Lawmakers break ranks in Bush slide

[never cry wolf]

This was an article from today's Chicago Tribune. possible indications that the rats are leaving the sinking ship??

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/printedition/chi-0310120407oct12,1,6392557.story?coll=chi-printnews-hed

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WASHINGTON -- When President Bush took office, he made legislating look almost effortless.

With Republicans and Democrats behind him, Bush easily won passage of a huge tax-cut package as well as a key education reform bill. Some Democrats who supported those proposals later had second thoughts, but Republicans remained unified in their efforts to enact Bush's legislative agenda.

Today, with voter anxiety mounting about American casualties in Iraq, the growing cost of Iraqi reconstruction and the rising budget deficit, a significant number of Republicans on Capitol Hill have begun to defy the president, speaking out against administration proposals and helping Democrats vote down presidential initiatives.

snip------------

Reps. Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.) and John Culberson (R-Texas), normally allies of Bush, initially planned to offer two separate amendments to modify Bush's request.

GOP lawmakers' ideas

Culberson, along with Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), wanted to require the president to ensure that the United States would be reimbursed for all assistance provided for reconstruction. Wamp wanted half the reconstruction money to be provided as grants and the remainder as loans.

Bush personally lobbied balky Republicans to drop their provisions, calling them to the White House and apparently speaking with unusual sternness.

"My God, if his eyes had been lasers, mine would have been burned out," Wamp said afterward.

Wamp and Culberson withdrew their amendments.

"This is personal, this is Iraq, this is the president's own personal campaign," explained Ross Baker, a political science professor at Rutgers University. "He's got all of his prestige wrapped up in it, and this is the one in which they're going to sweat people."

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[Noordam]

1. The Internet is a Wonderful Thing

bin Ladem and others read things like this and know ppl hot bottons. One does not have to get 50 newspapers to read things like this.

:evilgrin:

[in_cog_ni_to]

2. Weenies!

I'm waiting for the republican who ISN'T intimidated by the shrub. I'm waiting for the ones who WON'T withdraw their amendments. They're all fu**ing wimps. "EEK! Bush told me I can't amend his request."
"EEK! I guess I will withdraw." Zach Wamp? Should read Zach "Wimp".
John Culberson? Should read John "Gutless-berson".

Obey the Fuhrer!

[never cry wolf]

3. I agree

the break in the ranks is tiny, at least for now. But, should shrubs numbers keep falling as his policies keep failing these guys will ditch quick. All politicians have an innate sense of self-preservation.

[TreasonousBastard]

4. You can only push them so far.

And then they'll get you.

Presidents have ways of rewarding and punishing congresscritters, but there's only so much they can do. Save it for the important issues, and watch out when they start to get even on the smaller ones.

If the Democratic candidate looks like someone they can work with, watch for some very tepid support for the occupant's election next year.