House Panel Defies Bush in Passing Surveillance Overhaul
This week a House panel approved a bill requiring more judicial and congressional oversight of foreign intelligence surveillance conducted by the National Security Agency (NSA). This new measure would replace the so-called Protect America Act, which was passed this summer. Civil liberties groups believe that this measure would be a step in the right direction, towards more protection for Americans and their privacy.
One important aspect of the bill is that it does not provide protection for communications firms that may have aided government surveillance efforts illegally. Telecommunication firms have been lobbying heavily for such a provision, and the White House is in favor of this protection. House Democrats are now standing up to Bush and corrupt business interests in pushing for this bill. It remains to be seen how the entire House and Senate will vote on this measure.
DAPAC-Endorsed Congressman Makes a Statement for Congressional Power
John Yarmuth, the freshman Congressman from Kentucky endorsed by DAPAC in 2006, has been troubled by the way the Constitution has been forgotten when it comes to legislating. So he decided to remind his fellow Congress members of their Constitutional powers by making and distributing pins with the words “Article 1,” referencing the Constitution: “All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States.” Yarmuth wants to reiterate that the Founding Fathers intended Congress to run the country, not the President. About 50 members of the House took the pins, and many were fellow freshman.
Yarmuth explained that the pins “came out of thinking about why we were all elected last year. The war had a lot to do with it but another, I think equally important factor was the sense that the people’s voice was not being heard in deliberations of government, that the presidency had gotten much too powerful and arrogant.” He added: “The American people wanted to push back against the imperial presidency.”
DAPAC is proud of Yarmuth and other endorsed House members who are taking their Congressional responsibilities so seriously. Yarmuth stated, “ All legislative powers are vested in the Congress and, in fact, the Constitution grants very limited powers to the executive branch [...] Hopefully, if this catches on, the public will see that we understand our power and our responsibility.”
Bush's Approval Ratings Drop in October
In a poll released by Gallup this week, President Bush's approval ratings have dropped once again, coming in at 32%. One month ago his approval was up to 36%, but has now returned to a level which matches his average for the second half of this year.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Monday, October 8, 2007
Weekly Update (10/05/08)
Bush Callously Vetoes Healthcare Bill for Uninsured Children
President Bush has vetoed a bill which would have expanded the popular State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), and now Democrats in Congress are working to secure more votes and override this veto. Democrats supported this bill because it will bring healthcare to more uninsured children. DAPAC-endorsed Congressman Chris Van Hollen explained, “We will strengthen CHIP's financing, improve the quality of health care children receive, and increase health insurance coverage for low-income children.” Although opponents of the bill claim that it covers too many middle class families, in reality those families may be making $50,000 a year, and with a private insurance policy costing approximately $11,000 annually, healthcare is out of reach. Bush claims that the bill would lead to the “federalizing” of healthcare, and that the expansion would benefit too many middle income families.
Although many moderate Republicans are distancing themselves from Bush on this issue, the leading presidential contenders for the GOP – Giuiani, McCain, Thompson, and Romney – all support Bush's veto. Since 61% of GOP voters support the expansion of SCHIP, the Republican blockage of this bill shows just how out of touch Republican lawmakers are. This is just another reason why Democrats can expect more support in 2008.
For now, Democrats in the House need to find more votes for the bill, in order to override Bush. Democrats are adamant that they will fight Bush on this issue, and are not yet willing to compromise. Speaker Nancy Pelosi will not back down from the issue, and commented, “This legislation will haunt [Bush] again and again and again.”
House Passes Weak Iraq Bill
In another display of why more progressive Democrats are needed in Congress, the House passed a bill concerning Iraq that does little to ensure the war's end. After numerous stronger bills have been defeated by Bush and Republicans in Congress, the House passed this weak bill with a 377-46 vote.
The bill mandates that the Bush administration present a plan within two months for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq. But the bill does not require that this plan actually be implemented, or that a specific timeline for withdrawal be laid out.
In order to get meaningful legislation on Iraq passed in the future, even when we have a Democratic president, we will need a real progressive Democratic majority in the House, not just the 75% of Democrats who are progressive, like we have now. It is DAPAC's job to get new Congress members in the House to achieve a real progressive majority, and all of DAPAC's endorsed candidates will vote to take immediate steps to end the war in Iraq when they are elected to Congress.
Poll: Democratic President Likely in 2008
An October 3rd ABC News/Washington Post poll presents a head-to-head presidential race between Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani, with Democrats coming out on top. Clinton leads Giuliani, 51 percent to 43 percent. This poll also shows that Democratic support is growing, as just a few months ago Clinton's lead was much less significant at 49-47. Along with the poll last week showing greater approval for the Democratic party in general, compared to the GOP, this poll illustrates the advantage Democrats will have in 2008.
President Bush has vetoed a bill which would have expanded the popular State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), and now Democrats in Congress are working to secure more votes and override this veto. Democrats supported this bill because it will bring healthcare to more uninsured children. DAPAC-endorsed Congressman Chris Van Hollen explained, “We will strengthen CHIP's financing, improve the quality of health care children receive, and increase health insurance coverage for low-income children.” Although opponents of the bill claim that it covers too many middle class families, in reality those families may be making $50,000 a year, and with a private insurance policy costing approximately $11,000 annually, healthcare is out of reach. Bush claims that the bill would lead to the “federalizing” of healthcare, and that the expansion would benefit too many middle income families.
Although many moderate Republicans are distancing themselves from Bush on this issue, the leading presidential contenders for the GOP – Giuiani, McCain, Thompson, and Romney – all support Bush's veto. Since 61% of GOP voters support the expansion of SCHIP, the Republican blockage of this bill shows just how out of touch Republican lawmakers are. This is just another reason why Democrats can expect more support in 2008.
For now, Democrats in the House need to find more votes for the bill, in order to override Bush. Democrats are adamant that they will fight Bush on this issue, and are not yet willing to compromise. Speaker Nancy Pelosi will not back down from the issue, and commented, “This legislation will haunt [Bush] again and again and again.”
House Passes Weak Iraq Bill
In another display of why more progressive Democrats are needed in Congress, the House passed a bill concerning Iraq that does little to ensure the war's end. After numerous stronger bills have been defeated by Bush and Republicans in Congress, the House passed this weak bill with a 377-46 vote.
The bill mandates that the Bush administration present a plan within two months for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq. But the bill does not require that this plan actually be implemented, or that a specific timeline for withdrawal be laid out.
In order to get meaningful legislation on Iraq passed in the future, even when we have a Democratic president, we will need a real progressive Democratic majority in the House, not just the 75% of Democrats who are progressive, like we have now. It is DAPAC's job to get new Congress members in the House to achieve a real progressive majority, and all of DAPAC's endorsed candidates will vote to take immediate steps to end the war in Iraq when they are elected to Congress.
Poll: Democratic President Likely in 2008
An October 3rd ABC News/Washington Post poll presents a head-to-head presidential race between Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani, with Democrats coming out on top. Clinton leads Giuliani, 51 percent to 43 percent. This poll also shows that Democratic support is growing, as just a few months ago Clinton's lead was much less significant at 49-47. Along with the poll last week showing greater approval for the Democratic party in general, compared to the GOP, this poll illustrates the advantage Democrats will have in 2008.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Quentin Young Endorses DAPAC
Recently Dr. Quentin Young contacted DAPAC's office to inquire as to what questions are on our candidate questionnaire regarding universal health care. After finding out the answer he was thrilled enough to contribute to DAPAC and to endorse our cause.
Dr. Quentin Young is the national coordinator for Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP), which has more than 10,000 physicians as members who support single payer national health insurance. Dr. Young has been a leader in public health policy and social justice issues for several decades. In 1980, he founded the Health & Medicine Policy Research Group. In 1997, he was inducted as a Master of the American College of Physicians, and in 1998 he served as President of the American Public Health Association.
In addition to these positions he has held a career as a distinguished physician and is good friends with documentary filmmaker Michael Moore. Recently Dr. Young has been helping Moore promote his new film, “Sicko,” across the country. In this documentary Moore points out the many problems with America's health care industry and the problems inherent in the corporate takeover of medicine in this country.
When we informed Dr. Young that one of our questions to candidates before he or she receives our endorsement was, “Do you support publicly funded universal health care,” he said that was precisely the question we should be asking of our politicians.
With such an influential leader in the field of health care agreeing with DAPAC's strong stance, it is clear that an endorsement from DAPAC means that a candidate will be committed to fighting for sensible, affordable, and better health care for all Americans.
Dr. Quentin Young is the national coordinator for Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP), which has more than 10,000 physicians as members who support single payer national health insurance. Dr. Young has been a leader in public health policy and social justice issues for several decades. In 1980, he founded the Health & Medicine Policy Research Group. In 1997, he was inducted as a Master of the American College of Physicians, and in 1998 he served as President of the American Public Health Association.
In addition to these positions he has held a career as a distinguished physician and is good friends with documentary filmmaker Michael Moore. Recently Dr. Young has been helping Moore promote his new film, “Sicko,” across the country. In this documentary Moore points out the many problems with America's health care industry and the problems inherent in the corporate takeover of medicine in this country.
When we informed Dr. Young that one of our questions to candidates before he or she receives our endorsement was, “Do you support publicly funded universal health care,” he said that was precisely the question we should be asking of our politicians.
With such an influential leader in the field of health care agreeing with DAPAC's strong stance, it is clear that an endorsement from DAPAC means that a candidate will be committed to fighting for sensible, affordable, and better health care for all Americans.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Weekly Update (9/28/07)
Democrats in House Pass Children's Health Insurance Bill
This week, the House of Representative passed a bill to expand the popular State Children's Health Insurance Program, with a vote of 265 to 159. All eight of DAPAC's representatives in Congress voted in favor of the bill. Forty-five Republicans crossed party lines to vote with the Democrats on this important bill, but the majority still falls short of the 290 votes needed to override Bush's intended veto.
The program currently covers six million children whose families earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but too little to afford private coverage. The program expires at the end of September, and the new bill expands the program to cover more children, and would be subsidized by a 61 cent levy on each pack of cigarettes sold. The bill for expansion has widespread support, including endorsements from United Way of America, the national YMCA, and even America's Health Insurance Plans, which is the largest insurance lobbying group in the nation.
Still, Bush remains dead set against this bill, and many Republican Congress members have followed him. Bush calls the bill “part of the Democrats' incremental plan toward government-run healthcare for all Americans.” Speaker Nancy Pelosi has promised to fight Bush on this issue, and commented, “This legislation will haunt his again and again and again ... We will continue to work in a bipartisan fashion to put bills on the president's desk and see how long he can hold a veto-proof majority.”
Congress Gets Set for Another War Spending Showdown
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates appeared before Congress this week to ask for an additional $42 billion for the military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, on top of the $147 billion already requested for the 2008 fiscal year. Gates also spoke about the need for a “long-term presence” of US troops in Iraq, but failed to give specifics on what this means exactly.
Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV), chairman of the Appropriations Committee, vowed that Congress would not be a “rubber stamp” for Bush's policies and said, “The president and supporters claim that we're now finally on the cusp of progress and that we must continue to stay the course. I've heard that before ... We cannot create a democracy at the point of a gun.”
DAPAC only supports Democratic candidates for the House of Representatives who will take immediate steps to end the war in Iraq.
This Week's Poll
On September 25th, Gallup released a new poll showing that the Democratic party is maintaining a solid image advantage over the GOP. Of those polled, 53% have a favorable view of the Democratic party, while only 38% have a favorable view of the Republicans. These results are very similar to the ratings of both parties since April 2006.
A recent significant shift has been how respondents rate the parties when it comes to the issue of security. For the first time since 2002, more Americans now say that Democrats will do a better job than Republicans protecting the nation from security threats: 47% to 42%.
This week, the House of Representative passed a bill to expand the popular State Children's Health Insurance Program, with a vote of 265 to 159. All eight of DAPAC's representatives in Congress voted in favor of the bill. Forty-five Republicans crossed party lines to vote with the Democrats on this important bill, but the majority still falls short of the 290 votes needed to override Bush's intended veto.
The program currently covers six million children whose families earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but too little to afford private coverage. The program expires at the end of September, and the new bill expands the program to cover more children, and would be subsidized by a 61 cent levy on each pack of cigarettes sold. The bill for expansion has widespread support, including endorsements from United Way of America, the national YMCA, and even America's Health Insurance Plans, which is the largest insurance lobbying group in the nation.
Still, Bush remains dead set against this bill, and many Republican Congress members have followed him. Bush calls the bill “part of the Democrats' incremental plan toward government-run healthcare for all Americans.” Speaker Nancy Pelosi has promised to fight Bush on this issue, and commented, “This legislation will haunt his again and again and again ... We will continue to work in a bipartisan fashion to put bills on the president's desk and see how long he can hold a veto-proof majority.”
Congress Gets Set for Another War Spending Showdown
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates appeared before Congress this week to ask for an additional $42 billion for the military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, on top of the $147 billion already requested for the 2008 fiscal year. Gates also spoke about the need for a “long-term presence” of US troops in Iraq, but failed to give specifics on what this means exactly.
Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV), chairman of the Appropriations Committee, vowed that Congress would not be a “rubber stamp” for Bush's policies and said, “The president and supporters claim that we're now finally on the cusp of progress and that we must continue to stay the course. I've heard that before ... We cannot create a democracy at the point of a gun.”
DAPAC only supports Democratic candidates for the House of Representatives who will take immediate steps to end the war in Iraq.
This Week's Poll
On September 25th, Gallup released a new poll showing that the Democratic party is maintaining a solid image advantage over the GOP. Of those polled, 53% have a favorable view of the Democratic party, while only 38% have a favorable view of the Republicans. These results are very similar to the ratings of both parties since April 2006.
A recent significant shift has been how respondents rate the parties when it comes to the issue of security. For the first time since 2002, more Americans now say that Democrats will do a better job than Republicans protecting the nation from security threats: 47% to 42%.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Weekly Update (9/21/07)
Democrats Work to Avert Republican Credit Crisis
In the US, the housing market is in its largest slump in 16 years. This news is especially frustrating because the collapse of the sub-prime mortgage market, which has created widespread economic problems, could have been avoided. As Rep. Barney Frank, the Chair of the House Financial Services Committee explained, the crisis could have been averted had the Republican-led Congress passed a bill last year that would have prevented predatory lending practices. DAPAC hopes that such a bill can be passed in the future, and we ensure that our candidates for Congress will support such legislation before we issue our endorsement.
The collapse of the sub-prime mortgage market created chaos in Great Britain this week, as a run on the Northern Rock Bank led to $2 billion in withdrawals. This forced the Bank of England to issue an emergency loan to the bank, which is the eighth-largest mortgage lender in Britain. This is the first time in 15 years that a bank has had to be bailed out by regulators in the UK.
In other economic news, Jim Nussle, the new Director of the Office of Management and Budget, was interviewed by Maria Bartiromo on CNBC on Tuesday. When asked how the US should correct fiscal problems, Nussle seemed intent on continuing President Bush's agenda, namely by cutting entitlement spending, like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. This continues to be the administration's remedy for fixing the economy, while the real issues are ignored.
Political Turmoil Escalates in Iraq
Earlier this week, followers of the Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr withdrew from the leading political alliance in Iraq. These politicians are leaving their posts because they are unhappy with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's leadership, and they are not alone in those feelings – almost half the members of Maliki's Cabinet have left their positions. The followers of Sadr are especially at odds with Maliki over his refusal to set a timetable with the US for troop withdrawal.
These events illustrate once again the absence of progress in Iraq. The Iraqi government lacks cohesion and leadership, and because of this, the work of our troops in Iraq can do little to improve the situation. DAPAC supports immediate steps to end the war in Iraq and bring our troops home.
Poll of the Week
To explore what Americans want in their next president, Gallup asked those polled to rate 20 characteristics as either desirable or undesirable traits for the next president to have. The most desirable trait found was: will bring about change in Washington, followed by has been successful in business, has personally served in the military, has served in the US House or Senate, and has a lot of experience in Washington. The most undesirable traits were: has worked as a government lobbyist, is 70 years of age or older, has limited experience in Washington, has a strained relationship with his/her children, and has changed positions on issues over time. A majority of respondents did not care one way or another on characteristics including gender, race/ethnicity, religion, or whether the candidate has been divorced. You can see the full results of the poll here.
In the US, the housing market is in its largest slump in 16 years. This news is especially frustrating because the collapse of the sub-prime mortgage market, which has created widespread economic problems, could have been avoided. As Rep. Barney Frank, the Chair of the House Financial Services Committee explained, the crisis could have been averted had the Republican-led Congress passed a bill last year that would have prevented predatory lending practices. DAPAC hopes that such a bill can be passed in the future, and we ensure that our candidates for Congress will support such legislation before we issue our endorsement.
The collapse of the sub-prime mortgage market created chaos in Great Britain this week, as a run on the Northern Rock Bank led to $2 billion in withdrawals. This forced the Bank of England to issue an emergency loan to the bank, which is the eighth-largest mortgage lender in Britain. This is the first time in 15 years that a bank has had to be bailed out by regulators in the UK.
In other economic news, Jim Nussle, the new Director of the Office of Management and Budget, was interviewed by Maria Bartiromo on CNBC on Tuesday. When asked how the US should correct fiscal problems, Nussle seemed intent on continuing President Bush's agenda, namely by cutting entitlement spending, like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. This continues to be the administration's remedy for fixing the economy, while the real issues are ignored.
Political Turmoil Escalates in Iraq
Earlier this week, followers of the Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr withdrew from the leading political alliance in Iraq. These politicians are leaving their posts because they are unhappy with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's leadership, and they are not alone in those feelings – almost half the members of Maliki's Cabinet have left their positions. The followers of Sadr are especially at odds with Maliki over his refusal to set a timetable with the US for troop withdrawal.
These events illustrate once again the absence of progress in Iraq. The Iraqi government lacks cohesion and leadership, and because of this, the work of our troops in Iraq can do little to improve the situation. DAPAC supports immediate steps to end the war in Iraq and bring our troops home.
Poll of the Week
To explore what Americans want in their next president, Gallup asked those polled to rate 20 characteristics as either desirable or undesirable traits for the next president to have. The most desirable trait found was: will bring about change in Washington, followed by has been successful in business, has personally served in the military, has served in the US House or Senate, and has a lot of experience in Washington. The most undesirable traits were: has worked as a government lobbyist, is 70 years of age or older, has limited experience in Washington, has a strained relationship with his/her children, and has changed positions on issues over time. A majority of respondents did not care one way or another on characteristics including gender, race/ethnicity, religion, or whether the candidate has been divorced. You can see the full results of the poll here.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Weekly Update (9/14/07)
Bush Plans More of the Same for Iraq
When General David Petraeus and Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker appeared before Congress this week to give their much-anticipated report on Iraq, much of what they had to say was vague and disappointing. They were unable to argue that the troop surge had made significant improvements in Iraq, would not estimate how many years US troops would be present in Iraq, or when training of Iraqi troops would be complete. When asked if the efforts in Iraq had made Americans safer at home – which has been a long-standing argument of the Bush administration – Petraeus had to answer with, “I don't know, actually.”
President Bush will address the nation Thursday evening as a follow-up to these reports, and is expected to announce few changes to his war plan. Most likely, Bush will plan to draw down troops to pre-surge levels by next July, leaving 130,000 US troops in Iraq. In effect, this means that the level of troops will be the same one year from now as they were one year ago. Actually, troops could be at even higher levels – in an interview with NPR, Petraeus indicated that the numbers of troops sent home could be less than 30,000, depending on brigade size, and that they still needed to “do the math” to come up with exact figures. This vagueness, coupled with confusion over whether some troops, who are supposed to be part of the surge, are still on their way to Iraq, show just how deceptive Bush's plans are. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi responded that Bush's approach is “an insult to the intelligence of the American people.”
The American public has been told too many times that we must hold out a bit longer to see progress in Iraq. We have been waiting, but little has changed. Clearly, Congress cannot accept Bush's arguments and plans – we need real change in Iraq, with the priority on bringing our troops home. All of the candidates that DAPAC endorses for Congress agree to support these goals and will work to end the war now.
This Week's Poll
Americans remain unhappy about the situation in Iraq, and believe that the surge has not worked, according to a new poll released by the New York Times/CBS News this week. Of those polled, 62% believe that it was a mistake getting involved in Iraq, while only 34% said it was not a mistake. When asked about the surge, only 35% believed that the additional 30,000 troops had made the situation in Iraq better, while 12% believed the situation was actually now worse, and 45% did not think the surge had made any difference. Many respondents were also disappointed with the Iraqi government – 70% said that it is not doing all that it can realistically be expected to do to bring about stability in Iraq.
When General David Petraeus and Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker appeared before Congress this week to give their much-anticipated report on Iraq, much of what they had to say was vague and disappointing. They were unable to argue that the troop surge had made significant improvements in Iraq, would not estimate how many years US troops would be present in Iraq, or when training of Iraqi troops would be complete. When asked if the efforts in Iraq had made Americans safer at home – which has been a long-standing argument of the Bush administration – Petraeus had to answer with, “I don't know, actually.”
President Bush will address the nation Thursday evening as a follow-up to these reports, and is expected to announce few changes to his war plan. Most likely, Bush will plan to draw down troops to pre-surge levels by next July, leaving 130,000 US troops in Iraq. In effect, this means that the level of troops will be the same one year from now as they were one year ago. Actually, troops could be at even higher levels – in an interview with NPR, Petraeus indicated that the numbers of troops sent home could be less than 30,000, depending on brigade size, and that they still needed to “do the math” to come up with exact figures. This vagueness, coupled with confusion over whether some troops, who are supposed to be part of the surge, are still on their way to Iraq, show just how deceptive Bush's plans are. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi responded that Bush's approach is “an insult to the intelligence of the American people.”
The American public has been told too many times that we must hold out a bit longer to see progress in Iraq. We have been waiting, but little has changed. Clearly, Congress cannot accept Bush's arguments and plans – we need real change in Iraq, with the priority on bringing our troops home. All of the candidates that DAPAC endorses for Congress agree to support these goals and will work to end the war now.
This Week's Poll
Americans remain unhappy about the situation in Iraq, and believe that the surge has not worked, according to a new poll released by the New York Times/CBS News this week. Of those polled, 62% believe that it was a mistake getting involved in Iraq, while only 34% said it was not a mistake. When asked about the surge, only 35% believed that the additional 30,000 troops had made the situation in Iraq better, while 12% believed the situation was actually now worse, and 45% did not think the surge had made any difference. Many respondents were also disappointed with the Iraqi government – 70% said that it is not doing all that it can realistically be expected to do to bring about stability in Iraq.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Weekly Update (9/7/07)
Commission Report from Iraq Shows Limited Gains
This week, an independent commission created by Congress reported on the state of the Iraqi army and police force, predicting that it will take at least 12 to 18 months before the Iraqi units can take charge of their country's security. The commission found that the Iraqi army is improving but still suffering from “limited operational effectiveness,” while the Iraqi police force has been even less successful.
In response to the report, a Pentagon spokesman said that the administration remains committed “to stay as long as it takes to get the Iraqi army back on its feet.” Meanwhile, Democrats continue to stand up for our troops in harm's way. Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) said, “Our military has done everything we have asked them to do, but we cannot expect them to stay in Iraq indefinitely to train security forces that are loyal to sectarian militias rather than the Iraqi government.”
These findings were released just before the report from General David Petraeus and Ryan Crocker, the ambassador to Iraq, is scheduled to be released next week. Congress hoped that by creating this commission an independent and objective report on Iraq could be obtained.
Programs to Rebuild Iraq from the Provincial Level Failing
In other news from Iraq, Congress heard this week that the program to rebuild Iraq from the provincial level is suffering. The program has had three directors in the past four months, and many other program employees have been leaving Iraq as well. The failures have been blamed on the system in which the program operates, and not the people who work on the provincial restructuring teams. These teams are civilian-dominated, but must coordinate with the military to provide security – this coordination has been widely nonexistent. This has left the teams unable to travel to many of the areas they are assigned, making the teams largely ineffective. Others involved in the program argued that the attempts to work from the provincial level came too late to have any real value.
This Week's Poll
As Congress returns from its summer recess, members should take a look at the latest Gallup poll exploring the publics' thoughts on their work. With Congressional approval at very low levels – 18% last month – the poll asked those who disapprove the open ended question: What are some of the reasons why you disapprove of the job Congress is doing? In all, 67% of those who disapprove cited some form of Congressional inaction (not doing/passing anything, not making progress in ending the war in Iraq, not paying enough attention to the needs of the people, and not standing up to the president enough were common responses). Also, 9% wrote that Democrats were not doing what they were elected to do. Hopefully Democrats can take these results as a lesson that Americans want action and results during their coming session.
This week, an independent commission created by Congress reported on the state of the Iraqi army and police force, predicting that it will take at least 12 to 18 months before the Iraqi units can take charge of their country's security. The commission found that the Iraqi army is improving but still suffering from “limited operational effectiveness,” while the Iraqi police force has been even less successful.
In response to the report, a Pentagon spokesman said that the administration remains committed “to stay as long as it takes to get the Iraqi army back on its feet.” Meanwhile, Democrats continue to stand up for our troops in harm's way. Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) said, “Our military has done everything we have asked them to do, but we cannot expect them to stay in Iraq indefinitely to train security forces that are loyal to sectarian militias rather than the Iraqi government.”
These findings were released just before the report from General David Petraeus and Ryan Crocker, the ambassador to Iraq, is scheduled to be released next week. Congress hoped that by creating this commission an independent and objective report on Iraq could be obtained.
Programs to Rebuild Iraq from the Provincial Level Failing
In other news from Iraq, Congress heard this week that the program to rebuild Iraq from the provincial level is suffering. The program has had three directors in the past four months, and many other program employees have been leaving Iraq as well. The failures have been blamed on the system in which the program operates, and not the people who work on the provincial restructuring teams. These teams are civilian-dominated, but must coordinate with the military to provide security – this coordination has been widely nonexistent. This has left the teams unable to travel to many of the areas they are assigned, making the teams largely ineffective. Others involved in the program argued that the attempts to work from the provincial level came too late to have any real value.
This Week's Poll
As Congress returns from its summer recess, members should take a look at the latest Gallup poll exploring the publics' thoughts on their work. With Congressional approval at very low levels – 18% last month – the poll asked those who disapprove the open ended question: What are some of the reasons why you disapprove of the job Congress is doing? In all, 67% of those who disapprove cited some form of Congressional inaction (not doing/passing anything, not making progress in ending the war in Iraq, not paying enough attention to the needs of the people, and not standing up to the president enough were common responses). Also, 9% wrote that Democrats were not doing what they were elected to do. Hopefully Democrats can take these results as a lesson that Americans want action and results during their coming session.
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