I see that the House of Representatives finally grew some cojones and passed a “stern” measure against the administration’s Iraq policy.  Not.  Here’s the full text of the sickly abortion they call a “nonbinding resolution”:

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Disapproving of the decision of the President announced on January 10, 2007, to deploy more than 20,000 additional United States combat troops to Iraq.

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That—

(1) Congress and the American people will continue to support and protect the members of the United States Armed Forces who are serving or who have served bravely and honorably in Iraq; and

(2) Congress disapproves of the decision of President George W. Bush announced on January 10, 2007, to deploy more than 20,000 additional United States combat troops to Iraq.

Woo hoo!  That’s all there is to it.  Says the New York Times:

The brevity is by design. Democrats hope if they keep the language simple—and, they believe, unloaded—the resolution will draw more bipartisan support.

“Congress and the American people will continue,” they say?  Speaking on my behalf, are they?  In this case, someone’s taking their role as “representative” a little too far.  I mean, yeah, I’ll definitely support the troops, but I don’t need some greasy politician in D.C. to voice my opinion for me.

Here are a few examples of NYT reader responses to this stupid “nonbinding resolution” thing:

By Steve Bolger:

We cling to denial, and absolve those who lied us into this mess. Paranoia in the name of national defense is no vice.

By Gordon Cannon, PHD (How lofty!)

The resolution will pass. It is also non-binding. Does anyone think the Bushites will even acknowledge this?  Now Congress must deal with the impending air strike against Iran.

Matt Connolly posts a particularly tasty one:

George Bush has the authority under a prior congressional resolution to wage war in Iraq and fully plans to send at least 20,000 more Americans into the fight, so unless Congress is willing to cut funding or set a time table for withdrawal, who cares what they resolve. By contrast, all signs point to the Administration’s deliberate positioning for war with Iran, a long time neocon goal being supported as well by many in Israel. In time we will all know who planned this series of wars and why. If Congress was serious about reigning in America’s self-destructive taste for war, it would make it unmistakably clear that the current war authorization DOES NOT allow the Administration to make war with Iran by invading or bombing within Iranian territory, no matter what Iran allegedly does in Iraq and until Congress can fully examine any incidents bound to occur now between Iran and the U.S. forces stationed on the Persian Gulf. Or is it the U.S. Gulf? In any case, Congress does the bare minimum, mouthing meaningless non-binding resolutions, and shirking all responsibility for the countless lost human lives and the overpowering and growing amount of suffering heaped upon American soldiers, Iraqi civilians and all other innocent victims of the Bush Administration’s blind belief in military force, in which the Democrats, through their inaction, are complicit. Democrats - you are not the minority out of power any more - we hold you accountable for this war and the one coming in Iran! We worked hard for you, voted for you, empowered you, and now you are as deaf to our will as Marie Antoinette was when she invited her starving subjects to eat cake. We want the killing to stop, not to be expanded, and we want the killing not to be ignored by our elected representatives pleading false helplessness.

Yeah.  I like that last one.  I think he’s right about where the war is heading, including the Iran thing.  I especially enjoyed the part that says, “Congress does the bare minimum, mouthing meaningless non-binding resolutions, and shirking all responsibility for the countless lost human lives and the overpowering and growing amount of suffering heaped upon American soldiers, Iraqi civilians and all other innocent victims of the Bush Administration’s blind belief in military force, in which the Democrats, through their inaction, are complicit.”

Damn!  Old Matt sure can run off at the mouth!  Or with the pen, or….

Anyway, I’d like to post this next image for Matt.  Here’s your Congress, Dude!

You voted ‘em in.  You get what you deserve.  Did you really think that bunch of morons would actually have the cohesiveness—or the balls—to get something serious done?

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