The ol' chief has been busier than a one legged rooster at egg laying time. But I am taking time to post my appreciation of the votes to eventually end the occupation of Iraq. (even King Abdullah calls it an "illegal occupation") Senator Reid thanked 100,000 supporters of ending the debacle and said the votes could not have been won without our input. He has my thanks for lining up the votes to express the people's will. Its the way democracy is supposed to work. Democratic leaders should not give in to the inevitable barrage of nonsensical rhetoric from the regime castigating them as unpatriotic meddlers and troop haters. The ball is definitely in President Windrip's court. A bill with a time line for withdrawal should come out of conference committee shortly. Go ahead veto it, Mr. President.
Weekend Update: The Pentagon has more pots of money that it can count. Some creative accounting will keep the war machine cranking along until June, 2007 according to the Congressional Research Service. The Army has $52.6 billion in loose change. War funding could conceivably continue for two more months into July without supplemental appropriations if Congress approves reprogramming requests. Chief Windrip will veto the supplemental appropriation containing the withdrawal language. He is counting on Congress to back down in the face of a barrage of sentimental clap trap about the troops. Simply take them out of harm's way for pity's sake. Another example of the dishonesty and mendacity surrounding this so-called war against terror is the deal not to squeal cut by the Australian adventurer incarcerated at Guantanamo. The military hearing panel recommended seven years imprisonment for his training with Al Qaeda. He got nine months in Australia as part of a secret plea bargain in which he agreed not to talk about torture of detainees. But the truth is already out, Muhammad. Abd al-Nashiri, a Yemeni "high value" detainee said at his hearing that he lied about his involvement in the USS Cole attack because he wanted to "make the people happy". Al Nashiri said he had been tortured since he was arrested five years ago. I do not think taxpayer's money is well spent for this absurd political theatre. We would be a lot safer installing cargo inspection equipment and personnel at all of our seaports. If we still want to be "the land of the free, home of the brave" its time to call the Charlatan's bluff, Columbia.