BETRAYED BY BUSH AND CONGRESS

Senator Sam Brownback (R) gave a history lesson today in the Senate, complete with several maps about Iraq. It was a good lesson for a congressman. Senator Joe Biden (D) followed him with an emotional delivery why he agreed with Brownback although both Brownback and Biden said it was not in their Presidentail candidacy’s best interest to be working together to come up with a political solution for the mess we got ourselves into by invading Iraq. But that is what they were presenting, a political solution to Iraq. Personally, I thought Biden really did a good job extending his Presidentail campaigning on C-span with this plan. I couldn’t vote for Brownback as President, but these two made me feel better about being a USA citizen. They made sense. They didn’t sound brainless. And I have heard nothing close to this sanity from Mr. Bush, the President of the Divided States of America.

A link to an article on Biden and Brownback’s bill:
http://biden.senate.gov/newsroom/details.cfm?id=283817&&

Today, there was a tie, 47 to 47, to start bringing our troops home. Our Rhode Island US Senator Jack Reed and Carl Levin worked together on this.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/21/AR2007092100134.html

Bush ignores us. Congress ignores us. And yet type in http://www.senate.gov/ And you will find a page that celebrates the US Constitution that is titled “We the People, Celebrating the Constitution” and begins with this:

Written in 1787, ratified in 1788, and in operation since 1789, the United States Constitution remains a vital and living document. Having been strengthened by amendments, the Constitution serves as both guide and protector of U.S. citizens and their elected officials. To encourage all Americans to learn more about the Constitution, Congress in 2005 established Constitution Day, to be celebrated each year on or near September 17th, the date in 1787 when delegates to the Convention signed the Constitution.

I feel like I am living a time warp. Our President says “freedom is on the march” and that he wants to bring democracy to others around the world. However everything about him and his focus - has done nothing but chip away at our democracy and our liberties. Freedom – use it or lose it. We need to get angry at the undermining of our
once Constitutional rights and let it motivate us into active engagement. While we are not paying attention – we are losing our Constitution. The Patriot Act is our new Constitution. Our US government has thrown out the Geneva Convention.

“The Third Geneva Convention was convened in 1929 and resulted in specific protections for prisoners of war. The Fourth Geneva Convention was signed in 1949. This convention reaffirmed the requirements of the first three conventions and provided protections for civilians during wartime.” *

Requirements of the Geneva Conventions as they relate to the treatment of Prisoners of War (POWs): *http://usmilitary.about.com/od/deploymentsconflicts/l/blgenevaconv.htm

The Constitution made “We the People” partners of this country's government. An equal partner. But this administration doesn’t care what we think. And congress is betraying us, too.

I feel like screaming.

Bush is a disaster. I am embarrassed that he is President. I detest him. He has taken this country into debt. We have financed this Iraq invasion by borrowing from a country that historically has a record of oppressing its people and imprisoning and torturing those that are dissidents. China. And yet Bush said yesterday that he receives an A for not raising our taxes. But he has taken us so far in debt that we are weakened as a nation.

But no one talks about that. My brother made t-shirts when George HW Bush was campaigning for President and the shirt said a GHW Bush quotation “Read my lips, No New Taxes”. George W Bush is just like his father in this. NO NEW TAXES, but Billions of new dollars of debt. That’s what we’ve got.

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Bush may boost spending request for Iraq war

Reuters
Friday, September 21, 2007; 12:10 PM

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration may increase the amount of money it is seeking for the Iraq war for the 2008 fiscal year that begins October 1, the White House said on Friday.

The White House outlined a request for around $147 billion for fiscal 2008 for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But the administration is reviewing those figures and is considering giving Congress an updated request.

"I would expect it to be higher, I can't tell you what the number will be," White House spokesman Tony Fratto said.

The Washington Post has reported the administration may increase its request by up to $50 billion, which would bring the total request to nearly $200 billion.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/21/AR2007092100643.html

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War Costing $720 Million Each Day, Group Says

By Kari Lydersen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, September 22, 2007; Page A11”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/21/AR2007092102074.html