Bush Dogs and the $200 Billion for Iran/Iraq

by: Matt Stoller

Fri Aug 31, 2007 at 11:09


FDL and Glenn Greenwald are both noting something very significant - the $200B that Bush is asking for will probably be doing to initiate a new war with Iran.  Blue America, which raised a little over a half a million last cycle, will be pulling off of their Actblue page any candidate who votes for this money.  That's very significant, a line in the sand.

The Iran link is another reason WA-03 Brian Baird's support of the surge, and his support of the $50B, is so pernicious.  Even if he only wants to support the surge, the money will probably be diverted to military operations in Iran. Hopefully, we can recruit state Senator Craig Pridemore to challenge Baird in a primary.  Pridemore is a veteran, has won in the district, is well-respected and liberal, and can beat incumbents.

I added some content yesterday on the Bush Dog campaign.  Here's a FAQ on what a Bush Dog is, and here are instructions on how to profile one.  We've had new profiles written on AR-02: Vic Snyder, AR-04: Mike Ross, IL-08: Melissa Bean, NC-11: Heath Schuler, and TX-23: Ciro Rodriguez.  I particularly like Ciro's profile, since he was a netroots candidate yet won his last race without our endorsement or help.  You'll also note that Melissa Bean has two profiles now on the Bush Dog Blogroll, and that's very good.  It's useful to have multiple perspectives.  Getting to know these people, who are probably going to support money for Bush and a war with Iran, is important.
Matt Stoller :: Bush Dogs and the $200 Billion for Iran/Iraq

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Bush Dogs and the $200 Billion for Iran/Iraq | 8 comments
oh god no (4.00 / 2)
I have nothing smart to say.  We have to say no no no no no!  Any vote for war money has to be opposed.  The smartypants are leading us over the cliff and I don't want to hear their clever calculations.

Full Court Press!  http://www.openleft.com/showDi...
Iran War has one essential ally (4.00 / 1)
Here's the thing:

Suppose Pelosi had a brainstorm and said, No Iraq funding bills, the GOP, dogs of various breeds and others some lefties delusionally count as friends would be getting 218 signatures on a discharge petition just as soon as their solid gold pens could scrawl their names.

Suppose Reid said the same. My guess is that there would be 60 votes to overcome any procedural barrier he might throw up in their path.

But neither of them are going to do any such thing. Expect virtually no MCs prepared to do anything to get in the way of AIPAC's prerogative to demand that the WH bomb the crap out of anyone they choose.

That's the trouble: you eliminate the AIPAC Dogs - and you've pretty much eliminated the entire Congress!

And if you don't ... (4.00 / 2)
you get war with Iran and some improvement in American health care.

At some point we have to stop the calculations and fight for what's right.  Where are the American people in all this?  They can't enter the fray in the abstract.  There has to be leadership.  To say we can't provide leadership because of congressional head-counting is a total betrayal on OUR part.

Again, Mario Savio 1964:  "There's a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can't take part, you can't even passively take part, and you've got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you've got to make it stop!"

We're older and supposedly wiser now, with mortgages and kids and careers and all that.  But at least, we can call AIPAC's bluff.  AIPAC is to the right of the Israeli people, for chrissake!  They're untouchable because nobody has the guts to touch them.  The fight has to be had.

Full Court Press!  http://www.openleft.com/showDi...

[ Parent ]
AIPAC is a hate group (4.00 / 1)
  Any public official who consorts with AIPAC is acting directly contrary to the American interest.

  There's a word for that. Rhymes with "season".

 

"We judge ourselves by our ideals; others by their actions. It is a great convenience." -- Howard Zinn

[ Parent ]
"AIPAC Dogs"..... (0.00 / 0)
Among the "Bush Dogs", there does seem to be a high propensity of AIPAC "dogs", whose fealty to AIPAC, is exceeded only by fealty to themselves.

As we saw with Rahm Emanuel and Joe Lieberman, those who are solidly allied with AIPAC and their right-wing neocon/Likudnik supporters, will stop at nothing to pave the way for Cheney to attack Iran. Rahm, of course, helped steer the effort to remove language from the Supplemental that might have prevented Cheney from attacking Iran without congressional approval. He certainly showed his loyalty there, and it wasn't to our soldiers, or our nation.

[ Parent ]
If anyone has something to add to.... (0.00 / 0)
....my Heath Shuler profile please put it in the comments and I'll work it into the post. This is a work in progress and your help will be gratefully received.

Peace, Health and Prosperity for Everyone.
Woops! (0.00 / 0)
I mean the comments at my post.

Peace, Health and Prosperity for Everyone.
[ Parent ]
Shuler (0.00 / 0)
Matt,

I've left a couple of comments under the Shuler entry.  Check out the Heath Shuler category at Scrutiny Hooligans for a lot of Mixed Bag Shuler flavor:

http://www.scrutinyh...

No one's written about him more than we have.

Western North Carolina and the world at Scrutiny Hooligans

Bush Dogs and the $200 Billion for Iran/Iraq | 8 comments
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