On Monday, anglico posted a
diary about House Majority Leader Boehner's proposed "debate" on Iraq on Thursday. He quotes the
Christian Science Monitor piece, which says:
But it is the full-day debate on Iraq on the floor of the House of Representatives, scheduled for Thursday, that is the least predictable of the forums. The last time the House took to debating Iraq, last November, the scene deteriorated into recriminations over a resolution calling for immediate withdrawal that Democrats called a political stunt. House majority leader John Boehner (BONE-ER) (R) of Ohio, who has long planned for this week's debate, hopes to match the serious, dignified tone of deliberation that preceded the Gulf war, in 1991.
In the words of John Stewart, "Whaaaa???" This, my dear Kossacks, is pure BS, as usual. Follow me to the flip for more on what Dems are doing and how we can support them....
H Res 861 was introduced by Henry Hyde, and basically says: Whereas: We are in a GWOT, 9/11 happened, national security, Saddam is evil, etc, etc, etc; Be it resolved that we honor our troops, our allies, etc, and call upon other countries to help us promote peace by standing with us, condemn terrorism, affirm that we will prevail, etc. Here is Boehner's official "confidential"
propaganda.
Does this sound like a "serious, dignified" debate to YOU? No, it's not a debate at all! It's another election-year distraction that they are going to throw out and make Dems scared to vote against it for fear of being "soft" and not "supporting our troops," as we've heard ad nauseum. To quote keshini at myDD:
Ignoring the calls of American citizens across the country for a Congressional debate where all alternatives to the "Stay the Course" strategy can be presented and debated, Boehner is using the power of the Majority Party to propose a resolution that he hopes will embarrass those Democrats and Republicans calling for open and honest debate.
What Dems ARE Doing
I'm so disappointed when I read so many diaries about "Dems aren't doing anything etc" in regards to this issue. There are NINE bills introduced about this that are not being released from committee. One of those is H Res 543, introduced by Neil Abercrombie and signed onto by none other than Walter Jones and 3 other Republican Congressmen. It is the only one that has a chance of making it out of the Rules Committee. After we get 218 signatures--we currently have 124--this bill must be released to the floor and provide for:
- 17 hours of debate
- Unlimited period for any and all amendments to be proposed, debated, and voted upon
- Equal control of the discussion by the Majority and Minority leaders, 50/50 split
WHATEVER you think, or your representative thinks, about immediate withdrawal, timelines, etc, etc, you should support this open and fair debate and they can introduce any amendment they want - anything that was in Murtha's bill or whatever. We all know this is a complex situation with no black-and-white answers and involves--or should--much more than military might, like diplomacy and reconstruction etc.
We elected these people, and we're paying dearly for this thing, and we deserve a public discussion on the record. This is what Democracy looks like.
This Is a Golden Opportunity! Or, What We Need To Do
Okay, maybe you have seen e-mails from MoveOn, DFA, Code Pink, Act for Change, Sojourners, or any of the many, many, other orgs that are working on this. If not, go to dcfordemocracy.org for info and the House Clerk's Petition to see if your Representative has signed.
If they have, tell them thanks, and to ask others to sign. If not, tell them it's their patriotic duty to do so. If they're Dems and they haven't signed, ask them to stand up and tell them you'll stand behind them come Election Day. If they're Dems and they won't sign, tell them Lieberman's only the beginning.
Call, E-mail, Write...
...to your local papers, blogs, and TV and radio stations. Tell them to cover this story fairly and to ask why a debate doesn't include, um, a debate. Make your community aware!
[UPDATE: mini mum has more on Steve Clemons' Washington Note on this issue]