicans had the majority. Very sad indeed.
Jack writes:
You want a "yes/no" answer, Jack? Why don't you just ask everyone to raise their hands like were asked of the candidates in the debate? Is it really that simple? There is no easy out, Jack. And political posturing by this venal Congress is just pandering at its worst.
Laura from Newport News, Virginia writes:
One more indication that we wasted our votes in 2006, trying to change the direction of our govenment and its policies. You can't vote in courage!
George writes:
Congress should do as they promised to do, end the war. They have the power to end it; they just don't have the backbone.
This is the most useless Congress in my lifetime. (I'm 73)
Maybe Jack will read yours tomorrow.