Bush Invites Congressional Leaders to Discuss Compromise Bill
President Bush yesterday invited congressional leaders to the White House to discuss redrafting a new war-spending bill next week, and warned Democrats he is willing to wield his veto power repeatedly to block troop-withdrawal deadlines for Iraq.
“I’m optimistic we can get a bill, a good bill, a bill that satisfies all our objectives, and that is to get the money to the troops as quickly as possible,” Mr. Bush said during a press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the president’s Camp David retreat.
Speaking a day after the Democrat-led Congress passed a war bill with troop-pullout dates, Mr. Bush said he has enough support to sustain his veto as Democrats began looking for a resolution to the impasse that would appease its anti-war wing.
“If the Congress wants to test my will as to whether I’ll accept a timetable, I won’t accept one,” said Mr. Bush, who is awaiting the bill to formally veto it.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he thinks the president is open to negotiations based on his recent statements, and called on the president to “carefully” read the bill, “stop swaggering” and sign it.
“He will see it fully provides for our troops and gives them a strategy worthy of their sacrifices,” the Nevada Democrat said. “Failing to sign this bill would deny our troops the resources and strategy they need.”
Democratic and Republican leaders agreed to meet with Mr. Bush Wednesday, and Mr. Reid has talked to Sen. Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, the minority leader, about how to move forward.
Senior House leadership aides have held “very preliminary” discussions with White House staffers about post-veto negotiations, although House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, has not yet reached out to Republican leaders on the issue, one official told the Associated Press, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the talks were not public.
Senator Reid knows the president won’t sign the bill in its present form, but he is at least willing to discuss compromise legislation with the president. That’s a step in the right direction.
Speaker Pelosi will hopefully come around to also attending the meeting and a compromise can be reached that will satisfy everyone.
Politics is a game of compromise, and each party must be willing to give up something he wants in order to come to a consensus. Here’s praying this works to the benefit of our troops who are the political football in all of this and are the most innocent parties, but the ones who are affected the most.
Written by ~J~
Oak Leaf Says:
April 28th, 2007 at 9:40 pmVisit Oak Leaf
What an extremely refreshing and sober comment to read on the right side of the blogosphere.
“Politics is a game of compromise, and each party must be willing to give up something he wants in order to come to a consensus. Here’s praying this works to the benefit of our troops who are the political football in all of this and are the most innocent parties, but the ones who are affected the most.”