GOP Looks Beyond War Measure to Fight on Funding

[cal04]

Jonathan Weisman
Washington Post Staff Writer

With Republicans speaking out against President Bush's war policy on the House floor yesterday, GOP leaders and the White House conceded defeat on a resolution opposing sending additional U.S. troops to Iraq and began looking toward the coming battle over the war's funding.

On the second day of a four-day showdown over the nonbinding resolution, Democrats looked on as Republican dissidents denounced what they called Bush's ill-conceived plan to put 21,500 more combat troops in the middle of a sectarian civil war.

Some of the 11 Republicans who publicly broke with Bush were long-time opponents of the war, such as Reps. Walter B. Jones (N.C.) and Ron Paul (Tex.). But others, such as Reps. Fred Upton (Mich.) and Jim Ramstad (Minn.), had never sought the limelight and were almost apologetic in their speeches.

Rep. Ric Keller (Fla.), a reliable conservative vote, prefaced his statement with an affirmation of support for Bush personally. But, he said, a "surge" of troops had already been attempted in Baghdad. "The benefits were temporary," he said. "The body bags were permanent."

Those 11 could be just the tip of the iceberg. One Republican lawmaker close to the leadership, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said GOP leaders have 50 to 60 Republicans on their watch list, with between 40 and 60 expected to break with the White House tomorrow.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/14/AR2007021401576.html

[gratefultobelib]

1. Oh, we can only hope! That would be tremendous to have that many cross over!!

[Old and In the Way]

2. The Coalition of the Willing seem to be waking up to the new reality.

The Rubberstampers are going rubbery on Bush. He's a lame duck and they can't hide behind a majority that would never bring such a resolution to the floor. Amazing how this new reality changes the voting dynamics of the rubberchicken stampers.

[Vickers]

3. "The benefits were temporary...The body bags were permanent."

Well put.

[AtomicKitten]

4. It seems to me the GOP is taunting the Dems to cut off funding

almost as if that is really what they want them to do to stop this pointless war; make no mistake, they will then use it as ammunition in the next election.