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   From: eugenefkent@fuse.net   
      
   Did you know that Bush is Texan hillbilly trash.   
      
    wrote in message   
   news:1175208364.809098.161720@l77g2000hsb.googlegroups.com...   
   >   
   > Milenko Kindl   
   >   
   > A defiant, Democratic-controlled Senate approved legislation Thursday   
   > calling for the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from   
   > Iraq within a year, propelling Congress closer to an epic, wartime   
   > veto confrontation with   
   > President Bush.   
   > ADVERTISEMENT   
   >   
   > The 51-47 vote was largely along party lines, and like House passage   
   > of a separate, more sweeping challenge to Bush's war policies a week   
   > ago, fell far short of the two-thirds margin needed to overturn the   
   > president's threatened veto. It came not long after Bush and House   
   > Republicans made a show of unity at the White House.   
   >   
   > "With passage of this bill, the Senate sends a clear message to the   
   > president that we must take the war in Iraq in a new direction.   
   > Setting a goal for getting most of our troops out of Iraq is not -   
   > not, not - cutting and running," said Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va.,   
   > shortly before the vote. Passage cleared the way for negotiations on a   
   > compromise with the House.   
   >   
   > Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (news, bio, voting record) of   
   > Kentucky rebutted quickly. "Nothing good can come from this bill," he   
   > said. "It's loaded with pork that has no relation to our efforts in   
   > Iraq and   
   > Afghanistan, and it includes a deadline for evacuation that amounts to   
   > sending a `Save the Date' card to al-Qaida."   
   >   
   > Several blocks away, the commander in chief stood with Republican   
   > House members and told reporters they were united. "We expect there to   
   > be no strings on our commanders, and that we expect the Congress to be   
   > wise about how they spend the people's money," he said.   
   >   
   > In private, Bush was more emphatic, according to participants at a   
   > closed-door session in the White House East Room with the GOP rank and   
   > file. "He said he will veto a bill that comes to his desk with too   
   > many strings attached or too much spending," said one official in   
   > attendance, speaking on condition of anonymity because the meeting was   
   > closed to the press.   
   >   
   > While both sides have spoken positively about a need for compromise,   
   > there also was strong political pressure within both parties for a   
   > veto fight.   
   >   
   > Democrats are under pressure to challenge Bush on the war following   
   > their victories in last fall's elections. At the same time,   
   > Republicans say Bush will blame anti-war lawmakers if money begins to   
   > run short for the troops in the field, and will accuse them in any   
   > event for ceding ground to the terrorists in the Middle East.   
   >   
   > Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the House   
   > Defense Appropriations Committee during the day that a delay in   
   > funding would have a chain reaction that could keep units in Iraq   
   > longer than planned. He said if the bill is not passed by May 15, the   
   > Army will have to cut back on reserve training and equipment repairs,   
   > and possibly delay the formation of units needed to relieve those   
   > deployed.   
   >   
   > The House-passed measure requires the withdrawal of combat troops by   
   > Sept. 1, 2008. The Senate bill mandates the beginning of a withdrawal   
   > within 120 days, and sets a non-binding goal of March, 2008, for its   
   > completion.   
   >   
   > Both bills contain more than $90 billion for the military to continue   
   > operations in Afghanistan as well as Iraq, where more than 3,200 U.S.   
   > troops have lost their lives in four years of combat. Money for   
   > domestic programs push the measures' totals above $120 billion.   
   >   
   > If anything, it is more likely that House and Senate Democrats will   
   > have trouble in forging a compromise among themselves than that they   
   > will flinch from a confrontation with the White House. Mindful of the   
   > need to assure a flow of funds, Rep. John Murtha (news, bio, voting   
   > record), D-Pa. said Congress may consider passing monthlong spending   
   > bills while it decides what changes it wants in war policy.   
   >   
   > There is a strong reluctance among the rank and file to approve funds   
   > for the war without attaching conditions to force a change in war   
   > policy, and lawmakers said that situation portended a House-Senate   
   > compromise that would include provisions Bush has already rejected.   
   >   
   > "I don't think the leadership will give in. I don't think they can   
   > give in," said Rep. Jim Moran, D-Va. "We have very strong feelings   
   > among members. And the real strong pushback would come from voters."   
   >   
   > "I'm not willing not to have input," said Murtha, who has emerged in   
   > the past year as one of the Democrats' most vocal critics of the war.   
   >   
   > Nor is the war the only issue in dispute.   
   >   
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    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)