[StBernard] Baker calls Dems’ troop supplemental ‘one of the most cynical bills in years’

[Westley Annis]

The News from Congressman Richard H. Baker
Sixth District, Louisiana
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 19, 2007
CONTACT: Michael DiResto, 225-929-7711

Baker calls Dems’ troop supplemental ‘one of the most cynical bills in years’

WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Richard Baker, R-Baton Rouge, issued the following statement today on his intentions to vote against a Democratic supplemental spending bill that would impose arbitrary troop withdrawals from Iraq and micromanage troop movements:

“Just when I thought nothing could top the cynicism of the Democrats’ recent ‘non-binding’ resolution against the war in Iraq, they have now followed up with one of the most cynical bills I have seen in all my years in Congress. In the meantime they appear to have shifted their strategy from one of ‘bring the troops home because the war is lost’ to an even more dangerous one of actively hamstringing the troops to assure they can’t win. A Congress irresponsibly micromanaging troop movements does nothing to help General Petraeus implement his new counter-insurgency strategy, and arbitrarily announcing withdrawal deadlines does nothing to enable our troops’ success and a great deal to encourage the enemy.

“But this bill is cynical on two levels. First, Democrats seek to manufacture defeat in Iraq at the same time that they purport to support the troops and their mission. Democrats apparently hope to scuttle the Iraq mission without being blamed for it, which is why they haven’t attempted to do the one thing Congress has in its constitutional power to do to stop the war, and that’s to cut off funding. The Democrats apparently lack the courage of their defeatism.

“Second, the Democratic leadership seeks to buy off House members’ acceptance of defeat in Iraq by tying it to unrelated spending projects in their states and districts, including items important to Louisiana. It’s an irresponsible and disgusting ploy, and casts doubt on the Democrats’ fitness to govern in a time of war. If Democrats are serious about supporting the troops, they will give members of Congress the chance to vote up or down on their funding with no strings attached. And if they are genuine in their support of Louisiana’s recovery, they should do likewise.”

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