Lawmakers demand to know why we are building permanent bases in Iraq.

Even as military planners look to withdraw significant numbers of U.S. troops from Iraq in the coming year, the Bush administration continues to request hundreds of millions of dollars for large bases there, raising concerns over whether they are intended as permanent homes for U.S. forces.

Questions on Capitol Hill about the future of the bases have been prompted by the new emergency spending bill for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, which overwhelmingly passed the House of Representatives last week with $67.6 billion in funding for the war effort, including the base money.

Although the House approved the measure, lawmakers are demanding the Pentagon explain its base plans and have unanimously passed a provision blocking the use of funds for basing agreements with the Iraqi government.

"It's the kind of thing that incites terrorism," Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, said of long-term or permanent U.S. bases in countries such as Iraq.

Don't you just love how the administration doesn't even try to hide what they are doing anymore? No? Yeah I don't love it either. Want to love it even less? Read this part;

The administration is seeking $348 million in base construction money as part of its 2006 emergency war funding bill. The Senate has not yet acted on the request.

You know everytime I see one of these huge expenditures I can't help imagining how that money could be spent on things that we desperately need in this country. All of the new schools, benefits programs, homeland security, border security, space research, and my favorite, universal health care.

I can only hope that these lawmakers will start to listen to their contituents and refuse to finance anymore of these insurgent attracting military bases.