By Laura Smith-Spark
BBC News, Washington

After months of bitter wrangling, the US Congress has passed an Iraq war
funding bill - and it does not include the timetable for troop
withdrawal sought by the Democrats.

While senior Democrats say the bill is just the first step in an ongoing
battle, anti-war campaigners have accused them of caving in to pressure
from the White House.

They say the compromise - which has been welcomed by President George W
Bush - lets down the voters who gave the Democrats control of Congress
last November.

It comes as the latest New York Times/CBS News poll shows a record 76%
of Americans think the war in Iraq is going badly and that six out of 10
believe going to war was a mistake.

And in a clue to the bill's political importance, three out of the four
senators hoping to win the Democrats' presidential nomination in 2008
voted against it.

---------

So have the Democrats broken their promises to voters?

And what is the fallout likely to be as the party's presidential
contenders jostle for position in the run-up to 2008?

They stole the Oil in 03...and its a fact we pay for the Oil that the
gov has In stock...dang Money blows most of mankind...Like a sad
case

Just for curiosity sake belushi.
Who would you say was America's most successful foreign policy
negotiator? (current)
And notice I said successful!

democrats, oh brother.

never met an honest on yet, of course that goes for all politicians.


dont think that any vote those dem pres want2be's would have cast would
make any kind of a damn difference. they could spin it anyway they want.

bla bla bla, glad the bill is passed thru, wish all you want for a dem
pres- aint going to happen in the next election. now im a prophet didnt
you know?

I could care less who the next president will be... I am just glad the
troops got the funding they needed

Good Questions... One could argue the Dems attempted to keep their
promises but their efforts were thwarted by the Pres. One could also
say they were smart enough to know their efforts would never see the
results they promised. I tend to believe the 2nd option. It's party
politics and grand standing, and has done nothing except waste a lot of
time.

I don't think there will be a lot of fallout for 3 of the presidential
hopefuls but I would guess the one who voted for the bill is finished
and finished by those in their own political party. This is rather
ironic to me because I would personally look for someone who was smart
enough to know when they were beating a dead horse and be willing to
work across party lines especially in regards to this particular issue.

"So have the Democrats broken their promises to voters?"

Not really, because the voters know full well that the person most
responsible for the debacle is the one who, at least for now, has the
only vote that counts, the veto pen.



"And what is the fallout likely to be as the party's presidential
contenders jostle for position in the run-up to 2008?"

Who knows, eighteen months is an enternity in American politics, where
anything can happen (and probably will.)


-Kerry O.

I am a proud democrat. That doesnt mean i approve everything going down
or everything they do. I am glad the money was approved for the troops!
After all they are going to need that money for the next "vacation" the
iraqi's take.

Its tactics belushi. They dont have a big enough majority to over ride
Bush's veto, so they are going to try a different approach.
Aggravating him!!!!

Quote:
And in a clue to the bill's political importance, three out of the four
senators hoping to win the Democrats' presidential nomination in 2008
voted against it.

--------------------------------------------------------------

We do not know its relevance why 3 of 4 senators opposed it. Perhaps
because there is no withdraw deadline? This article is contradictory.
First, it states the people believe the democrats are caving in/
compromising their goals by accepting a funding bill WITHOUT a timetable
for troop withdrawl. Then 3 0f 4 senators (presumably democrat...based
that they are counting on a democrat nomination)opposed the bill.

Really. What are we getting at???

Personally, I do not believe our Congress is worried about the troops. I think only you and I are worried about the troops, because it is our families. I figure that very few of Congress have any immediate family in actual battle areas. I figure the corporations would lose the oil in Iraq if the soldiers came home. That is why ,I think they are not home yet. They are figuring out how to keep that oil, and so our kids have been volunteered to do that job.Besides too many of our Congress are blackmailed and bribed in to impotency, probably own shares in the oil and war equipment factories . before election Pelosi ,and others said, give us the majority and we will stop the war and Bush. the people gave them the majority and now, they claim impotency, SHAME on them!!They should all be fired (lose their jobs)or recalled immediately. They (our public servants)do not listen to WE THE PEOPLE, who hired them. Would that be malfeasance of office??? No wonder I heard it called Washington DC (district of criminals ).