Democrats Roar Like Lions during Iraq Debate

By Cheryl Seal

I listened to a substantial chunk of the House debate on the GOP’s Iraq resolution – or should I say non-resolution. To counter this “marketing sham” (as in false advertising aimed at selling a bad product), the Democrats have offered their own alternative resolution. It is informally known as the Murtha Resolution. (SEE THE TEXT OF THE RESOLUTION BELOW) But between the GOP’s deceit (today’s evidence is overwhelming!) and the media’s systematic coverup, the public has not been presented with the facts of the Murtha Resolution. In fact, Americans have been systematically bombarded by complete falsehoods and misrepresentations at every step of the way on the positions taken by many courageous Democrats, especially members of the Out of Iraq Caucus.

After hearing a series of speakers from both the Dem and GOP sides of the aisle, a clear pattern emerged. Democratic reps like Henry Waxman (one of my heroes) ticked off facts, figures, times, and places. I.e., cold hard reality. But all the GOP had to offer - rep after rep - was the same contentless, emotional palaver. Here’s some examples, repeated ad nauseum: : Support the troops (no mention of how)….The false linking of Saddam and 9/11….dehumanizing of the enemy (one hysterical rightwing woman from PA condemned “the enemy as being veritable monsters who eat babies for breakfast and run their grandmas through paper shredders. Thank God this harpy only got 2 minutes!!) One Repug even invoked Guadalcanal and “the greatest generation” (his idea being, I suppose, that he’d get them ole geezers riled up over the good ole days so they wouldn’t think too long and hard about the here and now!).

Another GOP wacko was truly pathetic in his effort to counter the accusation (acknowledged even by Condi Rice) that hundreds, nay THOUSANDS – of mistakes have been made during the course of the Iraq debacle. Well, everyone makes mistakes, he whined..…it’s just human nature. What’s a few hundred billion dollars and a 100,000 or so lives among friends? It’s all just a learning curve. Tell that to the mothers and fathers and sons and daughters.

In short – for the GOP, it was all grandiose sales pitch, no substance whatsoever. And no wonder – it emerged as the long day wore on that the Pentagon “PR department” had sent out a 50-page sales pitch guide containing all the talking points – or should I say talking pointlesses - on the war. Sell, sell, sell! Among the tired and phony Pentagon talking points: Remember what a “good job” we did in Tallafar (that story has long since been discredited), the Iraqi government would fall apart with out US troops, our troops WANT to be there (yeah, right), there is no other option but success, etc. blah, blah, blah. Yeah, like we’ve never heard it all before.

High points for the Democrats (that I heard) were from Maxine Waters (whew! What a righteous whirlwind!!), Barbara Lee, and Waxman. Waters is a major mover and shaker behind the “Out of Iraq” caucus. What, you never heard of that? Don’t feel bad – that’s just one of the media’s “little secrets,” like the dangers of global warming, they have tactfully kept from us (as Stephen Colbert joked during this famous White House Press Corps dinner routine).. Waters railed powerfully against the GOP’s continuous misrepresentation (parroted by the media) of the Democrats’ positions on many issues and most particularly on the GOP misrepresentation – downright lies, in fact – about the Murtha Resolution.

Barney Frank summed up the Bush Reich and its House Henchmen up beautifully. Franks observed that while the GOP claims that it wants to cultivate democracy in Iraq, with all the Sunnis and Shiites, Kurds, et al. working harmoniously together, it consistently refuses to work harmoniously with Democrats in its own back yard! Franks revealed just how extensive the dismantling of the US two-party system has been – Dems are not allowed to participate in discussions of many bills (“closed door sessions” have become the rule now, rather than the rarity), they are not allowed to enter resolutions, etc. Franks also pointed out a glaring reality: If the Iraqis really DO have 100,000 armed troops now and if, as the Pentagon claims, there are only 10,000 “terrorists” behind the insurgency, then why the hell can’t the Iraqis take care of the problem themselves?

But as Barbara Lee pointed out, there’s another agenda behind the Bush/GOP’s “let’s stay in Iraq” policy. They want to use the US military, funded by US tax dollars, as a great big fat security force guarding the interests of ExxonMobil, BP and Halliburton. And speaking of Halliburton, while the Democrats categorically – with figures and dates to support them – outlined the grotesque corruption of Halliburton in Iraq, not one murmur did I hear on the subject from the GOP. Nope. But remember Guadalcanal! Remember Omaha Beach! Remember the cemetery in Normandy! But whatever you do, don’t remember what’s happened in Iraq for the past three years!

I just can’t wait to see how the mainstream media twists the Democrats’ statements and the Murtha Resolution. I’m sure that NBC, FOX, et al. all received their “Talking Points Guide” from the Pentagon and memos from Karl Rove in plenty of time.

THE MURTHA RESOLUTION

Whereas Congress and the American People have not been shown clear, measurable progress toward establishment of stable and improving security in Iraq or of a stable and improving economy in Iraq, both of which are essential to "promote the emergence of a democratic government";

Whereas additional stabilization in Iraq by U, S. military forces cannot be achieved without the deployment of hundreds of thousands of additional U S. troops, which in turn cannot be achieved without a military draft;

Whereas more than 7 billion has been appropriated by the United States Congress to prosecute U.S. military action in Iraq and Afghanistan;

Whereas, as of the drafting of this resolution, 2,079 U.S. troops have been killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom;

Whereas U.S. forces have become the target of the insurgency,

Whereas, according to recent polls, over 80% of the Iraqi people want U.S. forces out of Iraq;

Whereas polls also indicate that 45% of the Iraqi people feel that the attacks on U.S. forces are justified;

Whereas, due to the foregoing, Congress finds it evident that continuing U.S. military action in Iraq is not in the best interests of the United States of America, the people of Iraq, or the Persian Gulf Region, which were cited in Public Law 107-243 as justification for undertaking such action;

Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That:

Section 1. The deployment of United States forces in Iraq, by direction of Congress, is hereby terminated and the forces involved are to be redeployed at the earliest practicable date.

Section 2. A quick-reaction U.S. force and an over-the-horizon presence of U.S Marines shall be deployed in the region.

Section 3 The United States of America shall pursue security and stability in Iraq through diplomacy.