The Associate Press blames the administration for rejecting a "compromise" offered by the Democratic leadership. The "compromise", however, is the exact same language that got the first bill a veto. Reid and Pelosi wasted no time claiming they were disappointed that the administration didn't fall for their ploy.
In a closed-door meeting with Bush's top aides on Capitol Hill, Democrats said they'd strip billions of dollars in domestic spending out of a war spending that Bush opposed if the president would accept a timetable to pull combat troops out of Iraq. As part of the deal, Democrats said they would allow the president to waive compliance with a deadline for troop withdrawals.
But no agreement was struck.
"To say I was disappointed in the meeting is an understatement," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. "I really did expect that the president would accept some accountability for what we're trying to accomplish here."
White House chief of staff Joshua Bolten, who rejected the deal, said any timetable on the war would undermine the nation's efforts in Iraq.
"Whether waivable or not, timelines send exactly the wrong signal to our adversaries, to our allies and, most importantly, to the troops in the field," said Bolten.
You have to wonder if Pelosi and Reid can even get enough votes without the pork festival. But they continue to play games with the troops lives, withholding funding not just for Iraq but for the troops in Afghanistan as well. The rank and file of the party will look back and revile the Pelosi-Reid regime.
