In grudging concessions to reality, the Democratic leaders in Congress have decided to punt and play defense on the Iraq supplemental:
President Bush, Democrats intend to draft an Iraq war-funding bill without a timeline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops and shorn of billions of dollars in spending on domestic programs, officials said Monday. The legislation would include the first federal minimum wage increase in more than a decade, a top priority for the Democrats who took control of Congress in January, the officials added. While details remain subject to change, the measure is designed to close the books by Friday on a bruising veto fight between Bush and the Democratic-controlled Congress over the war. It would provide funds for military operations in Iraq through Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year.
Now, was that so hard?
Democrats in both houses are expected to seek other opportunities later this year to challenge Bush’s handling of the unpopular conflict.
Imagine that!
