Thursday, April 26, 2007

Iraq Accountability Act

The House passed the Iraq Accountability Act last night. The Senate is expected to pass the same legislation early later today [ed. 1:30pm cmt The Senate just passed the bill]. This is the act that will finally cause a showdown between Congress and the President. Bush has threatened to veto the act because it calls for phased withdrawal of troops beginning in October.

The Whitehouse and Republicans are using the tired meme that by setting a date for withdrawal we are sending a message of defeat to the Iraqis. The problem with that meme is that we have nothing to win or loose anymore in the area. The war has left our hands and entered into the Iraqi hands. They are in the middle of a civil war now, and we are nothing but bullseyes for target practice.

Our troops tours have been extended from 12 months to 15 months (this is how the president is initating his "surge".) Appatently there is talk to extending them to 18 months. This is happening at the same time as their traing and RnR is being cut. They are required to have at least 12 months inbetween tours. That is being cut. They are required to train during those 12 months. No, they are getting, according to Tony Snow, on the job training.

The Iraq Accountability Act takes care of these and other issues our soldiers face, and yet, our president wants to veto legislation that would do more for the troops than anything he has proposed becasue he is being taken to the woodshed.

Here is a video of Rep. Murtha explaining what is in the Act (the candidate he mentions making a joke about putting an IED under a desk is in reference to John McCain on The Daily Show the other night):

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