George Bush once stated a future President will have to decide when to withdraw from Iraq. And that’s what’s going to happen. Our newly elected congress isn’t going to see to it. Hillary wants troops out by 2009. Gee, that’s great Hillary. Two more years of death and dismemberment. You’ll get my vote……NOT. Henry Waxman doesn’t seem to think that Iraq is already IN a civil war. He’s afraid that might happen if we begin to withdraw now. Gee Henry….read much????

Addressing a crowd of 200 at a Palisades Democratic
Club meeting in Los Angeles Sunday, Congressman
Henry Waxman said he opposes the US occupation of Iraq
but may continue to fund it because “I don’t want to make
any promises before I see what the (funding) proposal will be.”

Greeted by grassroots Democrats holding a
banner that read “Liberals do not fund occupation,”
Waxman acknowledged there were members of the
audience who would like to see him support bills
calling for the immediate withdrawal of troops, but
said he was not sure bringing the troops home now was the
answer.

The House of Representatives is expected to vote on another 150-billion
dollar Iraq supplemental appropriations bill in February or
March. Though Waxman voted for the 2002 Iraq War Authorization,
he voted against a supplemental funding bill last year.

Waxman, now Chair of the Government Reform
Committee, told the standing-room only
crowd he opposes the Bush troop
escalation and wants to conduct vigorous investigations
into the 8-billion US dollars missing in Iraq, but said he is not
convinced it is time to use the power of the purse to end
the war or even co’sponsor legislation that would bring the
troops home within six months. [tag]Waxman said a civil war could
develop when US troops leave Iraq. [/tag]“But there already is a civil war,”
said one audience member, whose objection went
unanswered.

Waxman, who has built a reputation as a lone ranger
investigator, promised he would probe the Bush administration’s
abuse of power and taxpayer money, as well as the outing
of a CIA agent and wrongdoing by Cheney’s energy task force.

Rather than issuing subpoenas first, however,
he would request top administration officials
testify voluntarily. “People think when I walk around I have a
subpoena in every pocket,” said the lawmaker who made
headlines when he investigated the awarding of no-bid contracts
to Halliburton.

On the subject of impeachment, Waxman said, “I do not want
to impeach the President,” arguing Congress should get on
with its agenda, and the Democrat-controlled

Congress should behave differently than
the Republican-controlled Congress during former President Bill
Clinton’s presidency. “What about the US Constitution?” shouted one
delegate to the state Democratic Party, outraged that Waxman
would draw a parallel between impeachment proceedings based
on a sex scandal and impeachment efforts based on high crimes
involving unilateral war and suspension of constitutional rights.

Ultimately, Waxman said it would be up to Congressman John Conyers,
Chair of the Judiciary Committee, to launch impeachment proceedings.
Asked if he would oppose US military use of Israel as a proxy to
bomb or invade Iran, Waxman said he opposed a war
against Iran, though added, “If you want to lose sleep, think of a
nuclear-armed Iran.” The Congressman said he favored economic
sanctions over the use of force, referencing the enormous impact
of world economic sanctions against the apartheid government of
South Africa.

Read more here

Comments OffEmail Post Toggle Meta