tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15005476.post113251716138924294..comments2023-10-10T08:02:18.073-04:00Comments on Rationally Speaking: Told ya the Dems were spineless...Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15005476.post-1132586377859535632005-11-21T10:19:00.000-05:002005-11-21T10:19:00.000-05:00Perhaps the democrats could go out of their way to...Perhaps the democrats could go out of their way to use this event as an example of how the political games are played. They are just as bad when it comes to 'politics as usual' but they might be able to get a few points out of the idea that the other party is playing politics with the lives of American soldiers. But doing so would require them to not play games either. If they could come up with a unified stance and make a demand, such as, pull out now, by June 2006, etc., they might be able to get somewhere. I feel that instead of trying to figure out a proper foreign policy on the issue, they are just saying 'pull out' so that they can be in opposition to the other party. I understand that we have an adversarial political system, but when the use of our military is concerned, I wish we would take the time to find some truth.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15005476.post-1132579248817992902005-11-21T08:20:00.000-05:002005-11-21T08:20:00.000-05:00Massimo is correct. The Democrats can write up an...Massimo is correct. The Democrats can write up any piece of legislation they want, but it is the Committee chairpersons, under the thumb of the majority leadership, who decide what is to be debated on the floor. The Republicans chose to introduce their own "immediate pullout" resolution, rather than debate the merits of Murtha's "as soon as possible" idea, because they wanted to put the Democrats on record as the "cut and run" party. While I agree with Massimo, and many of my fellow leftists, in that an immediate withdrawal is probably not a bad thing, I think that the Republicans could very well have spun it badly for the Dems had they voted FOR their faux resolution.<BR/><BR/>Still, the Dems need to follow up on the blow Murtha has struck to the credibility of the Bush regime, and use the growing momentum provided by the anti-war and increasingly anti-Bush sentiment in this country, to take back at least ONE of the houses of Congress in 2006. If the Dems fail to do so, it will likely be because of that spinelessness that Massimo has rightly called them on.<BR/><BR/>(I'd prefer the House, myself, since that's where impeachment begins...)<BR/><BR/>~ BobThe NE Curmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08976297512830947379noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15005476.post-1132577030205877712005-11-21T07:43:00.000-05:002005-11-21T07:43:00.000-05:00j.j., I'm not convinced that even a quick withdraw...j.j., I'm not convinced that even a quick withdrawal would be such a bad idea. But, more importantly, I think a strong vote would have sent the message that it is time to do something, the details of that something would have had to be worked out later anyway.<BR/><BR/>GB, it is my understanding that the majority party controls the agenda, so the Dems can introduce a resolution, but cannot force a vote on it. Which is why the Republicans introduced their mock version instead.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09099460671669064269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15005476.post-1132576348872636892005-11-21T07:32:00.000-05:002005-11-21T07:32:00.000-05:00Couldn't (shouldn't) the Democrats simply have int...Couldn't (shouldn't) the Democrats simply have introduced their own (parallel) resolution? Let it state their own ideas about medium-term goals, and force the Republicans to respond to that?<BR/><BR/>GBAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15005476.post-1132525957831303592005-11-20T17:32:00.000-05:002005-11-20T17:32:00.000-05:00So voting against a bad resolution is a sign of a ...So voting against a bad resolution is a sign of a lack of spine? I realize that the mock resolution was a political ploy to embarass the Democrats, but I would think it was spineless to vote <I>for</I> a bad idea because it played well with the populace.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com