Reuters:
President Bush and top Democrats will discuss their feud over funding of the Iraq war at the White House on Wednesday but a breakthrough appeared unlikely amid hardened positions on both sides.
With their stance bolstered by polls showing a majority of Americans want U.S. forces to leave Iraq, Democrats want to attach a timetable for a withdrawal to a $100 billion measure to fund the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
[...]
Bush is emphasizing his role as commander-in-chief to try to gain advantage in the dispute. However, his weak approval ratings are seen by Democrats as boosting their position.
A Washington Post-ABC News poll released on Tuesday showed that 58 percent of Americans trusted Democrats in Congress to do a better job handling the situation in Iraq while 33 percent trusted Bush.
The 'Democrats are trying to micromanage the war' argument loses one helluva lot of steam when polls show that voters think dems would do a better job of macromanaging the war.
I've said it before, but Bush has painted himself into a corner here. He can't veto every funding bill and complain that Democrats are withholding funding. The fact is that it would be Bush who'd be withholding funding. And, bad news for Bush, it's looking like the people are smart enough to see it this way.
1 comments:
Bush complains : Congress shouldn't tell ... how to run a war.
Congress complains: We should pull our troops out.
Solution:
Congress: Either approve the funding or don't, no time line, stand up and use your power, you can even approve a smaller budget and tell the President 'This is what you get to run the war, when you have no more money from this budget: You get no more!' OR sit down and let the Commander handle the war.
Bush: If Congress sets a time limit veto it, and be prepared to pull the troops out due to lack of funding or scrimp. Push people to be on YOUR side, tell them what no money means to troops ... point to the heightened violence and tell the people it is because Congress has given hope to the enemy. Stop threatening, DO IT.
Post a Comment