Progressive Democrat Issue 106: THOUGHTS

I continue to feel good about the Democratic Congress. So far they have been keeping their promises and THAT is a good thing. I already discussed the House Democrats, aided by a handful of moderate Republicans, who passed a minimum wage increase, voted to roll back oil company subsidies, voted to reduce the interest on student loans, and voted to implement the 9/11 Commission Recommendations. But I have been wondering how our Senators would do.

Now we are getting our first glimpse. The latest great thing done by the new Democratic majority is to sharply snub Bush's insane "surge" idea for digging us deeper into the Iraq quagmire. And, yet again, the Democrats have managed to do it with some bipartisan support showing that the Democratic majority has allowed more moderate Republicans to finally assert their independence from the far right wing branch of their party.

From Citizens for Legitimate Government: (complete with their editorializing)

Senate Panel Votes Against Bush on Iraq 24 Jan 2007 The Democratic-controlled Senate Foreign Relations Committee dismissed President [sic] Bush's plans to increase troops strength in Iraq on Wednesday as "not in the national interest," an unusual wartime repudiation of the commander-in-chief [thief].

'There is no strategy.' Senators start rebuke of Iraq strategy 24 Jan 2007 Democrats took the first step toward a wartime repudiation of President [sic] George W. Bush today, convening a Senate committee to endorse legislation declaring that the deployment of additional troops to Iraq is "not in the national interest." Sen. Chuck Hagel, of Nebraska, is the only Republican on the committee to announce support for the measure. "There is no strategy," said Hagel of the Bush regime’s war management. "This is a Ping-Pong game with American lives... And we better be damn sure we know what we’re doing, all of us, before we put 22,000 more Americans into that grinder."

Senate panel debates rejection of troop increase 24 Jan 2007 Brushing aside President [sic] George W. Bush's plea to give his new war strategy a chance, Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Senate moved ahead on Wednesday with a resolution opposing his plan to send more troops to Iraq.

Minimum wage increase (now being blocked by Senate Republicans despite it being supported by some House Republicans), scaling back oil company subsidies, implementing the recommendations of the independent, bipartisan 9/11 Commission, promoting stem cell research, cutting interest rates for college loans...shit, I am pretty damned happy with the Congressional Democrats now that they are being given a chance to do something. It will be tougher in the Senate because we have not only a tighter split between the parties, but also the Lieberman effect, which may work to our advantage for some issues, but not for issues related to the war. But if nothing else we are showing that Democrats do support working Americans while Republicans, at least in the Senate and White House, are opposing help for working Americans. So much for "compassionate" conservativism.

Next we get a pretty bold statement from Harry Reid. Here is the statement Senator Harry Reid has made regarding Bush's insane "surge" plan:

In his State of the Union address, George Bush once again said that he intends to escalate our involvement in Iraq's civil war by sending 21,500 more troops to the region.

Congress will vote soon on the president's plan, but my position is clear: No Escalation -- No Way...

On Election Day, America spoke with one voice about its desire to end the war in Iraq. I know that's one of the primary messages you were sending when you worked so hard to get Jon Tester elected to the Senate in Montana.

In the weeks and months since the election, I and other members of Congress from both parties have urged President Bush to heed the will of our nation and propose real change. Regrettably, the president has chosen to ignore the will of the American people. Concern about the president's escalation strategy is non-partisan. It is opposed by Democrats, it is opposed by Republicans, it is opposed by top military leaders, and it is opposed by an overwhelming majority of the American people.

Adding additional troops has already been tried and it has already failed. In fact, it seems as though every year president Bush announces a major strategic shift that is nothing more than a repetition of the same failed tactics all over again, shrouded in new packaging for the media. America doesn't need another White House P.R. campaign -- we need a real change of course in Iraq.

Democrats, Republicans and the bipartisan Iraq Study Group have all offered President Bush a roadmap to turn Iraq over to the Iraqis, begin the phased redeployment of American troops and end our open-ended commitment.

While the president continues to ignore the will of the country, Congress will not ignore this president's failed policy. Congress will soon hold an up or down vote on the president's plan, but my position is clear: No Escalation -- No Way...

Congress will do nothing to jeopardize the safety of our troops, but we will exercise our Constitutional authority to hold the president accountable for a change of course that turns Iraq over to the Iraqis and allows for our troops to begin coming home. The time for more troops in Iraq has passed.

They and their families have served our nation courageously and sacrificed enough.

Hold him to it. Remember this statement and remind him of it anytime the subject of the surge comes up. But most importantly, write the media and express your support of Reid's stand against the "surge."

Now, this week's newsletter:

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

RECOVERING FROM KATRINA

2008 PRESIDENTIAL RACE: Some thoughts

THE BUSH VIEW (humor)

FLORIDA FOCUS: A Message from CFO Alex Sink

OHIO FOCUS: Election Fraud Convictions

NY STATE FOCUS: Two Special Elections, Two More Chances to Win

NYC GROUPS AND EVENTS

CALIFORNIA FOCUS: Looking Forward to Darwin Day

CALIFORNIA GROUPS AND EVENTS

VIRGINIA GROUPS AND EVENTS

NEW JERSEY FOCUS: Democrats 2000

NEW JERSEY GROUPS AND EVENTS

IOWA FOCUS: Minimum Wage Increase

MIDWEST GROUPS AND EVENTS