After The Veto -- What's Next For Dems On Iraq?

[babylonsister]

http://electioncentral.tpmcafe.com/blog/electioncentral/2007/may/02/iraq

After The Veto -- What's Next For Dems On Iraq?
By Greg Sargent | bio

Today Congressional Dems had their first post-veto meeting with President Bush, and Harry Reid emerged sounding as if the current standoff is more or less where it was before the meeting. So what's next for Dems on Iraq?

The two options being talked about most are:

(1) Sending Bush a short-term funding bill and forcing him to keep asking for more war funding -- the option favored by John Murtha.

(2) Sending him a full funding bill without withdrawal timetables but with benchmarks for the Iraqi government to meet and with troop readiness standards. This is the option that Dem leadership aides are reportedly beginning to coalesce around, though one Hill staffer I spoke with said he wasn't sure that there was much momentum behind it just yet.

I just checked in with a House Dem aide who's a sharp observer of Hill politics, and he laid out what he sees as the pros and cons of both approaches.

more...

[AtomicKitten]

1. Cultivation of more veto votes and not giving up ... n/t

[babylonsister]

2. The options don't do much for me either. nt

[AtomicKitten]

3. I know it is crazy frustrating and people are tearing their hair out

... but Levin was on AA today talking about getting closer to having enough votes for the veto override. Short of calling bullshit on this stupid escapade and just leaving (which would certainly be my preference), with Junior at a 28% on the Iraq Debacle I am praying the Rs will tend to their own political backsides and do the right thing. Fingers crossed.

[babylonsister]

4. We all might have to wait til after their summer vacations for that to

happen, so what happens in the interim? Maybe doling out the money is the way to go unless rethugs realize the spot they're in and act on it. It's getting old for everyone, especially the majority who want us out of there.