Bush Threatens Layoffs If He Doesn't Get What He Wants

In response to the Dems' recent attempts to put restrictions on troop deployment in Iraq, Bush threatens to layoff civilian contractors in Iraq. What I don't understand is how this threat is supposed to scare the Dems, who seem to have found their spine in standing up to the Bush Administration in recent days. Essentially, his threat amounts to: if you don't give me what I want, I will start to give you what you want- only right away instead of a year from now.

As I said the other day: the Dems only need to sit on the ball right now. They actually are the ones who hold the leverage, since Bush can't do much of anything if they don't give him the money to do it with.

Not to say I necessarily support a complete and immediate withdrawal- just that I'd rather that than we plan to stay in Iraq for decades. Indeed, it's pretty undeniable that things have improved in Iraq the last few months (in no small part due to the presence of the exceedingly competent Gen. Petraeus). But the most important thing for Iraq's long term stability is a political solution in which we can have relatively little input; leaving sooner rather than later may be the best way to force this.