Withdrawal, Missile Defense, Goodbye

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They keep trying…

Yesterday the U.S. House voted to withdraw U.S. Troops from Iraq by April 2008. The vote was 223-201. Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, voted against the timeline.

The troops should not pack their backs for home just yet. The President will veto anything that gets to his desk. The withdrawal bill still has to be passed by the senate, where it would need 60 votes to pass.

As a veteran, I think this sends the wrong message to our troops.

An interesting “NO” vote in the Senate…

There are 100 members of the United States Senate. Anytime more than 75 of them agree on anything, it’s somewhat a miracle. Yesterday there was a vote (#245) on this amendment: S.Amdt. 2024 to S.Amdt. 2011 to H.R. 1585 (National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 ).

The short version of the S.Amdt. 2024:
To state the policy of the United States on the protection of the United States and its allies against Iranian ballistic missiles.

The long version:
SEC. 1218. POLICY OF THE UNITED STATES ON PROTECTION OF THE UNITED STATES AND ITS ALLIES AGAINST IRANIAN BALLISTIC MISSILES.

(a) Finding.–Congress finds that Iran maintains a nuclear program in continued defiance of the international community while developing ballistic missiles of increasing sophistication and range that pose a threat to both the United States and its North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies.

(b) Policy of the United States.–It is the policy of the United States–

(1) to develop and deploy, as soon as technologically possible, an effective defense against the threat from Iran described in subsection (a)(1) that will provide enhanced protection for the United States, its friends, and its North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies; and

(2) to proceed in the development of such response in a manner such that the missile defenses fielded by the United States in Europe are complementary to missile defense capabilities that might be fielded by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in Europe.

Seemed to be a pretty easy vote, huh? The amendment protects the United States, its friends, and NATO against Iranian nukes through missile defense. I am a strong proponent of the missile defense program.

The amendment was approved 90-5 with 5 senators not voting.

According the U.S. Senate, roll call vote table, Senator Jon Tester, D-Mont., voted NO (he was one of the 5). Senator Max Baucus voted YES (he was one of the 90). Baucus voted correctly.

Bye, Bye, Bye…

This morning at U.S. Federal District court in Billings, Pat Davison, who ran unsuccessfully for Governor a few years ago, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for defrauding investors out of nearly $5 million. He also needs to pay $5,598,166.49 in restitution.