Apparently, the Republican-dominated Congress not only fails to provide adequate oversight when it comes to the war in Iraq (and so many other matters) but also fails to possess much in the way of foresight, as suggested by the following news item in today’s New York Times:
In Bill’s Fine Print, Millions to Celebrate Victory
Even as the Bush administration urges Americans to stay the course in Iraq, Republicans in Congress have put down a quiet marker in the apparent hope that V-I Day might be only months away.
Tucked away in fine print in the military spending bill for this past year was a lump sum of $20 million to pay for a celebration in the nation’s capital “for commemoration of success� in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Not surprisingly, the money was not spent.
Now Congressional Republicans are saying, in effect, maybe next year. A paragraph written into spending legislation and approved by the Senate and House allows the $20 million to be rolled over into 2007.
The original legislation empowered the president to designate “a day of celebration� to commemorate the success of the armed forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, and to “issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe that day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.�
The celebration would honor the soldiers, sailors, air crews and marines who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and it would be held in Washington, with the $20 million to cover the costs of military participation.
Democrats called attention to the measure, an act that Republicans are likely to portray as an effort to embarrass them five weeks before the midterm election. The Democrats said both the original language and the extension were pushed by Senate Republicans. A spokesman for the Republican-controlled Senate Armed Services Committee said it was protocol not to identify sponsors of such specific legislation. [full text]
The Republicans don’t need the Democrats to embarrass them. They seem to manage such just fine on their own. In any regard, given the unrelenting sectarian violence in Iraq and the resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan, the Republicans will likely have to keep the “Mission Accomplished� banners and party hats in mothballs for the foreseeable future.
Kmareka.com 
I heard this this morning on NPR. What scumbags. Where is the cash? Who is holding on it? Who is profiting.
Talk about follow the money?
Republicans are supposed to be the state’s rights party. So why do they think we need the federal government to organize a celebration to support our troops? If this war ever ends I will be throwing the biggest party you ever saw, and everyone’s invited. We can save the twenty mil to use for veterans and their families. It would make a nice college grant fund for their kids, don’t you think? I’m afraid if the Republicans take charge of this then Halliburton will do the catering and our vets will have to eat spam.