Stop the War or Fund the Troops

This week the battle over the war funding continues in Washington, and both sides have drawn firm lines in the sand. The Dems insist on a bill with timelines and billions in pork, while the president insists on "clean bill" that only has the funding needed to continue to the effort. Doug Shoen thinks the Dems are playing a dangerous game of chicken:

DEMOCRATS and Republicans in Washington are headed toward a showdown. At issue is how to provide an additional $100 billion in supplemental funding to support American troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. Congressional Democrats are intent on passing legislation that will include a requirement -- or at least a call -- to bring the troops home next year.

President Bush insists he will accept no such provision, even if it means vetoing legislation that would provide badly needed money for the troops in the field. The American people, he maintains, will fault Democrats if that happens.

In short, the politicians in Washington are playing a high stakes game of chicken -- one whose outcome will change the balance of power and have a profound effect on the 2008 presidential elections.

Shoen has some experience with showdowns between Congress and the White House. Read the rest of it here.

For more thoughts on what's going on, check out Michael Barone's piece here.

If the president holds his line, it will be difficult for the Dems, even with a sympathetic press, to win this one. They'll have to back off on the timeslines and pork projects, and that will enrage their lefty base. Either way, the Dems have trouble.