[Peace-discuss] War party

[C. G. Estabrook]

The Democratic party makes it clear that the views of Americans don't matter as
they seek to outdo the Republicans as the war party and rush to fund the war. 
And even the hypocrite who tells us that he was "against the war from the 
beginning" utters not one word of criticism. --CGE

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	Democratic leaders may add unemployment benefits to war bill
	Apr 24, 5:39 AM (ET)
	By ANDREW TAYLOR

WASHINGTON (AP) - House Democratic leaders have a plan to try to add extended
unemployment benefits and new education funding for veterans to President Bush's
war funding bill while dropping lots of other party priorities.
The plan faces its first test Thursday when Democrats meet behind closed doors
to discuss it.
Facing a veto threat, Democrats such as Speaker Nancy Pelosi don't want to try
to add billions of dollars for roads, bridges and other ideas such as heating
subsidies for the poor and increases in food stamp benefits.
Capitol Hill Democratic aides said Wednesday that Pelosi's plan was tentative
and had not won acceptance from rank and file lawmakers, much less party leaders
in the Senate.
Still, it was a sign that Democrats want to avoid loading up the war funding
bill with everything but the kitchen sink and lose a veto and public relations
clash with the president, who insists lawmakers keep his bill free of add-ons.
Bush is certain to oppose the effort, which would add to the war spending
legislation a $12.7 billion plan to give 13 additional weeks of unemployment
checks to people whose benefits have run out and 13 weeks beyond that in states
with especially high unemployment rates. He's also likely to oppose the even
more expensive plan for higher GI Bill benefits for veterans.
But the plan would make it more palatable for anti-war Democrats to provide
money until the next president takes office.
Bush has promised to veto any bill that exceeds his pending $108 billion request
to fund U.S. military and diplomatic efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. It's a
tougher line than he took last spring, when he accepted about $17 billion in
domestic funding as part of a $120 billion war funding measure.
Democrats are in fact planning on not only providing the $108 billion to fund
the war through the Sept. 30, the end of the 2008 budget year, but they're
likely to add another $70 billion for next year so they don't have to vote on
war funding again in the fall election season.
But the hard line from the White House has Democrats scaling back plans to use
the must-pass bill as an engine to carry everything from a summer jobs programs
to a Senate proposal for $10 billion for infrastructure projects such as roads,
bridges and new schools.
Republicans are eager for a battle with Democrats over add-ons to the war
funding bill. Despite record low approval ratings and his status as a lame duck,
Bush has to be rated as a clear favorite in any veto battle.
"If the president stands his ground on this he'll win," House GOP Whip Roy
Blunt, R-Mo., said. "And I believe he's prepared to stand his ground and we'll
stand with him."
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., told reporters Wednesday that
proposals that don't make it into the war spending bill may instead be carried
by a second economic stimulus bill. That's where the unemployment benefit
extension ultimately may wind up anyway, assuming Bush carries out his veto threat.
The tentative bill also would carry a plan to block new Bush administration
regulations that would cut federal spending on Medicaid health care for the poor
by $13 billion over the next five years. That bill passed the House Wednesday by
an overwhelming 349-62 vote despite a Bush veto threat.
Money to fight wildfires in the West - backed by many GOP allies of the
president - also would make it into the measure, the aides said, as would
additional help for victims of Hurricane Katrina. The wildfire funds could total
about $400 million, while the state of Louisiana wants to ease current
requirements that it put up 35 percent of the funds for a multibillion-dollar
project to rebuild levees around New Orleans.

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