"Because they needed the votes" Rangel Says

Well, I may not like Charlie Rangel on a lot of issues, but I have to give him his due this time, he is telling the truth here:

Tim Russert: The House voted for funding for the war with a date certain, March of ’08, to begin a withdrawal of U.S. troops. But in that bill was $20 billion of so-called pork: money for cricket infestation, tours of the capitol, security at the national convention, peanut crops. Why would the Democrats put that kind of money in such a serious bill?

Rep. Charlie Rangel: Because they needed the votes. That bill, we lost so many Democrats, one, because people thought we went too far and other's because we didn't go far enough. So a lot of things had to go into a bill that certainly those of us who respect great legislation did not want in there…And I didn't care what was in that bill if there was anything to slow down, to say what the American people said in the last election, "get out of Iraq."

Via National Review Online.