The AP story continues:
"The lack of options has left Democrats with mostly rhetoric, as it becomes all but certain that the next president will have to manage the war once Bush leaves office.
"'The current Iraq strategy has no discernible end in sight and requires the United States to spend additional hundreds of billions of dollars despite urgent national needs in education, health care, and infrastructure improvement, and when high oil prices have provided the Iraqi government with billions in additional revenue that could pay for their own redevelopment and security,' the Democrats wrote.
"'This strategy is neither sustainable nor in our broader national security or economic interest,' they said.
"The letter was signed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, and Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois."
That, of course, is honest reporting on a dishonest letter. The job of the first and most powerful branch of our government is not to "plead" with the second branch for it to obey the Constitution and the demands of the public. Congress has the powers of the purse and impeachment for good reason. The power to plead is not mentioned in any of our founding documents.
The American people know this, and Congress's unpopularity reflects that fact.
digg_url = 'http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/32478'; digg_title = "How the Associated Press Lies About the Occupation of Iraq"; digg_bodytext = "By David Swanson\r\n\r\nThis typical pre-Petraeus II article shows well the habit that the AP and most of the rest of the US corporate media have of lying about the funding of the occupation of Iraq:\r\n\r\n\r\n\"Dems Plead With Bush on Iraq\r\n\"By ANNE FLAHERTY\r\n\r\n\"WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic leaders told President Bush on Friday that it\'s not too late to change course in Iraq and pleaded with him not to hand the war off to the next president.\r\n\r\n\"\'We believe there is still time for you to recognize that a change in strategy is necessary to repair the grave damage done to our nation\'s security,\' the Democrats wrote.\r\n\r"; digg_skin = 'standard';(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
