Republicans On Cutting Funding For Troops
February 22, 2007 at 10:17 am | Posted in American politics, Congress, Iraq, Military, Republicans, War | 14 Commentswell well well, this is what I get for being out of the country in 1995 and missing out on this little nugget….apparently while President Clinton was waging a war in Bosnia, House Republicans voted to cut funding for operations in Bosnia, effectively putting American soldiers in harm’s way and effectively recreating Vietnam all over again. But it’s okay to cut off funding for American troops when a Democrat (especially one name Clinton) is president. But you dare try and cut off funding for troops when a Republican is president and you’re EVIL!!!
Dick Polman has some good quotes from Republicans arguing for cutting funds:
And here’s the most priceless factoid: A Texas Republican congressman, Sam Johnson, is leading the current push for the aforementioned bill that would bar any restrictions on the Iraq war money…yet this same congressman uttered these remarks on the House floor, on Dec. 13, 1995: “I wholeheartedly support withholding funds… Although it is a drastic step and ties the president’s hands, I do not feel like we have any other choice. The president has tied our hands, gone against the wishes of the American people, and this is the last best way I know how to show my respect for our American servicemen and women. They are helpless, following orders.”
Huh, how ’bout that! Here is the same Sam Johnson on how we must remain “always faithful” to our troops:
So – little did I know back in my rat-infested 3 x 8 dark and filthy cell that 34 years after my departure from Hell on Earth… I would spend the anniversary of my release pleading for a House panel to back my measure to support and fully fund the troops in harm’s way….and that just days later I would be on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives surrounded by distinguished veterans urging Congress to support our troops to the hilt….
…Today, let my body serve as a brutal reminder that we must not repeat the mistakes of the past… instead learn from them.We must not cut funding for our troops. We must stick by them. We must support them all the way…To our troops we must remain…always faithful.
Always faithful eh? Except when it is politically inconvenient, that is.
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The Good Democrat 
effectively recreating Vietnam all over again??
I’m pretty sure Bosnia wasn’t a three decade quagmire that killed 900,000-4 million Bosnians.
I hope you’re just using the word Vietnam to allude to the pitiful underfunding of the vietnam war and not really comparing the two.
Comment by Sherpa— February 22, 2007 #
What’s more sad is the DOD budget the past couple of years accounts for more than half of the Discretionary spending budget, and yet parents are feeling it necessary to send their children protective gear. There’s serious monetary waste going on over at the DOD, and I haven’t seen any real measures to create any serious fiscal accountability policy. I don’t find it anything more but an emotional outlet to scream partisan insults about it though.
Comment by Sherpa— February 22, 2007 #
Thanks – of course NEOCONS cannot read history as they are too busy making up their own future and slamming others.
Comment by afterechoes— February 22, 2007 #
A minor quibble: You failed to mention the part about the Republican bill opposing the war, but supporting the troops. Tom Daschle said the bill sends “a dangerous, duplicitous message.”
So it looks like the Democrats and Republicans swapped positions, right?
Welcome to politics.
Comment by Brian Duffin— February 22, 2007 #
Sherpa,
I’m bringing up the same argument Republicans are today, that in 1995 Republicans themselves were threatening to cut funding, and force our troops out of Bosnia, which they, Republicans are now claiming Democrats are asking for. And they elude to what happened in the Vietnam war.
My question is simple: Why can Republicans get away with threatening to cut funding for soldiers in a battle zone and Democrats can’t? The hypocrisy stinks.
Comment by Daniel— February 22, 2007 #
Daniel,
The Republicans didn’t get away with threatening to cut funding for the troops in Bosnia. What makes you think that?
It’s shameful and disgusting when either party engages in a discussion about cutting funding for troops in a war zone–Republican or Democrat.
Comment by Brian Duffin— February 22, 2007 #
Brian,
The House, led by Republicans, actually voted for it. From the link I provided above:
It ended up failing, but they were damn serious about it and actually voted for it. Now what were the repercussions? I don’t see any.
Comment by Daniel— February 22, 2007 #
I’m bringing up the same argument Republicans are today, that in 1995 Republicans themselves were threatening to cut funding, and force our troops out of Bosnia, which they, Republicans are now claiming Democrats are asking for. And they elude to what happened in the Vietnam war.
Dan, I’m sorry–I’m way too analytical to swallow either your argument or Republicans. If someone in politics does something wrong or say something that is incorrect, the common excuse is “everybody does it.” That doesn’t make it less wrong though.
Comment by Sherpa— February 22, 2007 #
My point is that Democrats’ threat of cutting off funding is a perfectly reasonable strategy, and that it doesn’t “embolden the enemy” unless Republican attempts to cut off funding in the past also “emboldened the enemy.”
In fact, even Abraham Lincoln threatened the same to President Polk’s war against Mexico in 1848.
I guess you can say this particular post is to highlight once again yet another Republican hypocritical stance. They want their cake and eat it too. I know you don’t like these kinds of posts. If you don’t like them, just don’t read them. I will continue posting them until I see a reduction of hypocrisy from Republicans about such things.
Comment by Daniel— February 22, 2007 #
Daniel,
Put aside the partisan blinders for a minute and realize there is hypocrisy on both sides of the aisle- Republican and Democrat.
There is a reason politics is considered the second oldest profession. 🙂
Comment by Brian Duffin— February 22, 2007 #
Brian,
I understand that there is hypocrisy on both sides. When Democrats come to power and start acting hypocritically, I shall whip them too. 🙂
Comment by Daniel— February 22, 2007 #
They want their cake and eat it too. I know you don’t like these kinds of posts. If you don’t like them, just don’t read them.
Wow, that’s weak. If I don’t like something. don’t read it? Dan, I read things I don’t “like” all the time, but that doesn’t mean I won’t stop reading them.
Seriously, Dan–what I’m pointing out is simply the weak parallel, and the hope you weren’t comparing the Bosnian conflict with Vietnam.
I also pointed out that if you think something is wrong, then don’t use the same tactics they do to prove they are wrong. That’s all.
Isn’t whipping a form of torture? 😉
Comment by Sherpa— February 22, 2007 #
Daniel,
The Democrats control the House and Senate now. I’ll be waiting for you to call out any hypocrisy.
Comment by Brian Duffin— February 22, 2007 #
Brian,
Don’t you worry, if I see something worthy of calling out that Democrats do, then I’ll bring it up. This obviously means that any little thing can be dismissed. It has to be something of importance, such as this whole notion of cutting funding for troops and how that emboldens the enemy.
Comment by Daniel— February 23, 2007 #