Bob Fertik: I Bet Pelosi $2300 She Can End the Iraq War

[babylonsister]

I Bet Pelosi $2300 She Can End the Iraq War
by bob fertik
Mon Oct 08, 2007 at 08:18:46 AM PDT



After nearly five disastrous years, Americans desperately want to bring U.S. troops home from Iraq. Our Democratic leaders, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, say they passionately agree with us. So why can't they do it?

Their pathetic excuse is "we don't have 60 votes in the Senate to overcome a filibuster."

The American people don't buy this excuse, which is why Congressional approval ratings are down in the sewer. Americans know the majority party in Congress has the power to impose its will on a President if it wants. All Congress has to do is fully exercise the powers granted by Article I in the Constitution.

In the Senate, Harry Reid has various tools to overcome a filibuster. First he can make Republicans actually stand and talk until they drop. And if that doesn't work he can invoke Bill Frist's famous "nuclear option" to end filibusters altogether.

Nancy Pelosi is even more powerful because the House does not permit filibusters. Americans remember how Newt Gingrich forced President Clinton to give up health care reform and the rest of his popular agenda when his approval rating was consistently over 50%, at times over 70%. Certainly Nancy Pelosi can stopMr. 30%'s deeply unpopular war.

The first power available to Pelosi is Spending Power. The occupation of Iraq costs 10 billion per month, and George Bush can't spend a penny of our tax dollars without Congressional approval. Americans know Pelosi could tell Bush she will not give him another dime except to safely redeploy our troops out of Iraq, and they would support her if she did.

So why hasn't Pelosi done this? When pressed by Wolf Blitzer, Pelosi said:

"I wish the speaker had all the power you just describe. I certainly could do that. That doesn't bar the minority from bringing up a funding resolution. They have their parliamentary prerogative as well."

What prerogative? As Speaker, Pelosi decides what comes up for a vote and what doesn't. The only tool available to the minority is a petition for a floor vote, which requires 218 signatures. When Pelosi fought for a combat deadline of March 31, 2008 this past March, her opponents only found 212 votes - 198 Republicans and 14 Democrats. Recently two pro-war Republicans (Paul Gillmor and JoAnn Davis) died.

more...

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/10/8/111536/616

[hg4]

1. in your check memo field: Void unless House moves to Impeach

Correctly me if I'm wrong but I think you may
make your donation to a house member conditional,
by writing:

void unless the house moves to impeach President Bush

I saw two similar "void unless.." checks already.