Senate GOP Did Not Vote to Cut Off Funding For Iraq War

The Associated Press really needs to hire more intelligent writers. Or hire more intelligent headline writers. Or stop using interns from the Democratic National Committee to write articles and headlines.

The article and headline that I'm referring to is Senate Republicans Vote to Cut Off Money for Iraq War, which was posted by the Associated Press late this afternoon. As any reasonably intelligent person could tell you, that's not what happened today at all. The Senate GOP voted not on the bill, but on cloture for the bill. That means that a limit is put on the remaining time to debate the bill - 30 hours, I believe. It is at that time that the bill is voted on, not now. This cloture vote will allow the Senate GOP and several Democrats to set into the public record details on the progress that the surge is making in Iraq on both the security side and the political side.

Then the Senators will read into the record the recommendations from the generals on the ground - that we need more time and equipment, and that to de-fund and call home the troops now would be the equivalent of surrendering to Al Qaeda while we are ahead. The Senators will go on further to describe how devastating an early withdrawal would be to the long-term national security interests of the United States.

Only then will a vote on de-funding the Iraq War be held. It will be defeated overwhelmingly by both Republicans and Democrats. Is the Associated Press really that ignorant? Or are they actively trying to aid and comfort our enemies?

Nice try, AP...