Saturday, December 15, 2007

Will Dem backdoor attempt to
thwart war efforts succeed?

The Washington Times has an editorial that caught my eye. It has to do with something that's been grating on my nerves for some time now.... the funding of our troops and their civilian support units.

Remember back to February of this year, and the
"slow bleed" headlines dominating our news? It was the Congressional back door to defeat while escaping public criticism. That would be to slowly bleed the troops and insure defeat by not getting the military appropriations bill out in a timely fashion.

Murtha was threatening attaching conditions, the Dems all the while running around from news hound to news hound, assuring us that the military was in no danger of running out of funds.

Then... the story dropped off the face of the front pages. Summer went by... no bill. Fall.. no bill. Congress did not fund the troops until just this past week. And the supposed media watchdogs remained silent throughout, never once prodding the Dem majority Congress on their inaction on behalf of our military and their safety.

And of course, the Dems have been crying hard and loud about Republican obstructionism of late... however this can not be said INRE a funding bill for the troops. Dem leadership knew they could not load up the funds with their strategic, myopic demands without a veto. So their delays were of their own doing.

This past week, Congress finally got around to passing a funding bill, tying over the military until spring. But have their attempts to thwart the stellar progress made by US, coalition and Iraqi troops possibly been realized?

But right now, thanks to the obstructionism of Mrs. Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid when it comes to funding the troops, trouble is on the horizon at the Pentagon, which has yet to receive an appropriations bill to continue funding the war. On Thursday, Defense Department officials said furlough letters would hit 100,000 civilian military employees next week in an attempt to free up money for combat troops. Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England sent letters to senior Democrats, among them Mrs. Pelosi and Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, warning that the pending layoffs "will affect the critical support our civilian employees provide to our war-fighters — support which is key to our current operations in both Afghanistan and Iraq." Notices also went out to all Army command facilities in the United States and abroad with civilian employees and contractors, and to U.S. Marine Corps commanders as well, warning them of potential civilian layoffs at their bases.

If the furloughs begin next week, these fine men and women will have Mrs. Pelosi and her fellow Democrats to thank.



Let's hope there is a way to transfer funds so this doesn't happen. But I've been waiting for this... And I am just livid at the neglect of Congress to their responsibilities.


4 comments:

Alia said...

Mata, the announcements of layoffs for specific branches of the military begins this month. The layoffs include GS workers and those working for contractors.

And includes those working in the intel stratosphere.

MataHarley said...

'scuse my tone this AM, but for some reason I find myself with less than usual patience for the elected elite.

Right... intel, and other support services will be affected. And as the article quote states, notices start going out next week. Also according to this article, even some of those at the Iraq bases face layoff. Thus my question... will the Dems backdoor attempt to thwart Iraq progress succeed?

They have effectively cut off the military's supply and support lines until the money again starts flowing. And with that break in funds, much progress can be undone. It's almost as effective as their BS ploy, riling up Turkey with a condemnation resolution... who threatened to close one of our main supply routes in response.

These bozos in Congress really get my gall. If there is a way to muddy the waters, they do it. Either intentionally, or by inaction. And I'm not sure their inaction *isn't* intentional!

The words "term limits" drip from my lips daily...

Alia said...

Your tone is quite time, actually.

However, the Dems do not realize they've just walked into another pit from which they will be utterly humiliated.

And the results of their anti-military positions, and their refusal to sign this recent bill will playout in November's election. What the Dems are trying to do is attach MORE SPENDING RIDERS FOR SOCIAL PROGRAMS onto that bill. Bills which have nothing to do with the military nor the WOT.

The Dems are SO anti-military, they are unable to pay attention at all to what else has been devised under National Security.

Let them eat cake.

Alia said...

Your tone is quite **tame**

It's rough watching idiots in power costing all of us a lot of time and energy, just so the idjits in the Dem Congress can do their marionette show.