Behind-the-Scenes Tensions Among House Dems At Fever Pitch Over Iraq Vote

[babylonsister]

http://electioncentral.tpmcafe.com/blog/electioncentral/2007/mar/21/behind_the_scenes_tensions_among_house_dems_at_fever_pitch_over_iraq_vote

Behind-the-Scenes Tensions Among House Dems At Fever Pitch Over Iraq Vote
By Greg Sargent | bio

With the House vote on the big Iraq supplemental spending bill mandating withdrawal by Fall 2008 set for tomorrow, the behind-the-scenes brinkmanship in the Caucus really is on full boil right now, with tensions running excruciatingly high.

A few key developments:

* GOP Rep. James Walsh, who's being hammered relentlessly by MoveOn-sponsored ads and blog attacks, is nonetheless going to vote No on the bill tomorrow, his spokesman tells Election Central. The spokesman, Dan Gage, says: "Unless there's some major change, he's a No vote. He's not uncommitted. He's not undecided."

* The House Dem leadership has simply ceased reaching out to three of the leading liberals opposed to the bill -- Reps. Lynne Woolsey, Barbara Lee, and Maxine Waters. "There's been no interaction for days," one Hill source confides. Another source suggests it's "because they're lost causes." Meanwhile, Reps. Dennis Kucinich and John Lewis, the Civil Rights icon, are "beyond gone," a third source says, meaning there's no hope of winning them over.

* These key liberals, for their part, have stopped reaching out to the Dem leadership, too -- infuriating people in favor of passing the legislation who insist that a deal would have been possible with a little more flexibility on their part. Sources complain that none of these liberals -- who say the bill lacks a real mechanism for forcing withdrawal -- is willing to reach out to the leadership because none wants to look prepared to compromise with the leadership.

"None of them wants to be the one making a deal with `the man,'" one source says ruefully. "None of them wants to be outflanked on the left. None of them wants to be `outprincipled' -- being seen as the one who is willing to compromise."

Despite all this, House Dem leaders are predicting that the bill will pass by a razor-thin margin. Tune in tomorrow.

[Rusty MacHenry]

1. I thimk it will be wise of me

After tommorrow to stay away from DU for the next two months because after this bill gets passed this board is going to get very anti-Democrats extremely quick and it will seem like i'm visiting the free republic.

[Raven]

2. What is all this talk about "pork" in the bill? n/t

[babylonsister]

3. Here's an article about the pork:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/19/AR2007031901615.html?nav=rss_politics

War Bill Includes Tempting Projects
Democrats' Tactic Poses Dilemma for Some Lawmakers

By Jonathan Weisman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 20, 2007; Page A01

House Democratic leaders are offering billions in federal funds for lawmakers' pet projects large and small to secure enough votes this week to pass an Iraq funding bill that would end the war next year.

So far, the projects -- which range from the reconstruction of New Orleans levees to the building of peanut storehouses in Georgia -- have had little impact on the tally. For a funding bill that establishes tough new readiness standards for deploying combat forces and sets an Aug. 31, 2008, deadline to bring the troops home, votes do not come cheap.

But at least a few Republicans and conservative Democrats who otherwise would vote "no" remain undecided, as they ponder whether they can leave on the table millions of dollars for constituents by opposing the $124 billion war funding bill due for a vote on Thursday.

"She hates the games the Democrats are playing," said Guy Short, chief of staff to Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Colo.), a staunch conservative who remains undecided, thanks to billions of dollars in the bill for drought relief and agriculture assistance. "But Representative Musgrave was just down in southeastern Colorado, talking to ranchers and farmers, and they desperately need this assistance."

Democratic leaders say the domestic spending in the bill reflects the pent-up demand from lawmakers who last year could not win funding for programs that had bipartisan support such as disaster assistance.

more...

[Telly Savalas]

5. Reconstructing NOLA levees is pork?

[Robbien]

4. Senator Russ Feingold is against the bill along with

most of the Progressive caucus in the House.

The pork in the bill makes the Blue Dog Dems very happy.

See this dkos diary for who is who on this warmonger's dream of a bill

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/3/21/162616/546