Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Correspondence From Sen. Larry Craig

Dear Cameron:

Because of your previous contact regarding the ongoing war in Iraq, I would like to take a moment to share a brief update on the current debate in the Senate.

The Senate is now in its second week of debate on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008. This legislation authorizes funding, policy changes, and other activities for our military for the coming fiscal next year. While many important military and defense needs have been and will be discussed, the war in Iraq has become the main focus of debate. As you well know, this war has been a very contentious issue in America over the past few years, and there are people on both sides of the issue who feel very strongly about our presence in Iraq. This week we will be debating a number of amendments to this bill, including an amendment calling for more time to allow the troop our increase to assist in stabilizing the country, which I will support. I am anticipating a very open and possibly heated debate on this issue, and I can assure you that I will be engaged in that debate.

Throughout the upcoming debate, I will be maintaining a journal of floor activity on this bill to help keep Idahoans informed. You will find this journal on my website by following this link: http://craig.senate.gov/journal_dod.cfm.

Again, thank you for sharing your concerns. As soon as the Senate comes to a resolution on this bill, I will send you a full summary of our actions.

Sincerely,

LARRY E. CRAIG
United States Senator

6 comments:

Charles D said...

Craig's web site is illustrative of the ridiculous excuses to support this war. For example, he says that a "failed Iraq" would be a "new stronghold for Al Qaeda". He neglects to point out that Al Qaeda was not in Iraq until after the US invasion and that the alleged strength of the group calling itself "Al Qaeda in Iraq" is all a result of the war.

His other bullet point excuses are just as lame:
- Iraq could collapse into civil war (I assume he doesn't watch the news).
- Leaving could allow Iran to become the dominant power in the Middle East (He's never heard of Israel, I assume, and he also doesn't acknowledge that the US invasion has done more to strengthen Iran's clout than to protect US security.)
- Leaving would have devastating effects on the global energy market. (The drastic reduction in Iraqi oil supply under the US occupation has had quite an effect on the market, and its hard to see how leaving Iraq would make it worse.)

It is just this kind of unthinking allegiance to illogical ideas that pollutes our political system.

Cameron said...

DL, the bullet points on Senator Craig's website come straight from an amendment that passed yesterday by a 94-3 vote. Check it out

Charles D said...

As Digby said, "We are looking at fifty-five of the most powerful people in the country. Collectively the Republican Senators represent almost a hundred and fifty million citizens. And they have allowed a callow little boy like George W. Bush along with his grey eminineces Karl Rove and Dick Cheney to strip them of their consciences, their principles and their constitutional obligations. What sad little creatures, cowardly and subservient, unctuously bowing and scraping before Karl Rove the man who holds their (purse) strings and dances them around the halls of congress singing tributes to their own irrelevance at the top of their lungs. How pathetic they are."

Of course, most Democrats are almost as bad.

Cameron said...

Are you trying to say that there are 94 Republican Senators? Because that's the number of Senators who voted in favor of those bullet points.

Charles D said...

Obviously not, but I am saying that all the Republican senators are pathetic and most of the Dems are only marginally better.

The fact that only 3 Senators have the intelligence and courage to vote against a resolution with ridiculous assertions like those on Craig's web site - that is pathetic as well.

Charles D said...

P.S. I finally found the text of that amendment (your link was broken) and I find it absolutely appalling that any Senator would vote for it.