Republican Senators make a very strong case. For defunding. Here is why:
It would be nice to have a discussion of Bush’s plan for escalation. It could be like a nationwide teach-in. Teach-ins are good.
(More "nice to haves", and what we can have, and the three reasons the Dems are being pushed to defunding, all after the flop.)
It would be nice to pass a resolution, even a fairly weak one, that has some bipartisan support and repudiates the current Bush strategy on the War. That would isolate him further.
It would be nice to get Republicans, particularly Senators up for re-election in 2008, on the record supporting and voting for Bush’s current strategy, and against those fairly weak resolutions. (Of course we are unlikely to get them voting for and against the current Bush strategy, but getting one of them is good enough.)
But the Republican Senators do not want any of those things. And at least for now, they seem to have the power to prevent even discussion of these issues. What they don’t have is the power to stop defunding. Here is why:
First, Bush can not veto a failure to pass a Supplemental Appropriation. That means two-thirds is not needed in either house.
Second, opponents can’t filibuster effectively. If there are not 60 votes for cloture, then the debate goes on, but the Appropriation does not pass. And the war does not get funded.
Third, there is no need to have a withdrawal measure passed by both houses of Congress. If either house fails to pass an Appropriations bill it does not become law.
There are problems. Bush has enough funds to continue the war for some time, even without the Supplemental Appropriations. And, paradoxically, the true patriots who defend the country’s troops, treasure and reputation by defunding the war will be vilified as traitors who have left the troops in the desert without food water or bullets. This will require a huge effort to explain the real situation to the American people. (We may have some help on this from the media which is emphasizing the massive appropriation Bush is requesting, one-quarter of a trillion dollars.) But the American people, world opinion, the troops, and the Iraqis are ready for the US to withdraw. And we can blame it on the Republicans who refused to allow even a discussion of the war.
Now, can we get the Democrats to take this step? We can ask. We elected them. It is time to call in some favors.