US House of Representatives Have Surrendered to Al Qaeda in Iraq

AP News Alert:

WASHINGTON (AP) The House has voted to require President Bush to pull U.S. combat troops out of Iraq by fall 2008, defying a White House veto threat.

Rise the White Flag over the US House of Representatives.

Why no GOP Motion to Recommit?

Bottom line: Republicans did not want to give any safe harbor to the pork-and-retreat Democrats.

Over the course of the last few days, Americans have been witness to despicable tactics by House Democrats in their effort to pass a supplemental that micromanages the war, ties the hand of our commanders, and includes billions in pork for items unrelated to the global war on terror.

Republicans could have proposed a motion-to-recommit designed to cut both the Murtha-inspired "timeline for withdrawal" language and eliminating billions in unrelated spending. Ultimately, House Republican Leadership decided that providing Democrats and opportunity to vote for a motion to improve this fundamentally and fatally-flawed bill - before voting for final passage - would provide too many Democrats the rhetorical option to defend the indefensible. Some Democrats would have disengenously argued to the American people that they "tried to fix" the bill with such a vote, but "had" to vote for final passage.

Republican Leadership therefore decided that the Democrats - all Democrats, exclusively - should be held accountable for this inexcusable war supplemental. It sends the wrong message to our troops in harms way, sets timelines for withdrawal that increase the likelihood of their harm, and forces them to carry Democrat pork barrel spending to boot. No excuses for the voters back home - you are either for this bill or against it.

As Ronald Reagan said, "They don't have to see the light. They just need to feel the heat."

The Democrats had one choice on the floor - side with the troops or with General Pelosi. They chose the latter.

How did your Congresscritter vote? Check it out here. Congresscritters Jones (R-NC) and Gilchrest need to go... 14 Democrats in the US House of Representatives actually get it...

Let's see them get past a White House veto...

UPDATE: Text of the bill is here.

Best quote of the day (so far) comes from Jason Smith:

I get it now, the Democrats’ war plan is to create so much pork, the muslim terrorists will be forced to leave us alone. It’s the perfect plan!