|
|
In the context of the 1973 War Powers Act, debate began yesterday on supplying what President Bill Clinton needs to try and recoup his deeply tarnished image and flatten the rest of Yugoslavia. 57 of these guys voted to back Clinton/Gore undeclared airwar just last month, so it would be a surprise if 8 of them miraculously grew a spinal column almost overnight.
John McCain ( R ) the sponsor, along with the animalistic Clinton/DNC/NATO/Whitehouse uber alles robot Joseph Biden ( D ) as co-sponsor, opened the debate yesterday with, " It is not the Clinton/Gore war, not Madeleine Albright's war, but America's war ". Biden was a little more rabid dog-like in his ranting and raving than McCain. I just can't seem to forget his declaration that he called Milosevic a " war criminal to his face ". Paul Wellstone ( D ) was a good little White House lapdog, saying, " the violence must stop ", and " the catalog of horror goes on and on ". I think the horror was Biden and Wellstone voting to retain their precious Ethnic-cleanser-in-chief during the phoney impeachment proceeding.
Tim Hutchinson ( R ) asked two rhetorical questions, which have never been fully answered by the White House propaganda ( spin ) machine and/or the Clinton yes-men. 1) " What are our objectives ( in Kosovo ) "? and 2) " Are the objectives mentioned in this bill, the political objectives of NATO "? He calmly cited other hot-spots around the world, where the death tolls are in the multiples of thousands more than in Kosovo, " Ethiopia, Sudan, Rwanda and China ", calling our erroneous involvement in Yugoslavia a " misguided conflict ". He finished with a comment on why more Senators haven't voiced their concern over the failed Yugoslavian undeclared war, " People are afraid to speak out and be declared uncaring " about the refugees.
Russell Feingold ( D ) had the guts to stand up to the tyranny of the Clinton administration in it's ' wag the dog ' undeclared war against the tiny sovereign state of Yugoslavia with, " I don't see how this fits into our long term goals ". He continued with a rhetorical question, another of those that don't ever seem to get a full answer, " Why Kosovo and not someplace else "? He declared, " I will vote against SJ 20 ". He noted that Clinton can't be trusted to do what he promises ( like what else is new? ) with, " Our troops were supposed to be out of Bosnia several Christmas' ago ".
Richard Lugar ( R ) didn't answer Feingold's question but thought, " the objectives were clearly stated ". Hmm, then why didn't he repeat ( state ) them? On the flipside, Slade Gorton ( R ) believed the Clinton/Gore War was a " flawed concept ". He stated quite clearly that the bombing is to blame with, " we have caused the refugee situation ".
James Inhofe ( R ) has a backbone and he is willing to tell it like it is. He said, " We very well may have a wag the dog situation here ", and " The President has always known we would have to send ground troops ". He urged the other Senators to, " stop and think about the cost ". He offered, " We are at one half of our miltary strength since 1991 ", and begged the other Senators to join him to " inform the American people what the real threat is ".
Jess Helms ( R ) seemed like he objected to the resolution on the grounds it would validate the War Powers Act, saying " this resolution would give the President a blank check...it puts the cart before the horse ". We shall see which way he votes, but there is little doubt that Patrick Leahy ( D ) would not support the resolution when he says, " Let us debate the resolution ", and " come up with a clear American policy ".
Jim Bunning ( R ) thought, " We have no national interest ". He left no doubt about his view on involving ground troops, with, " If there is to be intervention, let it come from the Europeans ". He doesn't want the United States to be the world's policeman, asking, will America " be everywhere at all times according to everyone's civil conflicts "? He pointed out that " Iraq and North Korea...these two areas hold our national interest; I don't believe Kosovo even comes close ". He did have the courage to say publically, " Our soldiers are leaving the armed services in droves ".
Pete Domenici ( R ) declared, " I believe we should not involve ourselves in the military adventure over there ", and told us which way he was going to vote with, " I don't agree with John McCain ". Christopher Dodd ( D ) agreed with the McCain resolution, saying " This resolution gives the President what he needs ". Even Orrin Hatch ( R ) flapped his hawkish wings, saying that passing this resolution was " important for NATO ". It almost made me sick when he said, " It's a pretty reasonable thing to ask for ".
A pair of Democrats differed in their positions. Joseph Lieberman ( D ) urged Senators to " support the policy, support our NATO allies...send a message to Milosevic ". But, Carl Levin ( D ) said, " NATO is unified on an air campaign, not on a ground campaign ", so sadly, " I am going to vote to table a resolution, the direction of which I support ". Is it my imagination, or does there seem to be a little role reversal happening here?
For Sam Brownback ( R ) the decision on his vote was simple. He had some " simple questions not answered by this administration ". Yeah, we know the questions Clinton won't ( or really can't ) answer ( I keep thinking back to that news conference with Clinton, Berger and the Italian Prime Minister, where Berger's catch-all answer was " bomb some more ". Brownback finally declared, " I cannot give my support ".
Debate resumed today, Tuesday May 4th, on the Motion to table Senate Joint Resolution 20.
John McCain ( R ) had a few minutes to try to " shame " some folks into voting to keep debate on this bill alive. He said, " The President does not need this resolution to use all means necessary in Kosovo ". Wait a second, then why did he introduce it in the first place? He reasserted his hawkish nature with, " I will not support a bombing pause until Milosevic surrenders ".
Tom Daschle ( D ), Minority Leader, didn't support this measure. He used his leadership time to both illustrate his position and spin for the White House with, " Every effort should be made to resolve this matter diplomatically; I believe it has been done. It has failed...don't tie the hands " ( of the President ). He continued, " The commander-in-chief must decide what force is to be used...the President has not asked for this authority...for this reason I must vote to table the resolution ". He then lapsed back into the Clintaganda with, " This is not unilateral, we are involved with 18 other countries...this ( resolution ) would send a message to NATO that we are in charge ". Didn't he just basically say the President was in charge a sentence or two back? He questioned, " Are we voting to use tactical nuclear weapons? " Without a specific proposal from the President, we can only guess ". He finally spun the last few revolutions with, " On a bi-partisan vote, we gave approval for the air operation ". Well, that may be true, but don't remember that resolution passing the House of Representitives.
Trent Lott ( R ), Senate Majority Leader thought " timing was the most important thing...this resolution is out of sync ". He continued, " This is the wrong language at the wrong time ". He pointed out that this was only " a procedural vote to table, to reserve this " for future debate. He finally urged the Senators to " support the motion to table ".
*The final vote to table Senate Joint Resolution 20: The War Powers Resolution, was YEA 78 and NAY 22. Remember a vote of yes, was to table the resolution; and a vote of no was to continue debate ( on agreement with SJ 20, yes equals no, and no equals yes ).
Those Senators to hawkish to see the situation in Yugoslavia for the phoney foreign policy it is, the Clinton/Gore War, or they just never met a military action they didn't like, included: Max Cleland ( D ), Mike DeWine ( R ), Christopher Dodd ( D ), Bob Kerrey ( D ), Richard Lugar ( R ), Patrick Leahy ( D ), John McCain ( R ), and Charles Robb ( R ).
No matter which way you thought ( hoped ) the vote would go, it was a strange bi-partisan mix who voted against this declaration of Godhood for the Pharoah Bill Clinton to use whatever means in his imagination to build his unholy NATO pyramid ( I think it sphinx )!
- Bongo ( Vote this! )
