My member of Congress, Loretta Sanchez (D-Garden Grove), did something pretty amazing yesterday. She voted against four additional months of funding for Bush’s failed war in Iraq. She actually stood up and voted against keeping our brave troops in the middle of someone else’s civil war for any longer. Loretta did the right thing, and as a constituent I am proud.

Now unfortunately, she was not in the majority. The Republicans were nearly unanimous in voting to continue George W. Bush’s failed war. In the House, they were able to pull away enough Democrats to succeed in passing a bill that gives Bush four more months of carte blanche. That was enough to send the bill to the Senate, where it passed with bipartisan support.

This is a bittersweet moment for me. I am proud that my Congresswoman did the right thing yesterday. I am proud that the vast majority of California Democrats did the right thing in the House yesterday. I am proud that Senator Barbara Boxer was one of fourteen in the Senate to do thr right thing. However, I am NOT proud that Congressional Republicans would not budge in allowing Democrats to override Bush’s veto of legislation that would have actually put an end to this ridiculous war. They enabled Bush to succeed yesterday in temporarily thwarting the will of the American people.

Even though I am proud of what my Congresswoman did yesterday in listening to what the wishes of Orange County voters and the will of American voters, I am ashamed that most of Congress would not listen.

(After the flip for more…)

Now this is not the first time when Loretta Sanchez has demonstrated real courage on the House floor. She voted against the “PATRIOT” Act that has done nothing to secure this country, and everything to destroy our Constitutional rights. She voted against authorizing that invasion of Iraq that Bush so wanted. She voted against the “Partial Birth Abortion” Ban Act that did nothing to save lives, and only succeeded in destroying women’s reproductive rights. She voted against the “PATRIOT” Act again when it came up for reauthorization in 2005. She voted against a “Secure Fence” Act that did nothing to solve our immigration problem. And last fall, she voted against the Military Commissions Act that allowed Bush to completely disregard the Constitution. When others took the easy way out, Loretta Sanchez stood up and made the tough choices. She voted her conscience, and voted for what’s best for this district and this nation.

That’s what her campaign manager told me just a month ago, after I gave him numerous chances to concede that she’s a more progressive Congresswoman now than she was before she was subject to a primary from Marcy Winograd.  But after today’s events, where she not only voted against the supplemental bill, but was one of only seven Democrats, along with McNerney and Stark, to vote against accepting the rules for debate, a vote which came tantalizingly close to failing (216-201).

This is clearly a long way from the person who called herself “the best Republican in the Democratic Party.”  But it’s been a year-long evolution for Harman.  It’s not only Iraq; she’s introduced legislation to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, has called to put the Iraq war on budget, and done several other good works of which progressives can be proud.

This was also personal.  Harman’s constituent, Pfc. Joseph Anzack, was found floating in the Euphrates River yesterday, one of the three soldiers taken prisoner by insurgents that sadly turned up dead.  Her statement on that tragedy is here.

Today is a shitty day.  The war is now essentially funded until the end of Bush’s tenure (the supplemental covers to September, but the defense appropriation for FY2008 then kicks in to carry well into next year).  The Democratic leadership gave Bush the ability to use critical funding money as leverage to force the Iraqis to pass an oil law that privatizes the entire industry for the benefit of multinationals (that benchmark, I can assure you, won’t be waived).  The leadership played a good hand in the worst way possible, dissipating the goodwill of the American people and showing through their actions the lack of any capacity to lead.  We can only take solace in the efforts of the rank and file to deliver a strong “no” message.  And Jane Harman, given the fact that she most certainly has changed in myriad ways, is the best embodiment of that we have in Congress.  (By the way, PRIMARIES MATTER!!!)

HARMAN VOTES “NO” ON IRAQ SUPPLEMENTAL

Calls vote a referendum on this President’s failure to listen; says claims that troops will be under-funded are “rubbish”

Today, Representative Jane Harman (D-Venice) issued the following statement after her vote against the Iraq Supplemental Appropriations bill:

“Last weekend, I made my fourth visit to Iraq.  Each time, despite the extraordinary dedication and effort of US and Iraqi soldiers, the country has seemed less secure.  I stayed overnight inside Baghdad’s Green Zone in one of the trailer pods used by most Americans there.  A day later I learned that a nearby pod had been totally destroyed by an RPG launched into the Zone in broad daylight.

“In Ramadi in Anbar Province commanders on the ground described real security improvements, but our group still needed full body armor to walk down the main shopping street, and I remain unpersuaded that our combat mission can succeed.  The time has come for it to end.  We must redeploy out of Iraq.

“Today’s vote offers two unsatisfactory choices. 

“A `yes’ vote affirms funding for the troops and benchmarks, but fails to impose a responsible end to the combat mission.

“A `no’ vote will be manipulated to tell the troops I flew with on a C-130 just days ago that we are not sending the new anti-IED vehicles (MRAPs) and other support they so desperately need.  Rubbish.  Today’s vote is not about that.  General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker will make certain that essential equipment arrives.

“Today’s vote must be seen as a referendum on this President’s refusal to listen to a majority of Americans and a majority of Congress, who want him to end the combat mission and implement the Iraq Study Group’s recommendations on training, counter-insurgency, and enhanced diplomatic and economic efforts in the region.

“I support our troops and I refuse to be manipulated.  My `no’ vote on the Iraq Supplemental is a vote to move past the fractured politics on Iraq and restore some sanity and bipartisanship as Congress confronts the serious threats of the 21st century.”

Rep. Pete Stark (D-Fremont) voted against the 4 month Blank Check, just like he has in every previous Iraq War funding measure.  Rep. Stark has been right on Iraq from Day 1. 

And by the way, what is four months really going to do? I listened to Bush’s presser this morning, and it is clear that come September, it’ll be more money into a civil war. If we are doing well, well … um… the pigs can keep on flying.  If we aren’t it’s because the terrorists have objectives and they new our resolve in September would be weak. No, as disastrous as it will be if we pull out, it will be more disastrous if we wait there, helping terrorist recruitment for the day that we eventually pull out. It is now clear that we are refereeing a Civil War for which we couldn’t pick a winner even if we wanted to.

So, read Rep. Stark’s release over the flip.

STARK STATEMENT OPPOSING ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THE WAR IN IRAQ

WASHINGTON, DC – Representative Pete Stark (D-CA) issued the following statement on the Iraq spending bill:

“Decades ago, I ran for Congress because I opposed the War in Vietnam. After arriving in Washington, I carried out the will of my constituents, repeatedly voting to stop funding the death of American troops and Vietnamese civilians.

“More than four years ago, I voted against the original resolution authorizing the President to take unprecedented preemptive military action against Iraq. In the years since, I have consistently opposed the President at every turn, always voting to deny him the funding he requested to continue his failed War in Iraq.

“Last November, the American people delivered a loud and clear message to their representatives in Washington. In electing a Democratic House and Senate, the public demanded a new direction in Iraq.

“Today, however, we’re staying the course.

“The supplemental before us includes no deadlines for troop withdrawal and no enforceable benchmarks for holding President Bush accountable.

“In other words, there is no way I – or the overwhelming majority of my constituents – would ever support it.

“We can’t go on like this, killing our troops and Iraqi civilians – and wasting tens of billions that would be better spent on vital domestic priorities like education and health care.

“You know who supports this bill? President Bush and Republicans in Congress who refuse to acknowledge either the Shiite-Sunni civil war or our lack of progress in Iraq.

“I strongly urge my colleagues to remember who sent them to Washington. It wasn’t President Bush; it was America’s voters. They’ve made their opposition to this war clear. It’s time for Congress to do the same.”
 

Hey, maybe Ed Jew is a fun guy after all!

An Ocean Avenue building owned by the family of embattled Supervisor Ed Jew houses a medicinal marijuana dispensary, as a deadline nears for such facilities to obtain Health Department permits.

The NorCal cannabis club, at 1545 Ocean Ave., operates in a building owned by Howard and Anne Jew, according to city records. An employee at the club Tuesday confirmed that the club deals with Howard Jew, Ed Jew’s father, as a landlord..

The ownership of a building housing a medicinal marijuana club, although legal, could create problems for the Jew family as legislation goes into effect at the end of June requiring permits for the operation of such dispensaries.

Under legislation passed by the Board of Supervisors on Nov. 30, 2005, cannabis clubs in San Francisco have until June 30 to obtain San Francisco Health Department permits.

Medical cannabis dispensary owners have complained that the June 30 deadline is unrealistic because of city permitting delays. On May 16, Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier introduced legislation that would extend the deadline.

Maybe his dad will bribe him to get the permit.