Joe Lieberman is at it again, this time with the help of Republican wingnut Jon Kyl of Arizona. The two of them have introduced the Lieberman-Kyl amendment to a defense bill which would, if passed, state that the Senate supports military action against Iran, and against anyone considered to be one of Iran's proxies (such as Hezbollah, or the Shi'ite militias in Iraq). Here's the relevant text of the amendment:
3) that it should be the policy of the United States to combat, contain, and roll back the violent activities and destabilizing influence inside Iraq of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, its foreign facilitators such as Lebanese Hezbollah, and its indigenous Iraqi proxies;
(4) to support the prudent and calibrated use of all instruments of United States national power in Iraq, including diplomatic, economic, intelligence, and military instruments, in support of the policy described in paragraph (3) with respect to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and its proxies.
I imagine Bush and Cheney would view this resolution as all the authority they need to attack Iran at their discretion, don't you? Just one more sign, as Chris Floyd reminds us, that the Iran war train express has already left the station and is picking up steam:
Read More....Lieberman to Senate: Approve War With Iran
Related Article...Kyl-Lieberman Amendment Passes
Kyl-Lieberman Amendment passed today with a vote of 76 to 22.
Senators who voted against the resolution were Senators Biden, Bingaman, Boxer, Brown, Byrd, Cantwell, Dodd, Feingold, Hagel, Harkin, Inouye, Kennedy, Kerry, Klobuchar, Leahy, Lincoln, Lugar, McCaskill, Sanders, Tester, Webb and Wyden.
Senators Obama and McCain did not vote on the resolution.
Click here for the full Roll Call vote.
Senators Lieberman and Kyl dropped paragraphs 3 and 4 under Section (b), the Sense of Senate section, in attempts to alleviate concerns that the resolution might be taken as an authorization for the use of force against Iran.
Sep 27, 2007
Opening the Gates of Hell
Feb 7, 2007
Lieberman says Congress should consider war on terrorism tax
By ANDREW MIGA
Associated Press Writer
February 6, 2007, 4:43 PM EST
WASHINGTON -- Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., said Tuesday that Congress should consider a special tax to pay for the nation's war against terrorism. Such a tax could help ease the squeeze that military and security spending is putting on "critical domestic programs," said Lieberman, whose support for the Iraq war has come under fire from anti-war Democrats.
Lieberman favors President Bush's plan to send 21,500 more U.S. troops to Iraq.
"I think we've got to start thinking about a war-on-terrorism tax," Lieberman said during an Armed Services Committee hearing on Bush's defense spending proposals. "I mean, people keep saying that we're not asking sacrifices of anybody but our military in this war, and some civilians who are working on it."
Helloooo? "people keep saying that we're not asking sacrifices?" I think people are saying we want out! Why would we accept a tax to fund a War that we no longer believe in? Mr Lieberman - are you hearing voices?
