Tony Snow: Democrats Can Cut Off Funds, But Can't Stop President's 'Surge'

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003529196

At his briefing today, White House Press Secretary Tony Snow was naturally peppered with questions about President Bush's upcoming speech to the nation about his plans for (it seems to be an open secret) sending more U.S. troops to Iraq. Snow wouldn't quite admit that this was indeed set in stone but sparred with reporters over why the president thinks the public will find this appealing.

Snow held out hope that the Democrats would come to their senses about opposing this but admitted it could even be a battle royal. But what about calls for the Democrats to halt the build up by denying funding? Snow admitted congress had funding control but also pointed out that the president could ultimately do what he wants. "You know, Congress has the power of the purse," Snow said, then added: "The President has the ability to exercise his own authority if he thinks Congress has voted the wrong way."

In a separate discussion, Snow suggested that contrary to virtually all research and polls on the subject, Iraq is not uppermost in the minds of most Americans. In fact, he suggested, the GOP losses in November might have come mainly because of corruption charges, not the war. Here are the relevant excerpts.
*

Q Do the Democrats or any of the opponents have the executive authority to stop anything that the President is going to present? In other words, is he going to need to ask Congress to approve something?

MR. SNOW: Well, ultimately, anything you do has budgetary implications. I think there was a question earlier today, are we seeking resolutions, and that sort of thing -- and I want to wave you off of that. What you do have, though, is basically budget is policy. So Congress is going to be engaged in the appropriations and authorization process and, you know, through those, they're going to be debating a lot of things. And so that's sort of par for the course.

[Webster Green]

1. The term "president's surge" made me throw up a little...(n/t)

[Robbien]

6. Me too

president's surge is a gaudawful label.

[ashling]

8. I've said before and I'll say again:

Condi's urge is Chimpy's surge

[saigon68]

25. They are War Criminals

[Morgana LaFey]

2. And so it begins

well, let's get the damn Constitutional Crisis going, then. The quicker it begins, the quicker it'll be over.

[truthisfreedom]

3. sno is a fart in the wind.

Didn't hear it, nobody smells it... he's simply vapor.

And yes, his name is now smelled sno.

[NYC Liberal]

4. "President has the ability to exercise his own authority...

...if he thinks Congress has voted the wrong way."

WHAT?!?! IMPEACH THIS TYRANT NOW!

[HuffleClaw]

10. referring to a veto i think

which is true enough i guess, but i doubt even most republicans want this surge and sure as hell don't want to VOTE for it. they have dreams of being reelected.

[Thor_MN]

11. He can veto bills, but he can't create them..

He can't create funding if Congress doesn't authorize it. He can only veto the bill in which the funding would be in, thereby cutting off ALL funding. He's SOL if Congress does not give him the money.

[BushOut06]

20. Ah, but that's what signing statements are for!

Just like * created new law when he issued a signing statement giving him authority to open US mail.

I can just see it now. Congress cuts off funding for this "surge" in their budget, and Bush simply adds it back in with a signing statement.

[primavera]

27. Exactamundo

That was my thought as well. With 750 "signing statements" to his credit so far, there doesn't seem to be anything to prevent dimson from adding a little note in the margin of any bill indicating that he's "interpreted" the bill to mean that he's been promoted to emperor for life and granted unlimited, God-like powers. He does it every day of the week now and no one's stopped him yet, why should we expect anything different in the future?

[tavalon]

17. There is no surge

This is an escalation of war, not a porn flick money shot.

[sniffa]

5. not even a coLd shower can stop the president's surge

[EST]

7. What it seems he's saying is that * is going to go ahead and do

it "on the cuff" with promises to pay you tuesday for a hamburger today.

[TexasLawyer]

9. Totally delusional

"In fact, he suggested, the GOP losses in November might have come mainly because of corruption charges, not the war."

[Selteri]

14. Completely delusional

He is completely delusional or this is just another extension of how horribly they try to corrupt and twist everything to look like they are the victims in every circumstance, bringing up the worst the House can do as what is being threatened even though it hasn't been put on the table and would be political suicide.

Yet they continue to talk as though the threat to not fund a troop surge is being attacked as though they were taking away all Iraq War funding. Continue to act as though they have the checks with no balances. Bush is the fool that when he sees he has dug deeper than he can get out with his ladder digs harder hoping to find a solution.

[caledesi]

29. Oh, he has been saying this for a long time. So delusional.

It's pretty bad when you have to opt for corruption rather than the Iraq War.

[choie]

12. WTF? "come to their senses"? Nice biased reportage.

"Snow held out hope that the Democrats would come to their senses about opposing this but admitted it could even be a battle royal."

Uh, shouldn't there be quotes there, assuming this is Snow's phrasing and not a snarky editorial intrusion by E&P?

Asshats.

[Gman]

13. "The President has the ability to exercise his own authority if he thinks Congress has voted...

the wrong way."

Unitary Presidency theory and their sticking to it no matter what. They want to push it in court and this is their opportunity to do it. They'll need a few more than just Scalia this time.

[The Backlash Cometh]

15. Send Visine to the Democrats! They must not blink!

The stare-down is on.

[sakabatou]

16. Surge? What?

I keep hearing this and I don't see it...

[tavalon]

18. Watch dubya behind that podium

He's yanking on his wanker as we speak. You should see the "surge" momentarily.

[Canuckistanian]

19. So, it's back to privately funded armies, is it?

So, they're back to the 1700's then.

Well, let's see who enlists into Lord Kristol's Regiment or His Supreme Majesty, Defender of the Funds Faith, Dark Lord Cheney's Kommando Korps.

[plant]

21. Wes Clark has an appeal out to stop it

http://ga4.org/campaign/stopthesurge/6xduxg416nwxwb?source=stop_surge

[plant]

22. And here

http://securingamerica.com/stopthesurge

[Lawrence]

23. so who still supports this war?

No democrats, maybe 10% of republicans and and none of the generals?


good fucking luck bush


good, fucking, luck.

[stanwyck]

24. Halliburton, the American Enterpise Institute

Bill Kristol....plenty of neocons out to make a buck. And it doesn't matter who dies in order for them to get their greedy hands on the loot.
That's who supports this war.
The longer this war continues, the more the military industrial complex will prosper. The Humvees have to be replaced. That sand is murder on equipment. Every piece of military gear wears out. So...it's like printing money for the companies with the contracts to keep this war going.
It's simply not in the Bush and Friends' interest to stop the money machine.

[Guaranteed]

26. "So there!" nt

[andlor]

28. IMPEACH * NOW!!!

[Doctor_J]

30. Sounds like win/win for Dems

Stand against this doomed vanity war, let the fallout all land on the GOP when Smirk bucks the will of the people.

[Imagevision]

31. get it right -- it's a war escalation, not a surge or a fu*king bump!