LinkWASHINGTON (AP) — Iraq's financial free ride may be over. After five years, Republicans and Democrats seem to have found common ground on at least one aspect of the war. From the fiercest war foes to the most steadfast Bush supporters, they are looking at Iraq's surging oil income and saying Baghdad should start picking up the tab, particularly for rebuilding hospitals, roads, power lines and the rest of the shattered country.
"I think the American people are growing weary not only of the war, but they are looking at why Baghdad can't pay more of these costs. And the answer is they can," says Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska.
Nelson, a Democrat, is drafting legislation with Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Democrat Evan Bayh of Indiana that would restrict future reconstruction dollars to loans instead of grants.
Their bill also would require that Baghdad pay for the fuel used by American troops and take over U.S. payments to predominantly Sunni fighters in the Awakening movement. Plans are to propose the legislation as part of a war bill to cover spending through September.
Likewise, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said he wants to add a provision to a defense policy bill that would force the Iraqi government to spend its own surplus in oil revenues to rebuild the country before U.S. dollars are spent.
You invade and occupy a country, you drive millions out of their homes, kill hundreds of thousands more, foment civil war, and destroy all the infrastructure. You kill and maim thousands of your own soldiers in the process. Clearly best way to cap that is with a buffoonish, psychotically pecksniffian attention to the accounting.
A joint resolution to authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against Iraq.
Comments (11)
Ahhh, change we can believe in. Audacity of change! Buddy, can you spare some change?
Posted by Nicholas Hart | April 14, 2008 6:41 PM
Posted on April 14, 2008 18:41
Sweet Christ, I hope I live to see our empire crumble. Never has a country been so deserving.
Posted by Jingus | April 14, 2008 6:59 PM
Posted on April 14, 2008 18:59
Has there ever been a social elite as morally destitute, cretinous and picayune as the Democrats? They add the tag-along pissant's spiteful touch to the swaggering Republican bully's sadism.
Posted by Al Schumann | April 14, 2008 7:53 PM
Posted on April 14, 2008 19:53
Well, don't you know? They made us invade them! Them, with their juicy, juicy oilpots, and their low-cut blouse of a dictator/former CIA employee, and their residence next door to another babe we'd love to bang (once again), Shah-style...
Posted by Michael Dawson | April 14, 2008 8:11 PM
Posted on April 14, 2008 20:11
Wasn't it the Chinese government that shot political prisoners and made the family pay for the cost of the bullet?
It looks like the Chinese are catching up to our accomplishments. Either that, or we're regressing. Maybe we'll meet in the middle and say "hi!"
Posted by chthulu's mom | April 14, 2008 9:22 PM
Posted on April 14, 2008 21:22
"You aren't doing a good enough job repairing the stuff we wrecked. I'm afraid we'll have to punish you."
This seems actively psychopathic to me.
Posted by Christopher | April 15, 2008 4:52 AM
Posted on April 15, 2008 04:52
"Nelson, a Democrat, is drafting legislation with Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Democrat Evan Bayh of Indiana"
now
there's a bermuda triangle for ya
the aisle party
aka the corporate flex party
gloss :
trans nat llc in politic as in all else
employment wise
the big boys like
to employ a rep party
with flexibility
Posted by op | April 15, 2008 7:46 AM
Posted on April 15, 2008 07:46
Bunch of no good shit-poke eggsucking dogs.
Posted by MIchael Hureaux | April 15, 2008 9:53 AM
Posted on April 15, 2008 09:53
"This seems actively psychopathic to me."
Yeah, in any interpersonal circumstance it would be ripe for a clinical diagnosis.
Posted by Al Schumann | April 15, 2008 11:16 AM
Posted on April 15, 2008 11:16
This grotesquerie is just the logical extension of the you-stand-up-so-we-can-stand-down piffle the "anti-war" wing of the DP has been flogging for two years at least.
Posted by gluelicker | April 15, 2008 11:52 AM
Posted on April 15, 2008 11:52
After a Fuckin' that hard we should at least put her through Beauty School for christ's sake. The Axis powers graduated Blain summe cume laude... On second thought, GIVE THEM THUNDERDOME!!!
Posted by David D | April 16, 2008 10:56 AM
Posted on April 16, 2008 10:56