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Rep. Adam Schiff’s (D – CA) efforts to repeal the 2001 Authorization on the Use of Military Force (AUMF), which the Bush and Obama Administrations have used as the legal cover for virtually all military operations since, failed today in a 191-233 vote.

The bill had initially been seen as having some administration support, but that myth evaporated after yesterday’s fiasco in the Senate, where officials argued the AUMF had nothing to do with anything, and that President Obama would attack whomever he pleased, whenever he pleased. The officials came out for vague, non-specific changes to AUMF, but not for repeal.

This led hawks to angrily condemn Rep. Schiff’s bill, with Rep. Mac Thornberry (R – TX) accusing him of having “forgotten” 9/11. The Senate’s AUMF efforts don’t look promising either, with some now arguing in favor of “revisions” that would greatly expand the war powers to authorize President Obama’s attacks on groups not even cursorily linked to al-Qaeda.

Underscoring just how little appetite there is for even the illusion of change, Rep. Adam Smith (D – WA) introduced an amendment to allow transfer of Gitmo detainees, something President Obama demanded, and that too was rejected. The White House had threatened a veto if they didn’t get this, but where they stand now is unclear.

In the end, the $601 billion military spending bill, which was bigger than even the Pentagon sought, passed easily in a 325-98 vote, and is now just waiting for the Senate to come up with their version, so they can reconcile the two.

There will be another major war coming.

Meanwhile, each newly born owes ~$50k before they take their first breath. Thx to BTC, people can now opt out and flee if they need to

Do people hate us? Sure they do.

For me the most insulting part is that the people who make these rules never fight. They just send the poor to die for their asset protection.

Republican House members don't want to give up the authorization to use military force because in the future they may want to use it on the Democrats.

Republican House members don't want to give up the authorization to use military force because in the future they may want to use it on the Democrats.

Send about half of that money to NASA and let them get on with manned missions to every planet in the solar system already. Do people hate us? Sure they do and what we really need to do is use EXISTING megaweapons to wipe all the wannabe Osama bin Ladens off the face of this planet. We don't really need to make any more.

lol.... can happen sooner than you expect.

BTW... I wonder what would have happened if Romney was the POTUS.

http://i.cfr.org/content/publications/001_military_spending_dollars.png

Or, you know, capture them and get them to a fair trial. Killing people indiscriminately will tend to make people hate you even more.

You mean, let them murder people first so they can get their day in court. I didn't say anything about "indiscriminately;" that's what intelligence is for at the best of times, so you know exactly where your enemy is. We'll see how you feel when you get caught in the middle of the next 9/11.

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The bodies of 28 veterans at the L.A. County Morgue were finally moved Friday for burial to the Riverside National Cemetery.

CBS2/KCAL9 pressed the L.A. County Coroner’s Office Thursday to find out why the bodies had not yet received a proper burial after a source indicated there may have been as many as 60 veterans at the morgue for the past year and a half.

The morgue says the bodies were unclaimed and they don’t know how long the veterans were there.

The law states veterans are supposed to receive a proper burial.

The Veterans Administration says they were never notified the bodies were processed and ready to be buried.

More than two dozen bodies were transported to the Riverside National Cemetery Friday afternoon and more could be moved as they are identified.

On Friday evening, KCAL9′s Stacey Butler reported the LA County Morgue and the Veteran’s Administration were blaming each other for the mistake.

Butler reported from the National Ceremony where the bodies are scheduled for burial.

She spoke to citizens who were outraged at how the deceased vets were treated.

“I think its incomprehensible,” said Richard Burns, a Marine veteran.

“It’s kinda sad that these people don’t get the proper care that they deserve,” Burns said. “Even after death.”

Every Wednesday morning, Butler reports former Marine Corporal Burns goes to the Riverside National Cemetery and volunteers to lead memorial services for the unclaimed and often indigent vets.

Often Burns and a handful of volunteers are the only people in attendance.

By email, a spokesperson for the LA County Morgue pointed the finger at the VA.

They wrote, “…there are about 60 decedents of probable veteran status that have awaited disposition for about a year as a result of a personnel change in the Veterans Affairs office and stringent identification/eligibility processes required by the VA.”

Cindy Van Bibber, a VA spokesperson said, “There’s personnel changes every day but that certainly doesn’t take away from the service that we provide any veteran.”

She says “at no point” did the City Morgue contact the VA and tell them about the bodies piling up there.

“We definitely weren’t contacted or we would have had a service for the veteran,” she added.

Van Bibber said the process to get a proper burial should take about three days, not a year and a half.