It's Not Their Fault

I know we've been tough on the Democrats in Congress for not ending the Iraq war and not standing up to the President.

Let today's actions in the Senate be proof that the Democrats ARE in fact doing what they can to end the war and stand up to the President.

Twice today, all Democrats (excluding Lieberman of course) voted to restore habeas corpus to detainees and to require troops to be home for the same amount of time as they are deployed, both against what the Bush administration wants.

All Democrats and six Republicans...a good majority, 56.

They just don't have the votes. You want change, you need to elect more Senators who want change. 50 votes don't cut in the Senate.

Webb Amendment: How The Senators Voted

YEAs ---56
Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii)
Max Baucus (D-Montana)
Evan Bayh (D-Indiana)
Joe Biden (D-Delaware)
Jeff Bingaman (D-New Mexico)
Barbara Boxer (D-California)
Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio)
Robert Byrd (D-West Virginia)
Maria Cantwell (D-Washington)
Ben Cardin (D-Maryland)
Thomas Carper (D-Delaware)
Bob Casey (D-Pennsylvania)
Hillary Clinton (D-New York)
Norm Coleman (R-Minnesota)
Susan Collins (R-Maine)
Kent Conrad (D-North Dakota)
Chris Dodd (D-Connecticut)
Byron Dorgan (D-North Dakota)
Dick Durbin (D-Illinois)
Russ Feingold (D-Wisconsin)
Dianne Feinstein (D-California)
Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska)
Tom Harkin (D-Iowa)
Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii)
Tim Johnson (D-South Dakota)
Ted Kennedy (D-Massachusetts)
John Kerry (D-Massachusetts)
Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota)
Herb Kohl (D-Wisconsin)
Mary Landrieu (D-Louisiana)
Frank Lautenberg (D-New Jersey)
Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont)
Carl Levin (D-Michigan)
Blanche Lincoln (D-Arkansas)
Claire McCaskill (D-Missouri)
Bob Menendez (D-New Jersey)
Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland)
Patty Murray (D-Washington)
Bill Nelson (D-Florida)
Ben Nelson (D-Nebraska)
Barack Obama (D-Illinois)
Mark Pryor (D-Arkansas)
Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island)
Harry Reid (D-Nevada)
Jay Rockefeller (D-West Virginia)
Ken Salazar (D-Colorado)
Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont)
Charles Schumer (D-New York)
Gordon Smith (R-Oregon)
Olympia Snowe (R-Maine)
Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan)
John Sununu (R-New Hampshire)
Jon Tester (D-Montana)
Jim Webb (D-Virginia)
Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island)
Ron Wyden (D-Oregon)

NAYs ---44
Lamar Alexander (R-Tennessee)
Wayne Allard (R-Colorado)
John Barrasso (R-Wyoming)
Richard Bennett (R-Utah)
Kit Bond (R-Missouri)
Sam Brownback (R-Kansas)
Jim Bunning (R-Kentucky)
Richard Burr (R-North Carolina)
Saxby Chambliss (R-Georgia)
Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma)
Thad Cochran (R-Mississippi)
Bob Corker (R-Tennessee)
John Cornyn (R-Texas)
Larry Craig (R-Idaho)
Mike Crapo (R-Idaho)
Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina)
Elizabeth Dole (R-North Carolina)
Pete Domenici (R-New Mexico)
John Ensign (R-Nevada)
Mike Enzi (R-Wyoming)
Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina)
Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa)
Judd Gregg (R-New Hampshire)
Orrin Hatch (R-Utah)
Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas)
Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahoma)
Johnny Isakson (R-Georgia)
Jon Kyl (R-Arizona)
Joe Lieberman (ID-Connecticut)
Trent Lott (R-Mississippi)
Richard Lugar (R-Indiana)
Mel Martinez (R-Florida)
John McCain (R-Arizona)
Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky)
Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)
Pat Roberts (R-Kansas)
Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama)
Richard Shelby (R-Alabama)
Arlen Specter (R-Pennsylvania)
Ted Stevens (R-Alaska)
John Thune (R-South Dakota)
David Vitter (R-Louisiana)
George Voinovich (R-Ohio)
John Warner (R-Virginia)

Bold Senators are up for reelection next year, open seat Senators aren't bold

Senate Rejects Webb Amendment

The Republicans filibustered an amendment by Senator Jim Webb (D-Virginia) to require troops to have the same amount of rest time as they have deployment time. This common-sense amendment was defeated by a 56-44 cloture vote, will all the Democrats sans Lieberman voted aye and six Republicans joining them.

This Is Gonna Piss Off Some Republican

See now, if Bush had been more prompt with this news, there probably wouldn't be a Senator Webb, Senator Tester, Congressman Courtney, Congressman Loebsack, Congressman Hall, Congressman Rodriguez, and maybe not even a Congresswoman Shea-Porter.

I, for one, am not complaining, but if I was a Republican, I'd be livid.

This Is Suppprting The Troops?

Republicans killed an amendment submitted by Senator Jim Webb (D-Virginia) which would force the Pentagon to match the length of a solider's leave with the length of his or her deployment.

Basically Republicans told the nation that troops do not deserve to be at home with their family and friends for the same amount of time they're spending politicing a civil war.

There is no excuse for this and Republicans who voted against cloture should be thrown out of the Senate.

The following members of the GOP are not included in this;

Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minnesota)
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine)
Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska)
Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Oregon)
Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine)
Sen. John Sununu (R-New Hampshire)
Sen. John Warner (R-Virginia)

Yes, it is true that all but Snowe are facing tough reelections next year. Here's the list of those who are ALSO up for reelection next year, but voted not to move the amendment to a vote;

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tennessee)
Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyoming)
Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Georgia)
Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Mississippi)
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas)
Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-North Carolina)
Sen. Pete Domenici (R-New Mexico)
Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyoming)
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina)
Sen. James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma)
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky)
Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kansas)
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama)
Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska)

That's a long list of possible pickups is you ask me

The End Of The Bush Doctrine

George W. Bush's bright idea of staging preemptive wars may see it's end

Senator Jim Webb (D-Virginia) has introduced a bill that would bar the President from taking military action against Iran without Congressional approval. Basically the bill explains that the President can only stage a war against Iran (or any other country) with a declaration of war from Congress...kinda like what it says in Article 1, Section 8, Clause 11 of the United States Constitution. It's a complete repudiation of the Bush Doctrine, which advocates preemptive wars (or as I call it, Wars of Paranoia)

No more "police action" crap. The President has the power to regulate a war as Commander-in-Chief, but only after Congress gives him the authority to do it, only after Congress does their Constitutionally mandated function of declaring war.

The chances of this passing are good, but the chances of it becoming law are not. The Republicans will argue it gives Iran reason to agitate the United States, knowing the President's hands are tied (Ignorant to the fact that our streched-to-thin military ties him down already.) The President is never going to concede anything to Congress, especially his doctrine, 29% approval rating or not.

Yet, Senator Webb once again puts the Democrats on the side of the people and forces the Republicans to decide between their loyalty to Bush or to the people.

Wise Choice last November, Virginia.