Bush Inviting Dems to Meet About Iraq
Bush has invited Democrats to the White House to discuss funding for the Iraq war. However, he wants to make it very clear that he has no intention of allowing them to attach anything to the funding bill which would call for troop withdrawal.
The White House bluntly said the meeting would not be a negotiation."It's time for them to get the job done, so I'm inviting congressional leaders from both parties - both political parties - to meet with me at the White House next week,'' Bush said in a speech to an American Legion audience in Fairfax, Va. "At this meeting, the leaders in Congress can report on progress on getting an emergency spending bill to my desk,'' Bush said.
"We can discuss the way forward on a bill that is a clean bill, a bill that funds our troops without artificial timetables for withdrawal and without handcuffing our generals on the ground. I'm hopeful we'll see some results soon from the Congress.''
One wonders what the point of such a meeting is when basically Bush is inviting them in simply to repeat his intransigent position to them. This is negotiation Bush style. I tell you what I want and you agree. This is democracy in action to the Bush regime.
However, what's even more depressing is that the Democrats have already signalled to Bush that, if he vetoes, they'll take out any language that offends him.
Earlier Tuesday, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino announced Bush's intention to invite Democrats to talk. Her description immediately raised questions about exactly what the point was.She says all this as if she doesn't even realise how ridiculous she's being. I have to say, speaking as someone who lives within the British political system, that the idea of Blair being able to make such a pointless gesture towards the Tories would have the press all over it like a rash. They are being invited along, not for a discussion, but so that he can lecture them on why they must give him what he wants. This is what this little autocrat regards as non-partisan politics. I ask, you give. You refuse, I ask again.
When a reporter said it sounded like an invitation for Democrats to agree with Bush, Perino said, "Well, hopefully so.'' Bush has promised to veto any bill that calls for timetables to pull troops out of Iraq. Perino said Democrats could benefit by accepting Bush's invitation.
"Maybe they need to hear again from the president about why he thinks it is foolish to set arbitrary timetables for withdrawal,'' she said.
I hardly think this is what the Founding Fathers had in mind when they wrote the Constitution.
But, disgracefully, the Democrats will probably give him what he wants.
Click title for full article.
No comments:
Post a Comment