Mission Capable

Last week the House passed bill 1591, hailed loudly as a win for the dems because of the bill's 2008 "withdrawal deadline". The Senate vote is to take place this week and if passed Bush has said he will veto. MSM bytes, predictable as usual, are drumming to the sound of fake drama, as if the masses with breath held are awaiting the vote on this one.

There are billions of the usual stuffed in the porkchop bill:

*$74M for a peanut program that pays storage fees for farmers.
* $400M to subsidize those suffering declining timber sales.
* $3.7B welfare to farmers/ranchers for losses during last 3 years.
* $25M for spinach growers loss due to the e-coli advisory.
* $60M for fisherman affected by declining salmon runs.
* $50M for asbestos abatement at the Capitol Hill Power Plant.
* $140M livestock owners/citrus growers hurricane losses.
* $120M for the shrimp and menhaden industries.
* $283M to extend the dairy farm income loss program.
* $1B for pandemic flu preparedness.
* $16M for improvements to the Capitol Hill office buildings.
* $25M for the SBA disaster-loan program.

Good grief, how did the little house on the prairie and the ponderosa ever survive without government handouts? It's a regular bonanza.

The Senate today voted 50 to 48 to reject a Republican amendment that would have removed the "withdrawal" clause from a bill on military funding. Considered a win for the dems, a decisive blow to the republicans. Yawn.

It's all hype, for with or without 1591 war will continue as long as TPTB deem necessary; 1591 just gives congressional hogs & sows funds to buy silk ears.

A few snips from the bill:
U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Health, and Iraq Accountability Act, 2007 - Makes emergency supplemental FY2007 appropriations for specified activities related to the global war on terror to the Departments of Agriculture (including food aid to Africa and Afghanistan), of Justice, of Defense (Military, including funds for Iraqi and Afghan security forces), of Defense (military construction and base closure), of Energy, of Homeland Security, of Veterans Affairs (particularly veterans' health programs), and of State (including international peacekeeping operations), and related agencies as well as the House of Representatives.

Provides funds to enable military commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan to respond to urgent humanitarian relief and reconstruction requirements.

Specifies conditions for assistance to Lebanon.

Prohibits the use of funds under this Act to deploy any unit of the Armed Forces to Iraq unless the chief of the military department concerned has certified to the congressional appropriations committees in advance that the unit is fully mission capable. Sets a maximum number of days for deployment in Iraq for military units. Authorizes the President to waive such prohibition and deployment limits on a unit-by-unit basis for reasons of national security.

Directs the President to transmit to Congress by specified dates certain determinations and certifications with respect to conditions to be met by the Government of Iraq.

Requires redeployment of the armed forces from Iraq if any of such conditions is not met.

Directs the President to appoint a Coordinator for Iraq Assistance, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.

Declares the sense of Congress that the U.S. Constitution grants: (1) the President the sole role of Commander in Chief; and (2) Congress the sole power to declare war.

Declares the sense of Congress that: (1) the commanders of the U.S. armed forces in Iraq should be allowed to conduct the war and manage the movements of the troops; and (2) Congress should remain focused on executing its oversight role.

All the "declares" are more paperwork, which congress will delegate to staffers. And a few extra committees will need to be formed and staffers hired for more paperwork (maybe some young interns can work on that). I could not find the "withdrawal" clause, although I did find the "redeployment" clause:

(d) If the President makes the certification specified in subsection (b), the Secretary of Defense shall commence the redeployment of the Armed Forces from Iraq not later than March 1, 2008, and complete such redeployment within 180 days.

Yessiree, "redeployment".

To where? Iran?