Darth Cheney Freaks Out: Battle Lines Are Drawn

NOTE: Yes I realize another short diary was made on Cheney's reaction, but mine's a bit more about our reaction, too.

For all of the bitching and moaning we do about how Democrats aren't strong enough in trying to get our troops out of Iraq tomorrow, Democratic attempts on Capital Hill to attach provisions to end the war by next year to the war funding is catching the attention of the President of the United States Vice President of the United States.  The AP is reporting that in a speech to AIPAC, everyone's favorite Dark Side character Dick "Go-Fuck-Yourself" Cheney had a hissy fit over how the Congress is daring to talk about putting restrictions on the funds it appropriates.

In the tried and true Rovian style, the Veep comes out swinging

"When members of Congress pursue an anti-war strategy that's been called 'slow bleeding,' they are not supporting the troops, they are undermining them," Cheney said in a speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

The rest of the juice under the fold.

Now, Darth Vader's Cheney's hissy fit is of course understandable.  If Congress chooses to end this war -- EVER -- it hurts Dick Cheney's bottom line (I just realized what a terrible joke it is to say "Dick Cheney's bottom"... ewwww) and that of his friends who are profiteering from this war.  In perpetual war and perpetual chaos, you can steal.  So let me tell you something, Dick:

1. Congress is not undermining the troops by ending the occupation, it is undermining YOU, you little whinny baby.

2. You should have your mouth washed out with soap for talking about what undermines the troops.  Nothing undermines our troops more than to send them to a war of choice without proper equipment.

And you know what else, Mr. Cheney?

GO FUCK YOURSELF.

OK, now that I've settled down, let me return to a point I was trying to make at the beginning.  Democrats in Congress are working really hard with a somewhat workable majority in the House and an incredibly fragile in-name-only majority in the Senate to try to put together a package to attach to the funding requests that can actually pass both houses of Congress.  It is easy for us to get riled up over the fact that Congress isn't forcing an immediate beginning of withdrawal to be completed by the middle of this year.  We have to realize that life doesn't always give us choices between the best and the worst.  Sometimes we just have to be ready to be defending the good against the evil, even if that good isn't the perfect.

When the House and Senate Democrats get together and agree on a proposal and pass it, there is going to be tremendous political pressure on them to back off and just approve unrestricted funds.  They are going to be slammed by the White House, the traditional media, the right wing radio.  When that happens, we in the progressive media and blog communities cannot afford to simply throw the Democrats in front of the wolves as well, just because we think that the withdrawal is not happening soon enough.  While the American people are way ahead of the government, in the world of the right wing attack machine that the Democrats in DC live in, they are going to need our support to stick to their newly found backbone (even if that backbone is not made out of steel) and push a bill through, and force the President to sign it and veto it.

And you can tell from Dick Cheney's reaction that the Administration is scared shitless that Congress is actually serious about bringing the troops out of Iraq by next year.  That their statement against the surge will actually be followed up by real action.  And given the bullies that the Republicans are, they cannot stand anyone intervening in their agenda to steal.  You have to wonder what they are so afraid of if the plans in the House and the Senate are not threatening to them.

This is one of those places where the battle lines will have been drawn once the Democratic leadership in the House and the Senate settle on a bill and start debate.  It will be time for us to then pick sides, because that will be our only realistic hope to achieve our objective of bringing our troops home, even if a bit late.  Which side will you be on?