a sign that says $70 billion:
Truthdig: What was the upshot of {Tuesday's} Democratic caucus meeting?Kucinich/Truthdig 06.Dec.06
Kucinich: At this point the Democratic leadership - the speaker and the majority leader and Rahm Emanuel - are all recommending that the Democrats support the appropriation that is going to be brought forward in the spring, for the purposes of {continuing to fund} the war in Iraq.
Truthdig: Why do you think that is?
Kucinich: The leadership feels that they can bring about greater transparency {in spending}, that they can bring special committees to look at what's gone wrong with the war, and that there's going to be improved oversight.
[...]
If we support the troops, why in the world would we not use the money to bring them home, instead of spending more money to keep them in? Why would we, when we have money to bring them home right now, appropriate another $160 billion which would keep them there, possibly through the end of George Bush's term?
The Iraq Study Group recognized the perilous nature of this war, and there is no indication that the administration is going to bring the troops home. Every statement that the president has made has been very clear with respect to his intent to continue the U.S. presence. He has basically said, "No timetables," and he hasn't set any call for troop reductions. Now, we have men and women who are dying there, and for what? That's why it's more than disappointing that the Democratic Party is not standing up.
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Listening to Roberts and Burnham and Kucinich, and Juan Cole, on C-SPAN2 today was one of the more inspiring moments of this long dark year.
