I think this bill is a step in the right direction. I think it will provide relief for overworked troops currently in Iraq. However, I disagree with this exception to the use of funds, “Conducting targeted operations, limited in duration and scope, against members of al Qaeda and affiliated international terrorist organizations.” This seems to make funding endless.

I think that exception pretty much has to be in there. Ever since American intervention produced so much chaos in Iraq, the country has been a magnet for all kinds of international thugs and scum looking for a rock to crawl under. Since we still don’t have a viable way to turn Iraq into the peaceful democratic country George Bush used to tell us it would be, they’ll probably be there for a long time. Congress can’t turn off all the counter-insurgency operations. Far better to have the military do that work, anyway, than the CIA.

This bill will probably never become law, tho. The veto pen will come out…

If we had 50 more Russ Feingolds in the Senate, our country would be much closer to the dream of the founding fathers. Instead it has become their nightmare.