Pelosi tells Bush: "We will not be swiftboated on Iraq"

Morra Aarons Mele — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 10:26:57 -0600

As you know, Bush is giving a speech on his Iraq plan tonight at 9pm Eastern time. How many of you are planning to watch? How many of you can bear to watch? Bush will likely suggest a "temporary" "surge" in troops in Iraq, in hopes of some sort of victory. The Democratic leadership is standing firm against escalation, although the Bush camp accuses Democrats of wanting to harm our troops, and stresses that many Americans do not support immediate withdrawal from Iraq. Seems we're back to hurling "cut and run" insults. According to the Associated Press:

Bush has told lawmakers he plans to send about 20,000 more troops to Iraq. There are roughly 132,00 there now. The White House also is working on its largest-ever appeal for more war funds -- a record $100 billion, at least -- to be submitted along with Bush's Feb. 5 budget.

"He does understand that it's important to bring the public back to this war and restore public confidence in support for the mission," spokesman Tony Snow said Tuesday.

Here are Dem. House Speaker Pelosi 's frank words for Bush, courtesy of bobgeiger.com

We will say what we believe is right for our country and if he wants to say 'you're cutting off funding for the troops,' we just have to come right back on that -- because that's all they say," said Pelosi. "What are they going to say? 'You want to cut off money for the troops' -- we're not doing that. There are people who want us to, but that's not what the leadership and the Democratic party in Congress is advocating, by and large.

"We will not be swiftboated on these issues," the House Speaker said firmly.

Here's the kicker:

Speaker Pelosi also confirmed what Bob Cesca wrote in Tuesday's Huffington Post: That one of the conditions being placed on the Iraqi government by the White House is that American oil companies be given first shot at Iraqi oil and be allowed to keep 75 percent of the profits.

"In the president's proposal, one of the standards that he's setting for them to meet is that 75 percent of the oil production goes to U.S. companies," she said. "This is stunning -- 75 percent of the production goes to the U.S. Is this what our kids are over there for?"

This is enraging. This is Syriana come to life.

Pelosi continued:

"The election was a referendum against the president's policies in Iraq, and the president is going to have to, at some point, listen to the American people and we as their representatives will be strong voices -- strong voices for them," said Pelosi.

"I think that the president is paying more attention, of course, because we're in power but, more importantly, because the American people have spoken."

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Pelosi tells Bush: "We will not be swiftboated on Iraq"