What happened, did America get up on the right side of the bed this morning?

spirit of 76First the California Supreme Court hands down the splendid it’s-about-time decision that our gay friends are worthy of the same rights as us breeders, including the right to be married. Then after an almost indecently brief interval – wingnut heads are still exploding, the mess is nowhere near mopped up, the party shops are fresh out of confetti – what happens? CONGRESS STOPS FUNDING FOR THE WAR. From True Majority.com:

The House of Representatives just voted 149 to 141 to cut off funding for the war in Iraq.

This was followed by votes to put significant restrictions on President Bush’s war policy, including a timeline for withdrawal, and creating a new GI Bill to help returning veterans.

OK, as you notice 149 + 141 = nowhere near the total of Congressmen. This victory was made possible by most Republicans voting “present” rather than “yes” or “no” – you see, they wanted more war funds than were in the bill, but were terrified to vote NO on a war funding bill after years of painting no votes as abandoning the troops. (Either that or they’re finally running away from the unpopular war but in a cowardly way – or a combination of both?)

This, the day after such big endorsements for Obama, which (apologies to my Hillbot friends) just helps us get that much closer to kicking McSame’s butt in November, and – hey! This is turning back into the country I always knew it could be! ON TO NOVEMBER, say the Spirit of ’76 trio.


About Vern Nelson

Greatest pianist/composer in Orange County, and official political troubadour of Anaheim and most other OC towns. Regularly makes solo performances, sometimes with his savage-jazz band The Vern Nelson Problem. Reach at vernpnelson@gmail.com, or 714-235-VERN.