A BUZZFLASH GUEST CONTRIBUTION
by Burt Hall

To Members of Congress:

The basic problem is that Democrats have not presented a vision of how to replace our presence with a force that could maintain stability in the region for a period of years. A distinct possibility is an all-Muslim force under the UN flag, supported by both trained Iraqis and militias. Sadr has already agreed to support UN troops with his militia if Americans (will only) leave. With a good Democratic vision of how to maintain stability, here are four options to force the President to remove our troops:

1. Don't report out the president's nearly $200B request (except the Afghan portion) on the grounds that (a) the money is for a war being actively challenged by the American people, Congress, and billions of people elsewhere, (b) the money would involve and commit a new president, and (c) there is enough money in the pipeline to protect the troops until replacements arrive.

2. Resubmit vetoed bills to the White House over and over again. If necessary, force the Republicans to filibuster on the floor of the Senate.

3. Democrats filibuster any unacceptable bills -- even to the extent of a continuous floor debate. America would be proud of you (and so would Mr. Smith).

4. Impeach the President - there are more than enough grounds. Whether a partisan Senate convicts or not is irrelevant. Exposures of the President's crimes will cost him public support and votes for the war, particularly since the exposure will show that it was entered into illegally. Recorded history will eventually disclose the President's misconduct, so why not disclose it now when it can do the most good. And, can Congress ever explain giving the President a free pass and setting a precedent for future presidents to repeat the same crimes?

Which of the above options are feasible to you and which do you intend to pursue? If none, please explain or specify another option you favor. And, what can private citizens such as myself do to assist? I will ask many others to participate.

The war is the greatest catastrophe in U.S. history. The world hates us for it. Curtailing the war is the reason the American public elevated Democrats to majority status in Congress. Republicans, however, have bested you at every turn, and now it's time for you to play hardball -- as they have often done so successfully. (How about that "nuclear" option to get a far-right Supreme Court?) Republicans are tougher and more disciplined than Democrats. They won't give you a thing. You will have to go out and do it on your own the hard way. Just have faith in yourself and the American people.

No matter what positive things it accomplishes, this Congress will be considered a failure unless the war is brought to an end soon. The same thing is true about Democratic candidates. The public is already very unhappy with their 2013 answers to Tim Russert during the recent debate. Instead, candidates need to present a vision of how Bush can resolve the matter long before a new president is installed, but be prepared to act on it immediately if he doesn't.

Don't fall for Bush's al-Qaeda thing. They will be kicked out by Iraqis and the replacement troops soon after we leave. God help us if a top Republican candidate solves this problem first!!! The public expects all Democrat office holders, candidates or not, to take risks and act now, not later. I hope this is clear.

Please respond.

Thank you,

Burt Hall

A BUZZFLASH GUEST CONTRIBUTION

Burt Hall has served as a group director on matters of national security in the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and authored articles on 9/11, the war in Iraq, and terrorism strategy. He is coauthor, with Ed Asner, of Misuse of Power: How the Far Right Gained and Misuses Power, [0] reviewed by BuzzFlash. At the GAO, Mr. Hall became an expert in the procurement field and was instrumental in creating the Truth in Negotiations Act, the modernized and unified federal procurement statute, and the initial government-wide policy on acquisition of major weapon systems. He is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program of Harvard University.

Technorati Tags: Guest Contribution [6] Burt Hall [7] Iraq [8] Congress [9] war funding [10] Bush [11] Cheney [12] Congressional budget [13]