Progress on Iraq funding bill stymied

[maddezmom]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON - Democratic congressional leaders on Friday offered the first concessions in a fight with President Bush over a spending bill for Iraq, but the White House turned them down.

The Democrats, in a meeting with Bush's top aides on Capitol Hill, said they would strip from a war spending bill billions of dollars in domestic spending that the White House had opposed. They also pledged to give Bush authority to waive compliance with a timetable to pull combat troops out of Iraq.

But no agreement emerged.

"To say I was disappointed in the meeting is an understatement," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (news, bio, voting record), D-Nev.

White House chief of staff Joshua Bolten, who rejected the deal, said any timetable on the war would undermine the nation's efforts in Iraq.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_iraq

---

Congress, White House talks on Iraq end in acrimony 9 minutes ago



WASHINGTON (AFP) - Talks between US lawmakers and the White House over an Iraq war spending bill ended in acrimony here Friday, with Democrats accusing the administration of refusing to compromise.

~snip~

The president said Thursday he had told his chief of staff Joshua Bolten to discuss the establishment of benchmarks to gauge the progress of the Iraqi government in the legislation.

Democrats want "benchmarks with consequences" but the White House has rejected the idea of linking poor Iraqi performance to US troop withdrawals.

Pelosi said the Democrats had on offered in Friday's talks to grant Bush the right to a waiver if the Iraqis failed to meet the benchmarks, but that was turned down.

A second offer to take all domestic spending out of the bill was also turned down by the White House, Pelosi said, angrily accusing the president of refusing to "accept any accountability or responsibility" for what is happening in Iraq.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070518/pl_afp/usiraqcongresstalks_070518163543

[TwilightGardener]

1. So Dems gave Bush the option of ignoring timetables--and that's

not good enough? It's his way or the highway? THIS IS NOT A MONARCHY! Time to impeach--he's a fu****g runaway train.

Edited for language cleanup,

[EST]

2. This is disgusting-

Not that craphead is trying to be the mouse that roared, but that the dem lawmakers gave up everything-same old weak-kneed shit-and licked his ass.
Where, oh where will we find competent leadership with some spine. Doubly bad that the leaders gave up everything of consequence and still got no results. I suppose that they can now display with confidence the fact that they went the extra mile--small comfort.

[Kagemusha]

3. And got slapped for their trouble.

Great progress, this.

[Cant trust em]

4. Does the administration have any new ideas?

If they don't give an inch then why should we be expected to? I'd be willing to work on a new deadline if they'd be willing to meet some criteria of success. Until that happens the dems should hold out. They need to frame this as the administration's stalling to get their own way without compromising and sidestepping the will of the voters. "The country has spoken and the administration is spinning its wheels in the mud." should be Pelosi/Reid's next words.

[Rose Siding]

5. Good! Dems are holding firm - Obey: THERE IS NO DEAL

In today's NYT:

Facing a self-imposed weekend deadline, Congressional Democrats said Monday that they remained uncertain how they would shape a war spending measure that has been the center of a political and policy battle with President Bush.

After an evening meeting of top House Democrats, the party canceled a session at which they were to present the elements of a new war spending proposal to the rank and file in anticipation of a vote this week.

“There is no deal,” said Representative David R. Obey, the Wisconsin Democrat who is the chairman of the Appropriations Committee and is one of the lead negotiators over the war money.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/22/washington/22cong.html?_r=2&ref=washington&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

I hope they finally reach the conclusion to resend their original bill until the bastard signs it.