The House Republican leadership has an exquisite sense of timing.  First, our air force drops a 500-lb bomb, killing Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.  Next, Nuri al-Maliki completes his cabinet appointments.  Then, President Bush and his senior advisors convene at Camp David to talk about Iraq. Drum roll, please...
House Majority Leader Boehner announces a debate on the Iraq War for this Thursday.  Could there be a better time for an aye-vote on "Stay the Course"?  

Boehner's response to the groundswell of grass roots support for a full and open debate about Iraq is H. Res. 861, which provides unconditional support for the Iraq War and equates it with the "Global War on Terror." Ignoring the calls of American citizens across the country for a Congressional debate where all alternatives to the "Stay the Course" strategy can be presented and debated, Boehner is using the power of the Majority Party to propose a resolution that he hopes will embarrass those Democrats and Republicans calling for open and honest debate.   Read the full resolution here.

Do not be fooled by Boehner and his gang! The Democrats have been and ARE active on this issue.  They've been pushing since December for H Res 543, which would get  the war a fair hearing. But Boehner and the majority of the GOP are afraid of that, and so are throwing  H Res 861 out there as a red herring.  

No Room For Improvement
The astounding thing about H. Res. 861 is that does not contain a single recommendation to the President.  Apparently, the Iraq War is going so well, and enjoys such universal support, that there's no room to question or improve our strategies!  
No reason to question whether 9/11 and the threat of terrorism is a good reason for occupying Iraq.
No reason to rethink our mission, when our troops are caught up in a civil war that has little to do with al-Qaeda.
No reason to clarify our policy on torture or rules of engagement.  
No reason to root out corruption, fraud, and abuse in our reconstruction contracts with US multinationals .  
No reason to transform a suspect American mission into a legitimate international effort.
And certainly no reason to question whether our military occupation of Iraq is creating more terrorists around the world than we are killing.

A Real Debate
Is there any alternative to this faux debate?  Yes, H. Res. 543, sponsored by Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), and currently supported by 124 Members of the House, including 4 Republicans.  This resolution is supported by a broad coalition of grassroots organizations, including DC for Democracy.  It provides for a 17-hour debate, an "open rule" where any amendment can be proposed, and equal control of the discussion by the Majority and Minority leaders.  The structure of the debate allows for the complexity of the challenges we face in Iraq, and allows the Congress to debate and vote on the full breadth of alternatives to our current policies.  For more information on the campaign for H. Res. 543, visit Open Iraq Debate and DC for Democracy.

What Can You Do?
Spread the word about the blinkers-on resolution of the war-supporters, and the real debate that is promised by H. Res. 543.  Write to your local papers, TV stations, and radio stations.  Post on local and national blogs.  Get the word out!