Hillary Clinton Signs On As Co-Sponsor Of James Webb's Iran War Funding Restrictions

Last week Hillary Clinton joined 75 other senators to pass the Lieberman-Kyl Resolution. Both Joe Biden and Chris Dodd had the good sense not to sign on. Barack Obama was conveniently out of town. Mike Gravel and, more importantly, John Edwards nailed her for her vote at last week's debate. Most importantly, yesterday the New Yorker published a Seymour Hersh article discussed below making it clear that the Lieberman-Kyl Let's Bomb Iran Resolution is nothing less than part of the roll-out of the Vice President's war with Iran. Liberal criticism of Clinton's vote has been loud and long.

Apparently something has sunk in. This afternoon Taylor Marsh broke the story that Hillary is joining James Webb in the reintroduction of his legislation requiring the President to seek explicit authorization before using any funds for military operations against Iran. Of course, Webb's legislation failed to secure cloture last March. It is unlikely it will succeed this time.

TPM's Eric Kleefield asks the following:

So will this amendment pass against a likely Republican filibuster? And either way, will Hillary's signing on as a co-sponsor help to assuage liberal doubts about her positions on the Middle East?

Blue Girl and I exchanged emails discussing what Hillary could do to win the support of the Democratic wing of the Democratic party just this afternoon. Color me skeptical. Simply co-sponsoring the legislation isn't enough. She is going to have to work the bill hard. This is a time for her to demonstrate leadership.

Hillary's press release after the break



October 1, 2007

Washington, DC – Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton today announced that she is co-sponsoring legislation introduced by Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) that prohibits the use of funds for military operations against Iran without explicit Congressional authorization (S. 759).

Senator Clinton - who has been at the forefront of calling on President Bush to seek authorization from Congress before taking military action against Iran (Read the Senator's Speech on the Senate Floor from February) – said today, “In February, I took to the Senate floor to warn that President Bush needs Congressional Authorization before attacking Iran. Given recent reports about Administration military planning toward Iran and to ensure that Congress plays a proper role in the authorization of any potential military force, today I have added myself as a co-sponsor of a bill introduced by Senator Jim Webb which prohibits the use of funds for military action in Iran without authorization by Congress.”

Senator Clinton added, “Iran has gained expanded influence in Iraq and the region as a result of the Bush Administration's polices which have also rejected diplomacy as a tool for addressing Iranian ambitions. I continue to support and advocate for a policy of entering into talks with Iran, because robust diplomacy is a prerequisite to achieving our aims. I also support strong economic sanctions against Iran, including designating the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization, to improve our leverage with the Iranian regime."

“Any military action against Iran will have an immediate impact on our troops serving in Iraq, our allies in the region as well as long term U.S. strategic interests. Senator's Webb's legislation insures that Congress will play its constitutional role of providing proper oversight over the Administration's policy toward Iran. Congressional oversight and debate can help avoid the mistakes and blunders that have afflicted U.S. policy in Iraq. We cannot allow recent history to repeat itself.”

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Keep giving 'em Hell, James

While Harry Truman was giving a speech a supporter yelled out, "Give 'em Hell, Harry!". Truman replied, "I don't give them Hell. I just tell the truth about them and they think it's Hell."

Just like that other fighting Democrat, James Webb doesn't give the Bushies like Lindsey Graham Hell. He just tells the truth and they think it's Hell.

In January Webb gave the Democratic Response to the President's State of the Union Speech. If you compare today's video with his response, you can see that he hasn't shifted ground. Near as I can tell he is doing his dead level best to meet the commitments he made in January.

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Lindsey Graham Encounters A Fighting Democrat

Usually Democrats sit quietly like good little boys and girls when they are guests on shows like Meet The Press as Republican hacks like Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) endlessly repeat Rovian talking points. Cozy inside the beltway hosts like Tim Russert make sure the Republican guest hack is not interrupted, while encouraging the Republican to talk over the Democrat if he needs to repeat a talking point for the fourth or fifth time, or if the Democrat becomes too uppity. That hasn't happened much during the last couple of decades. Democratic politicians have been good little boys and girls.

Sen. James Webb (D-VA) is a fighting Democrat. I love a fighting Democrat. This morning I watched the confrontation between Webb and Lindsey Graham on Meet The Press. I wish I could find the whole segment. This much was provided by ThinkProgress.

Folks, as you will see James Webb didn't take any crap off Graham. He fought back tooth and nail. That is something Republicans haven't experienced in decades.

Watch toward the end when Graham tries to claim he knows more about military affairs than Webb. He claims to have talked to the troops during lots of visits to Iraq. Webb tells him that while he might have seen lots of "dog and pony" shows in Iraq, Graham has never really "talked to the troops." What is missing are earlier comments by Webb where he explained that he worked for three years as an Assistant Secretary of Defense and knows a thing or three about deployment issues.

Of course, Webb's military affairs credentials are second to none. The son of an Air Force officer, after graduating from the Naval Academy he served as a fighting marine in Vietnam winning the Navy Cross, the Silver Star Medal, two Bronze Star Medals, and two Purple Hearts. According to his official bio, Webb was the first Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs from l984 to l987, where he was closely involved with analysis of the U.S. military's mobilization capabilities. In 1987-1988 he served as President Reagan's Secretary of the Navy. Graham was simply over matched. I am somewhat surprised Russert didn't tell Webb to be quiet. It wouldn't have mattered, but I am surprised.

Like I said, I love a fighting Democrat. I just wish there were a lot more of them.



UPDATE: Here is a longer version. It's still not the full length version, but its about twice as long as the first version.

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The Senate To Consider Out of Iraq Amendments To The 2008 Defense Authorization Act -- Back To work

After a refreshing recess Senators return to work facing a battle over the S.1548 - Department of Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008. See also the companion S. 1547 the Military Construction Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008. According to John M. Donnelly of CQ.com Democratic leaders plan to introduce four amendments to bring about changes in the Iraq war.

But all four face almost insurmountable obstacles on their journey to enactment.

One measure would set a largely advisory timeline for withdrawing most U.S. combat troops from Iraq, a provision similar to the one President Bush vetoed as part of a war supplemental (HR 1591) last month. Another would rewrite Congress’ 2002 authorization for the war (PL 107-243). A third would set readiness standards for U.S. military units. And a fourth would require the withdrawal of all but a limited set of U.S. forces by April.

Bush still is likely to veto a bill — probably the fiscal 2008 defense authorization (S 1547) — that carries one or more of the four provisions. But Democrats hope political pressure to end the war will have increased significantly before the bill reaches Bush’s desk, possibly this fall.

First up will be the Webb Deployment Amendment. According to Lisa Burgess of Stars and Stripes Webb described the bill in a speech on the Senate floor before the recess as basically providing that

on the active side, however long an individual has been deployed, they have to be allowed to stay home at least that long before you send them back.

If you’re Guard and Reserve, however long you’ve been deployed, you have to be able to have been at home at least three times that length before you’re sent back, because of the nature of the Guard and Reserve.

Among the 9 cosponsors are Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Appropriations Chairman Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.).

As of right now the four proposed Amendments have not been loaded in OpenCongress. I am sure that will change as the week moves along.

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