Things Congress Did Instead of Getting Out of Iraq

Tuesday, 25 September 2007, 9:01 am
Opinion: Michael Collins

Ten Things Congress Did Instead of Getting Us the Hell Out of Iraq

The “Brains” Thomas Nast Political Cartoon

March 20, 2003 Through the Present
Michael Collins
Scoop Independent News
Washington, D.C.

1. Well, to start, Congress gave Alaska Senator Ted Stevens (R) $1.5 billion dollars to build two bridges to absolutely nowhere. After two years, the citizens of Alaska stopped one of them and Sen. Stevens is now subject of an FBI investigation targeting public corruption. (1) (2)

2. Right in the middle of this major war, Congress decided to give away hundreds of billions in tax cuts to major corporations. Isn’t war supposed to be a time of sacrifice? Guess the big guys are too busy making money to sacrifice. (1) (2)

3. Speaking of sacrifice, Congress continued its special retirement system where just five years of service gets you full retirement with benefits at age 62. Sweet! Where can we get that deal? (1)

4. One day Congress was feeling so powerful it decided to trash the great protection against unlawful imprisonment, the writ of habeas corpus. This dates back 800 years to the Magna Carta. You can now be arrested without a charge, denied a lawyer, and held indefinitely. They said it’s just for terrorists but they lied. As a special bonus, those torture techniques for terrorists can also be used on U.S. citizens. More of that globalism business. Taser alert! (1) (2) (3) (4) (5)

5. But let’s be fair, the U.S. Senate did take a firm stand on Iraq just recently. They took the time to vote 72 to 25 to condemn an anti war group for criticizing the testimony of one of the few generals who actually supports the war. At the same time they gave billions more to continue in Iraq. Attack an ad, fund a war. It’s Congress in action. (1) (2)

6. As if nuking a newspaper ad wasn’t enough, Congress gave recently embarrassed Sen. Vitter, (R-LA), a big fat check for his pet project – “a Louisiana Christian group that has challenged the teaching of Darwinian evolution in the public school system and to which he has political ties.” (1) (2)

7. Meanwhile, Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) got a 56 vote Senate majority to guarantee U.S. troops sufficient rest and leave to recover from the hardships of the Iraq war. But it needed 60 votes to pass! “It’s a congressional thing, we wouldn’t understand.” (1) (2) (3)

8. Congress made sure that seniors continue to pay top dollar for their medicine by refusing, that’s right, refusing to let Medicare officials negotiate bulk discounts from big drug companies (Big Pharma). Why wouldn’t they want seniors to get up to 60% off for vital medicines? Got me. (1) (2)

9. Congress might be getting a little worried about us, the citizens. They passed a bill allowing the government to spy on our phone conversations and emails without a warrant “just because they say so.” All it takes is the Attorney General and one intelligence official to say so and you’re bugged. You’ll never know it. They wouldn’t want to upset us, would they? (1) (2) (3) (4)

10. Not satisfied with screwing the seniors, the soldiers, and just about all U.S. citizens, Congress is now out to get the world by blocking any real action on global warming. Congress must be smarter than just about every scientist in the world. They’re the “Brains.” (1) (2) (3) (4)

Permission to reprint in part or in whole with a link to this article in “Scoop” and attribution of authorship.

© Scoop Media