ANOTHER VOTE FOR OCCUPATION FUNDING

  Yesterday the House of Representatives voted 394-22 in favor of the 2007 Department of Defense Appropriations Bill. The bill provides $453 billion in new budget authority for the Pentagon, including another $50 billion for the occupation of Iraq.

My Congressman, Rep. Tom Allen (Maine's 1st CD), voted yes on the bill making it the seventh straight time he has voted for funding for the war and occupation of Iraq.

Maine's only other Congressman, Rep. Mike Michaud (from Maine's 2nd CD), voted no on the bill due to this opposition to continued funding for the occupation. Michaud has now voted at least three times against war funding.

Last March Rep. Michaud voted against another Bush war supplemental request and said the following: "To write a blank check in Iraq with no accountability and no demand for a plan does no favors for our troops or for the Iraqi people."

The funny thing is that Rep. Michaud is from the more rural and conservative district in Maine. But he is showing to be a man of real integrity and courage.

Rep. Allen is from the much more progressive, urban part of Maine and it would not hurt him one bit to have voted against the funds for the occupation of Iraq. But the word is out that he wants to run for the Senate and it is obvious to me that he is putting his own political advancement above and beyond everything else. Rep. Allen says he is against the war but that he must "morally" support the troops as long as they are occupying Iraq.

Rep. Allen has an opponent in his reelection race this year. Dexter Kamilewicz is running as an Independent against Rep. Allen. Dexter's son Ben was in Iraq for 11 months and just returned home a couple of months ago. He had his Humvee's blown up four times while there and was an outspoken critic of the war during his entire tour of duty. Dexter is calling for a cut in war funding and an immediate withdrawal of all troops from Iraq. He is also calling for immediate impeachment hearings in the House.

If we want to see the U.S. occupation of Iraq end then we need more courageous politicians like Rep. Mike Michaud has shown to be. Unless we cut the funding for the occupation it will never end.

(Click on the link in the headline above to see the full roster of votes in the House on this appropriations bill.)