The Donkey Kicks for Iraq Withdrawal

Ah, there is nothing like a presidential campaign to inspire daffy moves by Congress and the parties that work there. Recently Congress passed a bill that would prevent the authorization of Bush's request for additional funds and troops for Iraq, but instead would set a September 2008 deadline for troops to be fully withdrawn from Iraq. While the only chance this bill has of avoiding a Bush veto can be found in Hell, which may or may not exist, it is safe to say this bill is simply an act of pandering for presidential votes on behalf of the Dems.

The bill was an admirable move by Pelosi and her legion of Democrats, as they gained control of Congress primarily due to the poorly handled War on Terror, but all of those who voted in favor of the bill knew it would certainly be vetoed by the President. With such knowledge one would wonder why they would not invest their time into something worthwhile like healthcare or education reform, but both would not make the statement the Democrats are trying to make. They want the US population to understand they are willing to speak on their behalf and honor the reason why they have the majority in Congress. Whether they really give a damn or not is debatable, but one thing they do care about is putting an ass in the White House (ass referring to donkey the logo for the Democratic Party).

Bush plans to veto the bill and has even shown his disgust in the Democrats to even dare defy him. But Pelosi has never been one to care for Bush or any of his misguided beliefs. While the bill will give Democrats extra support in their presidential campaigns it will not do anything to actually fix the Iraq problem. With no solution in sight it appears that the pullout will not happen anytime soon, allowing the roughly 30,000 troop surge to go forth as planned. The War on Terror has exceeded $500 billion in defense spending with around $350 billion going to Iraq alone. Unfortunately, the debt accrued as a result of the war will only increase as Congress and the Bush administration continue to butt heads in an attempt to find a resolution to the ongoing problem. The newly passed bill will , which was expected to drop dead on the Senate floor, has survived the Congressional gauntlet and can now enjoy the vetoing hand of President Bush. The bill was a nice gesture, but doomed to failure at the moment it contradicted the intentions of the President.