We have been down this road before. The House and the Senate pass a bill only to have our President veto it. Passing the latest bill with a slim margin of 218 – 203 proves that this isn’t a veto-proof bill. Now what? I’m not sure that I see how this is different. The Senate will probably not be able to pass the bill since the bill needs 60 votes to stop debate. This bill isn’t going to get 60 votes. It will get the same 54 or 55 votes and then it will be dead in the water like the rest of the bills. What am I missing?
The Dems packed this bill with several items that the Bush administration will not be able to stomach. First, there is a timeline. Second, there are guidelines on how to interrogate prisoners. You know George W Bush will not be told what to do. So, I’m not sure what the strategy is here? I’m confused.
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From USAToday:
The bill represents about a quarter of the $196 billion Bush requested for combat operations in the 2008 budget year, which began Oct 1.
It would compel an unspecified number of troops to leave Iraq within 30 days, a requirement that Bush is already on track to meet as he begins in coming weeks to reverse the 30,000 troop buildup he ordered earlier this year. It also sets a goal of ending combat by Dec. 15, 2008, and states that money included in the bill should be used to redeploy troops and “not to extend or prolong the war.”
The measure also would set government-wide standards on interrogation, effectively barring the CIA from using such harsh techniques as waterboarding, which simulates drowning. (More…)
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