GWB Too Busy to See Congress Diss His Iraq Policy

The Associated Press quotes a spokesman as saying that George W. Bush was too busy today to watch television to see how members of the House of Representatives were voting. The vote was 246-182 in a non-binding measure to reject the president's plan to deploy more troops to Iraq, where so far more than 3100 US soldiers have lost their lives. Those voting to oppose Bush's policy included 17 Republicans.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has called a test vote for Saturday on an identical measure, although:

"Republicans said in advance they would deny Democrats the 60 votes they need to advance the resolution, adding they would insist on equal treatment for a Republican-drafted alternative that opposes any reduction in funds for the troops."

Sometimes it seems like the only way to get through to Bush and his party about how insane his Iraq war is (which has wasted billions and billions of dollars that could have been used to help poor people in the US and to provide universal health care) is to do what pop star Ricky Martin did at a recent concert:

At a recent concert, the 35-year-old singer stuck up his middle finger when he sang the president's name in his song "Asignatura Pendiente," which includes the words, "a photo with Bush." The gesture last Friday prompted cheers from thousands of fans in the San Juan stadium.

On Thursday, the Puerto Rican heartthrob repeated his criticism of the Iraq war and explained his changed position on Bush.

My convictions of peace and life go beyond any government and political agenda and as long as I have a voice onstage and offstage, I will always condemn war and those who promulgate it," Martin said about his action in an e-mail statement sent to The Associated Press via a spokesman.
Martin, like other artists, has been highly critical of the war in Iraq.