Even with Obama in charge, anti-war Democrats powerless

[billyoc]

WASHINGTON — The anti-war crowd had waited years for this moment, when it could finally use its political muscle to end or at least sharply curtail American involvement in a war that seems endless.

Instead, Congress' most vocal anti-war activists were badly outnumbered this week when they tried to define an exit strategy for U.S. involvement in Afghanistan.

"We need a plan while we are there and a strategy for leaving," said Rep. Donna Edwards, D-Md., who last year defeated an eight-term incumbent Democrat who backed the Iraq war. "We don't have it."

They weren't even allowed a vote on a plan. It was a setback because for years, anti-war lawmakers lacked the votes they needed to impose restrictions on former President George W. Bush's war in Iraq. Now, the president is a Democrat, and the Democrats have a 79-seat majority in the House of Representatives and 59 Senate seats, including two independents, which gives them their biggest margins since the early 1990s.

...

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/309/story/68306.html

[polichick]

1. It's heartbreaking.

[babylonsister]

2. They weren't allowed to even vote?

:grr:

[billyoc]

8. Perhaps they'll be allowed to hold a little hearing in a basement closet...

:eyes:

[Pirate Smile]

3. Obama was never anti-war. He said he was "anti-dumb-wars" which is what he considered Iraq.

It distracted us from the real fight in Afghanistan per Obama. Anyone who listened to him campaign, knew that already.

[rug]

4. It's comforting he considers the war in Afghanistan a smart war.

[Pirate Smile]

15. I'm glad you're comforted then. I would guess that he would substitute "necessary" for "smart" in

your statement.

[proud2BlibKansan]

19. And I would call it avoidable nt

[jgraz]

5. Keepin our powder dry

:banghead:

[billyoc]

11. Yes, don't forget about 2010,

It's the MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION IN OUR LIFETIMES!!

[uponit7771]

6. Obama's direction on Afghanistan could NOT have been more CLEAR!!! You people don't listen!!

[billyoc]

12. "You people"? These are members of the House of Representatives.

They were forbidden to vote on something. It doesn't MATTER what the fuck it was.

[uponit7771]

13. They don't pay attention either!!!!

[ThomCat]

14. What direction is that?

We're expanding our operations there, with still no exit strategy so we have no idea under what conditions we would ever leave.

Are we there until Bin Laden's body is found, or until the Taliban is restrained, or until the Taliban is defeated, or until the Afghanistan government is propped up again, or until a real democratic government is installed, or until the drug trade is eradicated, or until an oil pipeline that our oil companies want is finally built?

Will it ever involve reducing troop levels, or will we continue to pour ever growing amounts of money into Afghanistan?

Does it involve any new diplomatic pushes to get allied troops to join us in greater than just token numbers? Or will this continue to be essentially a US war against half of Afghanistan?

What is this clear direction you are referring to?

It seems to me that everyone else has a whole lot more questions than you do. What is this privileged information you have directly from Obama that he hasn't released to the public yet?

[OutNow]

18. The end of the Afghan war will be decided by the Afghans

How about this for a clear direction:

The U.S. will leave Afghanistan when it loses. Just like the British in the 19th century and the Russians in the 20th.

The only question is how many U.S. soldiers will die between today and the time when the generals realize they can never win, no matter how winning is defined.

I'd like the number of U.S. deaths to be ZERO and our withdrawal to begin TODAY. Or we can screw around for a few more years and a few more strategies and then withdrawal.

[ThomCat]

20. That is either "perpetual war," staying until Afghanistan definitively loses

Or another Vietnam, staying until we realize that we're fighting until we decide to stop throwing away money and lives.

If that is truly our direction then our national debt is going to balloon so quickly in the next few years that China is almost certain to follow up on their threat to stop loaning us more money. What then when our national debt comes due and we can't borrow any more?

That's certainly not what Obama meant when he called for fighting a smart war, I hope. So hopefully he has some direction other than just fighting until they figure something out. :(

[jeanpalmer]

24. This is a dumb war like all the others

Iraq and Afghanistan will bankrupt this country. It's already happening. You can't run up $1.8 trillion deficits for very long. Something is going to have to give. It's sad that this country can't wean itself off of militarism, that bankruptcy has to be the thing that puts an end to it. But I think that's going to be the end result. We're already part way there, few people realize it.

[ThomCat]

16. I'm waiting. If it couldn't be more clear, then what is it?

what is this direction? What is our actual objective, that when accomplished will be our sign to immediately leave? What does this direction say about our troop levels, funding, allies, Afghanistan's government, bin Laden, the Taliban, oil shipments or any of the other big issues in Afghanistan that are keeping us there?

Other than the slogan to fight smart, what is this direction you say is so clear? I'm sure we would all love to know about it.

[Hun Joro]

25. So your point is that we should not have voted for him if we disagreed?

I am at a loss...Dennis Kucinich has always been my candidate, and I will always support him when I can because he always stands for me. But by the time the primaries rolled around to my state it was obvious that he had no chance. Did I vote for Dennis anyway, or stay home? No, I voted for Obama, in the primary as well as in the general election. I even psyched myself into being enthusiastic about him, became, dare I say, hopeful about his candidacy, although I knew he was probably not the progressive candidate some here insisted that he was. How many DUers do you think did otherwise? What else was there to do? Allow the republicans to steal another election?

So, with my help, and the help of many others like me, Barack Obama became POTUS. And I was ecstatic that the Bush years were over. And I like Barack Obama and think he is probably a decent and intelligent human being and a better president than the Bush/Reagans. But please, I reserve the right to be upset with him when he appears to appease - even support - the war machine, the corporatists, and what have you.

We people don't listen? Listening has little to do with anything. Don't expect lockstep. Just because he is doing what he said he'd do doesn't make it right. I want a president who looks out for my interests on occasion.

This little rant has been brewing in my gut for some time now, every time I see a dissenter called a republican or otherwise attempted to silence.

[ThomCat]

7. This really shows that few have much interest in peace.

:(

Yes, this is heartbreaking.

[Number23]

9. This is a key passage from your article

"We have a lot of anti-war sentiment in the district, and I thought people would provide me cover to vote against the bill," Clay said.

Instead, he found, "It was just the opposite. Lots of callers told me they trust the president, and we should give him a chance." Clay voted for the bill."

Apparently, it is the VOTERS and the American public, not the politicians who are saying trust the President and asking their representatives to focus on the economy right now. That should not come as a surprise to anyone.

[uponit7771]

10. +++++++THANK YOU+++++++++++

[BeFree]

26. Yep

The people are the problem. Too many are still heavily influenced by the media who is gung-ho for more war. Obama, bless his heart, is likewise gung-ho.

It is the American way. We are the champions and we will prove it by kicking your ass from here to kingdom come. Obama is just playing along.

Sadly, only a few people are willing to speak out against more war. So that is what we'll have.... more war. Get used to it.

[proud2BlibKansan]

17. It's the economy, stupid

:)

Seriously, folks are more concerned about the war on their wallets than the war on innocent people a half a world away. It's to be expected. I wish they were more worried about the war but it just doesn't hit them in their wallets like the bad economy does.

[Peacetrain]

21. Lets get it straight.. they were not ready to present.. from your article

They tried to band together. About 30 met on the eve of the Thursday House vote, but they couldn't come up with a united strategy.

"We realized this came up so fast we didn't have the time," said Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Calif., the co-chairwoman of the House Progressive Caucus.

[dionysus]

22. funny that part got left out isn't it?

:shrug:

[Peacetrain]

23. I was reading about this at some other areas.. they have to get

themselves organized for the debate. They have not pulled together yet. Putting forward legislation of any stripe, especially if it is going to be a highly debated driven vote..you have to get your ducks in a row