Power tug of war: Storm is brewing over Iraq and who really is in control

On Saturday, President George W. Bush sent the message to Congress in general and Democrats in specific that the run-around over the military spending bill had to stop.

Those who are insisting on a specific exit date for troops from Iraq before they will back a budget to fund the military operations there are simply playing politics with people’s lives, he said.

On Sunday, Democratic leaders insisted that the president will not get his spending bill without a specific withdrawal date — and insisted that the war is being conducted irresponsibly and that they will not continue to hand the president a blank check.

And the sad thing is, these arguments are nothing new.

Does anyone see the beginnings of a kindergarten power struggle for control of the playground here?

The military spending bill has been a topic of conversation for a while now — with more planted feet and arguing over who is right and who is wrong as the weeks have passed.

In the meantime, troops sit in harm’s way and military leaders suggest that without action soon, the money will run out.

So, perhaps it is time to get the job done and to stop throwing stones. The first step should be to eliminate all pork barrel spending from the proposal. The extra stuff attached to this bill detracts from the importance of getting the operations in Iraq the funds they need. Now is not the time for padding anyone’s district just to get a vote.

And after that, it will be time to pass a budget to support the servicemen and women — no ifs, ands or buts.

Published in Editorials on April 9, 2007 11:11 AM