The Daily Background

President Bush is requesting the largest military budget in all of US history for his last year in office, 2008. The budget is more than half a trillion dollars- $622 billion to be exact. The Administration is also requesting an extra $93 billion for this year, 2007.

Depending on the fate of the current Warner-Levin compromise resolution in the Senate, some Democrats are considering taking up in earnest a measure to prevent funding for additional troops in Iraq, which could be debated later this month. Recent reports and analysis have suggested that the President’s escalation plan of 20,000 troops may end up closer to 50,000 more soldiers in Iraq- on top of the current 130,000 presently deployed.

130 Iraqis were killed in raging sectarian violence today, with an additional 300+ wounded in the deadliest suicide bombing since the war began four years ago. The latest National Intelligence Estimate, a declassified version of which was released on Friday, disagreed with three major public claims and assertions that the White House has made to justify continued US involvement in Iraq.

The full NIE, which is literally ten times longer than the public version, has already been distributed to the Capitol Hill offices of Senators and House Representatives, and intel experts will brief portions of the Senate on the findings next Tuesday.

Said Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), “While I look forward to receiving a full briefing from the intelligence community on the NIE next Tuesday, I do not see anything so far in the report that suggests the President’s new plan is a winning strategy that protects America’s national interest.”

“Rather this NIE appears to be the latest in a long line of bleak assessments by foreign policy and military experts indicating the President’s plan is flawed and failing. This conclusion is shared by a bipartisan group of Congress and an overwhelming majority of Americans,” Reid continued in a press release.

The Senate will vote next week on a watered-down bipartisan non-binding resolution which would call on the President to adhere to the Iraq Study Group recommendations and not escalate the conflict in Iraq by adding more troops. Republican leadership has threatened to filibuster the move, unless they are allowed to introduce competing resolutions.

One such competing resolution, being pushed by Senator John McCain would do nothing to condemn the President’s failed strategy in Iraq, and simply come up with rough non-binding benchmarks for the Iraqi government to meet. The Iraqi government has so far shown itself completely incapable of meeting any benchmarks- at least when there is no threat imposed upon them by not meeting benchmarks.

The second competing resolution Republicans would like to put to a vote, is considerably more quiet. Scattered news reports indicated Saturday that Republicans intend to try and introduce a resolution which would very strongly condemn the President’s Iraq escalation in an attempt to divide Democrats in what is already being called a cheap political stunt.

It is unclear how much support either of the two Republican resolutions would have, or even if they will be allowed to come to a vote.

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