Why Bush Should Veto The Iraq War Budget
Monday April 16, 2007
It's time for the Democrats to show real leadership and not fill budget bills with pork (aka earmarks). Nor should they endorse White House efforts to re-write Iraq's oil economy into one the fits the Administration's idea of how oil should be managed.
A Sunni Member of Parliament has reportedly said that "the Iraqi government is facing American pressures to approve the Iraqi oil and gas law" and that the law "was shaped and written with the participation of foreign bodies."
I wrote about this last month, providing a timeline of the development of this US-centric bill. According to the Iraqi MP, the draft bill would give "50% of the Iraqi people’s oil wealth to foreign investing oil firms."
Demonstrating that she doesn't read the legislation she pushes, Speaker Pelosi reportedly "didn't see the bill as pressuring Iraq to privatize."
For more on the earmarks, see Sen. John McCain, OMB Watch
Comments
Ok folks, lets be realistic here. The 124 million supplemental for the most part is a good solid bill, which provides much more money than allocated for by the Presidents request for vital veterans healthcare, burn victims, brain damage, and troops, and their equipment. Congressman Murtha and the Democrats supplemental however… as some cry yields “pork”. This is a false statement because BRRAC, Katrina, and ravaged peanut farmer spedning are NOT PORK. The reality is that these items were all left over from the 109th congress and need money spent in an emergency fashion… that is unless you consider Katrina spending “pork”, like im sure some Republicans do deep down inside. It takes a Capital Hill hypocrite to scream “pork” and thats convenient for the GOP to do so after their “bridges to nowhere” projects. I differential between necessary and wasteful. Thats the difference that should be looked at… and if then there’s very little “pork”. The supplementals a good bill… Democrats and Republicans need to know you can’t have it all your way. Pass the bill!
Also, respectfully…. the “pork’ assertions for both sides are getting a little old. Meaningful projects and programs meant to make a difference in Districts should be necessary and encouraged. What I do not encourage is spending hundreds of thousands at the “mushroom” festival in Texas, putting 30 million into U.S. “friendship” programs with other countries such as Japan; etc. (which often have little environmental initiative); awarding billions in tax payer contracts to private no-bid contracts. How’s that for pork and wasteful spending? Any Democrat worth their salt will support the supplemental. Plain and simple… can’t have it all our way, but the Bill itself is a good solid bill. Period.