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What Will it Look Like After the Dems Declare they Refuse to Further Fund the War
By Rob Kall (about the author) Page 2 of 5 page(s)
Dave pointed out an article in Pat Buchanan's magazine, Easy Out which describes how quickly the troops could be withdrawn from Iraq. At a cost of a billion every few days, we don't have to bring back every refrigerator and soda vending machine. We just have to get the troops out.
Dave raised the idea that it really just takes the leader of the house or senate to keep a bill from coming to the floor. One person could stop the war. I decided to go over this with Kucinich.
I began by asking Kucinich the basic question-- what would it look like if the congress refused to fund the war. The first thing he did was ask me what was basing the question on. "A hope and a prayer," I replied, laughing.
Kucinich described how the defunding would work.
This is the way the war can end. The leadership of the house goes to the president and tells the president, "we're not going to provide the funds for the war anymore." That he has to use the money he has in the defense budget to bring the troops and the equipment home. That would cost about $5-10 billion and the money is there to do that now.
Concurrent with that has to be the creation of an internation security and peacekeeping force that would move in as our troops leave. That's what would have to happen. That's the plan that I'm promoting.
Kucinich believes there are several dozen members of congress who generally agree with what he's saying.
Unfortunately, the leadership would have to WANT to end the war. Kucinich says, But the leadership has made it very clear that they are not going to cut off funds.
They made it clear that they are not going to tell the president that they are not going to fund it. They are going to keep funding it and keep funding it under the notion that notion-- under the fatal notion that this is the way to support the troops.
I mentioned Kucinich's estimate of several dozen supporters to David Swanson and he told me about a letter on his afterdowningstreet.com site, which he describes here; 90 Congress Members have signed a letter saying they won't fund the occupation except in a bill that ends it and funds withdrawal. The wording of the letter is weak in various ways, and most of the signers have already gone back on their word with the excuse that a Continuing Resolution doesn't count as a bill. But this is the best tool we have right now for pushing Pelosi to not fund the occupation. If that 90 were 120 I'd feel a lot better about the chances of a great many Iraqis staying alive through the next 5 years: http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/peacepledge
I asked congressman Kucinich, "Usually, in congress you work to put together a bill and pass it. Is there a mechanism, is there a way for you and those couple dozen to organize against further legislation? It's not like you go into committee."
Kucinich replied, "What has to be done has to be done by the leaders. The leaders have to go to the president and tell him, "We're not going to give any more money." It's the leadership that schedules the bill."
I honed in, "The fact is, if Nancy Pelosi or Harry decided not to let the motion come to the floor, either one of them, all by themselves, could stop this dead in its tracks, couldn't they?
Kucinich replied, "The leadership of either the house of the senate, if either leadership determined, we're not going to let a bill come to the floor of the house or senate, the war would be stopped. They'd have to, essentially, force the president's hand on the war.
"That's what they have to do. They have to take a stand and they haven't done that yet. It's exactly what they have to do."
Here's a transcript of the rest of the interview. It goes into even more detail on how the defunding must happen and what it will look like afterward. I love his final comment. It's one the Dems should heed well.
Rob Kall is executive editor, publisher and site architect of OpEdNews.com, Host of the Rob Kall Bottom Up Radio Show (WNJC 1360 AM), President of Futurehealth, Inc, (more...)
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author
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