Finally, the moment that those of us who got off of our comfy chairs last year and got Democratic House members elected, has arrived: the People’s House passed an Iraq war funding measure that included the will of the people: to wit, directions to the President to end the damned war. It passed 218 to 212. Because all this is, and ever was, about, is George W. Bush trying to prove (against all evidence) that he is a worthy alpha-male whose thing is bigger than anyone else’s in the room… it was necessary that he not merely state that he disagreed with the legislation (and would veto it), which, of course, is his Constitutional perogative as President, but he had to go all schoolyard:

“These Democrats believe that the longer they can delay funding for our troops, the more likely they are to force me to accept restrictions on our commanders, an artificial timetable for withdrawal, and their pet spending projects. This is not going to happen,” the president said. “The Democrats have sent their message. Now it’s time to send their money.“

(mybad… er, bold.)

It’s about time we focused on how our government actually works. First, all taxing and spending bills must originate in the House of Representatives, per Article I of the Constitution. The so-called “power of the purse”. For those who lamented the failure of the non-binding war ending resolution, it was pointed out that the greater power was simply to stop paying for the war. We have reached that point. The majority of the legislative body representing the population (rather than the states) has imposed conditions on spending. This is their Constitutional perogative.

While the press focuses on the President’s veto of legislation, each house of Congress also has a veto. If either house of Congress fails to pass something, it does not become law. Note the part of the President’s statement I bolded: “I want a blank check on taxapayer money. I want a bill passed– just not one telling me what to do (even though it is the Constitutional responsibility of Congress to do so).”

There is another option that the President has not forgotten about, though the press certainly has. That is that the House can simply not pass any bill at all. Some sort of lumbering compromise can come out of the House-Senate conference committee giving the President lots of money to give to his friends as he sees fit (and that’s what this is about)… and the House can vote it down. In which case… no money. The whole thing would have to start over, from scratch.

With polls showing a huge and growing majority favoring a schedule to get out of Iraq and opposition to the President (entirely, and his conduct of Iraq particularly), let’s let Madam Speaker Pelosi and her suddenly courageous members know that we have their back: there will be no political price for you doing your job and refusing to give the President a blank check to continue to get our troops killed for no damned good reason. We’ve got your back. And, thank you for this bill… the perfect is the enemy of the good, and while there are aspects of this (hotly negotiated) bill that neither I, nor liberals or progressives in general like… it took some stones to tell the President “in your face“.

So thank you again.