we think it was the milk income loss contract funding that sealed the deal

It was a difficult undertaking, but Democrats have managed to pass an Iraq war funding bill that includes a firm deadline of August, 2008 to remove combat troops from Iraq.

Getting Democrats to support the bill required uniting the liberal wing of the party which believes we have already lost, with the moderate wing which believes it would be better to lose next year. 

So really it was mostly just a scheduling conflict. 

Republicans railed against either option taking the far more philosophical approach that failure is not so much a destination, as a journey…

President Bush has promised a veto should the bill ever reach his desk and considering the slim margins of the vote, it is unlikely it could be overridden. This makes today’s vote more symbolic than anything else. 

Unfortunately, this leaves vulnerable the very people the bill was originally intended to help:

Powerful agricultural interests.

And let’s face it, every day that goes by is one more day without citrus relief. And it’s not like those spinach patches are going to subsidize themselves.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to the lobbyists and their families.

Besides, as Wisconsin Representative David Obey points out, it’s perfectly appropriate to include money for such constituencies as spinach growers since they were hit last year with a deadly E. coli outbreak.

And when it comes to battling E. coli (the murdering SOBs), you’re either with us, or against us.

We’re forgetting something. Oh, yeah, there were some funds in the bill for the troops as well. Fortunately for them the most critical shortages they are facing consist largely of symbolism with many combat units running dangerously short of desperately needed gestures.

Regardless of the political posturing, a decision will ultimately have to be made between the two primary  Underpants Gnomes Three-Phase Plans currently being fought over to deal with Iraq: 

Democrat’s Three-Phase Plan:

Phase 1: Remove troops
Phase 2: ?
Phase 3: Profit!

Republican’s Three-Phase Plan:

Phase 1: Add troops
Phase 2: ?
Phase 3: Profit!

Choose carefully.

J.