Bush Vows to De-Fund Troops In The Field

We have the first White House reaction to the Democrats' latest plan to require the fully funded withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq by next fall at the latest. Dan Bartlett said they would veto it - and since it's attached to a funding bill for the war, they're essentially saying that they would de-fund troops in harm's way instead of acquiescing to public opinion on the war.

It's essential that our Democratic leaders put the White House in this box.

Here are the quotes from Bartlett:

Senior White House adviser Dan Bartlett, accompanying Bush on a flight to Latin America, told reporters, "It's safe to say it's a nonstarter fot the president." [...]

Talking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Bartlett called it "a political compromise in the Democratic caucus of the House aimed at bringing comity to their internal politics, not reflective of the conditions on the ground in Iraq."

"It would unnecessarily handcuff our generals on the ground, he said. "Obviously, the administration would vehemently oppose and ultimately veto any legislation that looks like what was described today."

The US Troop Readiness, Veteran's Health and Iraq Accountability Act is attached to a supplemental funding request for Iraq and Afghanistan. The legislation is being offered by the Congress, the body that controls wartime spending for the US government, and Congress is willing to pass it with conditions based on their Constitutional responsibility. Anyone who votes no or vetoes this legislation is de-funding the troops in a time of war. That's the god's-honest truth.

Bottom line.

Put that in your letters to the editor. Write it in your blog posts. Send emails to every political reporter in the country. The President is threatening to deny badly needed funds to US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Two can play at this rhetorical game.

UPDATE: Why are conservatives never scared by this kind of implication? Do they know that the media is in the tank for them? Have they manufactured this "Republicans love the troops" bias so much that they think it's impenetrable? Do they play the Democrats for sissies? Whatever the case, they're probably correct. But Democrats have a clear shot to make them pay.