MAHER: Yeah, I don't think he's going to go there. But, let me ask you this about funding the war, because the Congress has an 11% approval rating. Now, I know that's not the same thing as saying the Democrats have an 11 - but it is a Democrat-controlled Congress - and I think the reason why is because people thought when the Democrats got in, in the 2006 election, that they would do something to stop the war. [. . .]

MAHER: Now, President Bush has asked for another, I think, around $200 billion to keep the war going. Okay, and I hear all the time-

EMANUEL: This would be - make it $680 billion.

MAHER: Okay.

[. . .]

MAHER: But, what I hear all the time is Democrats would love to stop the war, but we don't have the votes.

[. . .]

MAHER: But, to keep the war going, Bush has to get money. And the only place you can get money is from the Congress. That's in the Constitution, some of which, I believe, is still in effect. [laughter] [applause]

[. . .]

MAHER: So, why don't you not just bring a funding bill? You're the only ones who can bring up the bill. Why don't you just do that?

EMANUEL: No, well, if the question is why we just don't bring up - don't bring up the funding - first of all, that's not a way to get the kids out of there. Bill, I'm telling you, that may sound good and be a little sound bite, but the fact is, you have - I have constituents there. Let me tell you what's a part of this. Okay, this is a very tough call for a lot of members of Congress. At least a number of those who oppose this war: $48 billion of the recent request is for the best Humvee now to protect kids.

We made a real argument when this war started that we had kids go over there with no Kevlar vests; parents were buying their own Kevlar vests for the United States Army. Humvees that were not protected. This is the best Humvee. You have constituents over there, kids over there; they're serving - no, wait a second-do you not get that Humvee there that can save a life?

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Bring them home! [voices overlap]

MAHER: But-but-

EMANUEL: No, no, wait a second. I'm all for bringing them home. You want to know how you bring them home? We need a new president, because this president will not-[applause] [voices overlap]-that's what we need to do.

[. . .]

EMANUEL: Here's what you've got to do, though. What we need to do - you know, we have sent up there - there's been three vetoes by this president. One was the end of the war-

MAHER: I know.

EMANUEL: Wait a second. One was-

MAHER: [overlapping] He's - we know you don't have the votes for that.

EMANUEL: Okay.

[. . .]

MAHER: I'm saying, don't send the bill to begin with.

[. . .]

MAHER: It seems like you're playing a game of "chicken" with who supports the troops, and you guys always blink. It's about - come on - it's about being attacked on "you're not supporting the troops." That's what you just said to me is that we're not - and I'm saying, instead of sending them the best armor so they can go out and get killed with the best armor-

[. . .]

MAHER: [overlapping]-somebody has got to starve the beast. [applause]

[. . .]

EMANUEL: [overlapping] And that is - and that is - and that's exactly what - that is exactly - that is exactly what we did. Which is, we sent up there exactly that, to have a firm date-

[. . .]

EMANUEL: [overlapping]-one of the first things we did in the Congress was a firm date to get them out, and the President totally vetoed it. And we're going to continue to send that up there until we get a president who's going to work with the Congress to bring those kids home. That's exactly what we've got to do. [scattered applause]

HAMILL: But, Rahm, why can't they do pieces of this? Why can't they de-fund Guantanamo? They close Guantanamo down, take the money-[applause]

EMANUEL: [overlapping] Absolutely.

HAMILL: [overlapping] Nobody can say that's hurting the troops in Iraq.

EMANUEL: [overlapping] No, I absolutely agree with that.

HAMILL: [overlapping] It's saving our reputation.

EMANUEL: No disagreement with that.

MAHER: [overlapping] As long as the war goes on, I think the Democrats say to themselves, "We win votes every day, because it's an unpopular war." Which is sort of almost more cynical than they're probably-

EMANUEL: [overlapping] No, that is not - that is not - absolutely not, Bill. That's wrong.

DYSON: [overlapping] Well, whether they intend - well, here is the point - whether they - whether they intend to or not, the reality is the consequence is as - right?

EMANUEL: [overlapping] You don't think - you don't think - wait a second. You don't think Jack Murtha, when he came out his position about redeploying was - knew that - he was just doing it, letting this war go on, and everything like that. People aren't doing that for that reason. People ran - the people we got - some of the Iraqi war vets that ran - and then decided to go - and there were Democrats, some of them weren't by party, before that, we Democrats - they ran because they knew this party that wanted to end this war and bring these kids home. And that is exactly what we have to do.