Democrats Pre-emptively Fund Iraq

Things can sure change quickly in Washington! It seems just a few weeks ago that Democrats were again talking about attempting to force a withdrawal from Iraq. That was odd, since they had recently funded the war. It’s even more surprising when you consider that the Democratic budget plan for 2009 matches President Bush’s request for war funding, before even being confronted on the subject: Here’s what the Senate Democratic budget has to say on war funding:

The Chairman’s Mark matches the President’s core defense budget and the President’s request for additional war costs. While the war funding request in the President’s budget is insufficient for a full year’s costs under his policy of a long-term commitment in Iraq, the Chairman’s Mark’s war funding will cover expenses for about the first six months of the next administration, and longer still under the policies preferred by most Democrats in Congress.

The reference to ‘longer still under the policies preferred by most Democrats’ clearly signals that the money will last longer if it’s spent on redeploying from Iraq. However, the fact remains that Democrats are planning to provide the funds, regardless. It’s stunning how completely and convincingly Congressional Democrats switch between bluster about forcing a withdrawal and full-funding for the mission. All it takes is a change in audience for leaders in Congress to change their tone.

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