How is this not a front-page item on DailyKos? It is a front page story on Yahoo!
Senate Shifts Iraq Funds to Border Partols
The skinny is that a Republican-led coalition, pandering to their Latino-hating hearts, have actually led a vote to TAKE MONEY, BODY ARMOR AND MEDICAL CARE from OUR TROOPS and given it to "border security". Doesn't this frame itself?
The Senate voted Wednesday to divert some of the money President Bush requested for the war in Iraq to instead increase patrols against illegal immigrants on the nation's borders and provide the Coast Guard with new boats and helicopters.
An amendment cutting Bush's Iraq request by $1.9 billion to pay for new aircraft, patrol boats and other vehicles, as well as border checkpoints and a fence along the Mexico border crossing near San Diego widely used by illegal immigrants was adopted on 59-39 vote.
You may as well also say that it was "basically a party-line vote" with only 2 "R" defectors (Inhofe - OK and Talent - MO).
Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., said Gregg's cuts would "take money from troop pay, body armor and even the joint improvised explosive device defeat fund. Now that is a false choice and it is a wrong choice."
I'm not a huge Hillary fan, but she's 100% right there. This issue frames itself.
Gregg (R-NH) chairs the Appropriations
Homeland Security Subcommittee. His border security plan focuses used on the capital needs of the Border Patrol and the Coast Guard, including new planes, helicopters, ships, communications equipment and a project to build a fence along the Mexico border near San Diego.
Gregg said his plan would "give the people who are defending us on our borders, the border security agents, the Custom agents, the Coast Guard, the tools they need to do their job right -- the unmanned vehicles, the cars, the helicopters which are a critical part of our fight in the war on terrorism. It has to be done now."
If I were part of the DNC, I'd be hammering home:
#1: "Republicans Want Minutemen Instead of Missles"
#2: A senator from New Hampshire wants to tell YOU what do do on Iraq and Immigration?
What would you add?