the back benches are restless
[from the revamped Note, now minus the wiseguy style of Mark Halperin]
They’re starting as whispers, throwaway lines that are easy to miss =
amid broad promises of party unity. But at the very moment that both =
the White House and congressional Democrats need members of their =
parties to fall in line, the rank-and-file is growing restless.
There was House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) yesterday, =
pleading for patience with the “troop surge” but then setting a =
deadline of his own by which House Republicans =96 attention, Mr. =
President =96 expect progress. “By the time we get to September or =
October, members are going to want to know how well this is working, =
and if it isn’t, what’s Plan B,” Boehner said, on a day that the US =
suffered six more combat deaths in Iraq. LINK
The Bush White House has never been known for its strong =
relationships with Congress, so here’s a translation: When =
congressional leaders talk about the “will of the members,” that’s =
code for, “I’m on borrowed time with my folks.” The Washington Post’s =
David Broder wrote yesterday that politicians will eventually follow =
the public in ending the war. “It is hard to imagine the Republicans =
going into the presidential election of 2008 with 150,000 American =
troops still taking heavy casualties in Iraq,” Broder wrote. LINK
On the Democratic side, former senator John Edwards (D-N.C.) made =
clear on ABC’s “This Week” that he will continue to push Democrats to =
use Congress’ “funding authority” to insist on a troop pull-out, even =
though Democratic leaders are shopping compromise proposals that stop =
short of that. “America has asked the Democratic leadership in the =
Congress to stand firm, and that’s exactly what I’m saying they =
should do,” Edwards said, as he leads the leftward scramble on the =
war among 2008 presidential candidates. LINK
Moveon.org delivered an even starker message to congressional =
Democrats last week, The New York Times’ Michael Luo reported in a =
Sunday must-read write-up of the discipline and clout of anti-war =
groups. “If Democrats appear to capitulate to Bushpassing a bill =
without measures to end the war - the unity Democrats have enjoyed =
and Democratic leadership has so expertly built, will immediately =
disappear,” the liberal group wrote to congressional leaders. LINK
President Bush enjoys (or suffers through) a day of pomp and =
pageantry with a royal visit today. It’s not easy being queen, and =
the presidency isn’t particularly pleasurable these days either: The =
war-pending bill Democrats are crafting will probably hold back more =
than half the money Bush wants pending a second vote in July, David =
Rogers reports today in The Wall Street Journal. LINK
By then, both sides will have heard plenty more from their bases.