This is its genesis right here – text of an amendment to the defense authorization bill (note that paragraphs 3 and 4 were removed from the final version, and 5 remained):
(1) that the manner in which the United States transitions and structures its military presence in Iraq will have critical long-term consequences for the future of the Persian Gulf and the Middle East, in particular with regard to the capability of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to pose a threat to the security of the region, the prospects for democracy for the people of the region, and the health of the global economy;
(2) that it is a vital national interest of the United States to prevent the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran from turning Shi’a militia extremists in Iraq into a Hezbollah-like force that could serve its interests inside Iraq, including by overwhelming, subverting, or co-opting institutions of the legitimate Government of Iraq;
(3) that it should be the policy of the United States to combat, contain, and roll back the violent activities and destabilizing influence inside Iraq of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, its foreign facilitators such as Lebanese Hezbollah, and its indigenous Iraqi proxies;
(4) to support the prudent and calibrated use of all instruments of United States national power in Iraq, including diplomatic, economic, intelligence, and military instruments, in support of the policy described in paragraph (3) with respect to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and its proxies;
(5) that the United States should designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps as a foreign terrorist organization under section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and place the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps on the list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists, as established under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and initiated under Executive Order 13224; and
(6) that the Department of the Treasury should act with all possible expediency to complete the listing of those entities targeted under United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1737 and 1747 adopted unanimously on December 23, 2006 and March 24, 2007, respectively.
Paragraph number 5 cracked the door open, and far too many Senators remain naive as to what this President can and will do with an inch. If Iran’s national military is a terrorist organization, then they’ll reason an attack is authorized based on the President’s war powers in fighting the global war on terror. If Iran’s military is a terrorist organization according to the US Congress, then there’s nothing left to discuss. There doesn’t need to be WMDs. The nuke reasons aren’t necessary once this thing passes.
Cute little buggers that they are, the Democrats attached the Hate Crimes bill to this defense authorization, and so, the blood of foreigners will be traded in exchange for legislation that has no business being a part of it, ala the minimum wage increase tacked onto the last war spending bill this past spring. I could go on forever on this, but one example of why I’ve been depressed this week is Dick Durbin, who speaks harshly about the amendment and then 12 hours later votes in favor of it. Is he on drugs? Are any of these fucks paying attention? I suppose I have less to complain about than others, as Kerry and Kennedy both voted against the amendment, though it does seem silly for a Lieberman/Kyl amendment on Iran to get an up or down vote on the floor, yet Webb’s amendment couldn’t break the filibuster. How does that make sense? Republicans get their votes on this and the bullshit MoveOn amendment, but an amendment to give troops equal time home as time deployed can’t make it to the floor? Will it ever be time to say enough’s enough and shut the place down?
Harry Reid is a chump, Dianne Feinstein is a disgrace and Hillary Clinton just lost my vote forever. Carl Levin…he can be talked into anything. “My good friend, you say you want to work on a bipartisan amendment to outlaw breathing…hmm, Bi-Partisan ey?” Click here to see the roll call, 76-22.