The meeting between Dem Congressional leaders and the White House over how to resolve the Iraq war spending standoff has just ended, and it looks like things are at a serious impasse...read on
Bush never really wanted to negotiate because he's the Decider after all...via an email--here's Pelosi:
Let me associate myself with the comments of Senator Reid by saying this: the meeting was disappointing. We had come in hopeful that there could be an opportunity to enlarge the issue of this bill, to how we bring stability to the Middle East, to the region. We wanted to talk about how we help the American people by turning our soldiers back to fighting terrorism, strengthening our military, which this war is weakening. And do that in a way that we can work in a bipartisan way and with the President of the United States.---"So it is clear that the difference between the Democrats and the President is the issue of accountability. He will not accept any accountability or responsibility for what has happened there.
"The domestic initiatives in the original bill we sent to the President are
emergencies -- Katrina, hurricane disaster assistance, health care for
America's children. All of those issues are emergencies. But because the
President made it an issue that they were not appropriate on the war funding
bill, we said, 'OK, take those off. And then accept the bill that we sent
that includes everything you have asked for our troops and more.'
"But it has accountability in it. The President's representatives said no.
Then we said, 'Okay, you have a problem with timelines, we'll give you a
waiver on that.' They said no.
"So it is clear that the difference between the Democrats and the President
is the issue of accountability. He will not accept any accountability or
responsibility for what has happened there.
"Going into the meeting, we had hopes that we could find our common ground,
one where the line would be drawn on accountability, without an open-ended
war without end, with a blank check. For we are speaking out with the
wishes of the American people. To create a new direction in Iraq -- that
can only happen with accountability.
"So it was disappointing, and we will now proceed with a bill to fund the
troops before we leave here for Memorial Day weekend, to pay tribute to
those that have fallen on behalf of our country. Our troops will be funded.
That's the work we have between now and then."
