This bill, HR1591, passed 218-212.

What do you think about this legislation? The debate has been interesting. I have mixed feelings about it.

From Anti-War.com

The idea that the Democrats are any kind of “peace party” is belied by the latest action of the Speaker in regard to this bill, who excised a provision that would have required the President to come to Congress for permission to attack Iran. And, gee, what a coincidence, but that this was done right after the recent conference of the American-Israel Political Affairs Committee, where Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert declared:

“I know that… all of you who are concerned about the security and the future of the State of Israel understand the importance of strong American leadership addressing the Iranian threat, and I am sure you will not hamper or restrain that strong leadership unnecessarily.”

He forgot to add: or else. Not that he had to: Nancy skeedaddled back to her office so fast that she must have broken the sound barrier - and the offending passage was cut from the bill.

The times, they sure are a changin.’ Why, it seems like only yesterday - although it was December 16, 1998 - that Nancy Pelosi opined:

“As a member of the House Intelligence Committee, I am keenly aware that the proliferation of chemical and biological weapons is an issue of grave importance to all nations. Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process.”

Today, however, she’s singing a different tune: “There was never anything in the intelligence that said Iraq posed an imminent threat to the United States, never.”

When Bush launched the war, both the Senate and House adopted resolutions ostensibly to “support the troops,” but in reality endorsing the war, the bombing, and the policies of the Bush administration. The Senate voted 99-to-nothing for a resolution that “commends and supports the efforts and leadership of the President, as Commander in Chief, in the conflict against Iraq.”

The House version, co-authored by Nancy Pelosi and Tom Delay (what a tag-team!), passed 392-11, with 22 abstentions. It went much further than the Senate version in supporting Bush, not only claiming that Iraq was in “material breach” of UN resolutions, but also going so far as to offer “unequivocal support” for Bush’s “firm leadership and decisive action in the conduct of military operations in Iraq,” which it described as “part of the ongoing Global War on Terrorism.” Eleven Democrats voted against the resolution, averring that they could support the troops without supporting this tripe. As American bombs were falling on Iraq, killing thousands, Pelosi declared,

“Saddam Hussein is a menace to his own people, and a threat to the peace and stability of the entire region. As our soldiers risk their own lives to secure the lives and liberty of others, we pledge to repay their courage by guaranteeing that we will spare no resource and no effort to make sure nothing stands between them and victory.”

She is fulfilling that pledge today: the bill she is trying to strong-arm though the Democratic Congress, the “U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans’ Health and Iraq Accountability Act” gives the President more money to expand the military than he asked for. It also establishes benchmarks that would supposedly regulate the number of troops in Iraq and their mission, leading to a complete withdrawal by the summer of next year. The only problem is that these benchmarks can be unilaterally waived by the President, with Congress in only an advisory role.

Full article here