Mark Pryor (D), the center right leaning Democratic Senator from my former home state of Arkansas, joined the rest of the Democratic Majority and voted for the Iraq funding bill that mandates (or in the Senate’s case, suggests) a pullout from Iraq by 3/08. Glad you found your balls sir.
Also voting with the Democrats were Hagel (R-NE) and Smith (R-OR). Smith is up for election in ’08 and is already polling behind the potential Democratic nominee.
Joementum (CFL), still vying for a seat in McCain’s Presidential campaign, was the only member caucusing with the Democrats who voted against the bill. Now it goes to conference, and then to the President’s desk, where the President will show just how much he supports the troops by vetoing their funding. Way to go sir, you are a true patriot. /snark
Incidentally, this will mark only the 2nd time that GWB43 (29% approval) has used the veto in his 6 years in office. I guess if you’re gonna stink it up, stink it up big.
I don’t know, Pryor seemed to have a rather large pair while standing alone against his party, the majority party, for two votes on enacting a deadline. I think by giving in and voting for the deadline shows he lost whatever “pair” he had. He comes from the last remaining yellow dog democrat southern state and has a famous father. Voting with the majority party isn’t anything especially brave or bold.
I’m not trying to be hostile or anything, I’m just disappointed in him. He’s one of those luke warm candidates that make it hard for either party to respect him. I could at least respect him if he was with his party on the issue from the beginning.
d-hog
From my perspective, voting to continue an unethical and unjustified war, or in this case, the status quo, requires zero courage. Standing up to end the national nightmare, even on a timetable with all kinds of loopholes, that the past 4 years in Iraq have represented is ballsy, particularly considering the political consequences in a conservative state, with a looming election in 2008.
I don’t take your comment as hostilile at all. I understand and respect your perspective. I’m just coming at it from a different angle. We can agree to disagree.
Thanks for posting, hope to see you here again.