WP: GOP Expects Defections as House Debates Iraq Resolution

[Pirate Smile]

GOP Expects Defections as House Debates Iraq Resolution

By Lyndsey Layton and Jonathan Weisman
Washington Post Staff Writers
Monday, February 12, 2007; Page A05

Three days of intense debate over the Iraq war begins in the House today, with Democrats planning to propose a narrowly worded rebuke of President Bush's troop buildup and Republicans girding for broad defections on their side.

Both parties will jockey for prime time before the C-SPAN cameras, with leaders claiming the best time slots and rank-and-file members trying to make the most of the five minutes each will be allotted. If all 435 House members use their five minutes, debate will last 36 hours. It is likely to begin by late morning and run until midnight tomorrow, Wednesday and Thursday. A vote is expected Friday.

-snip-
Democrats will file a nonbinding resolution against the Bush plan while Republicans will try to broaden the dispute and seed doubt in the Democratic approach. Although Senate Republicans were able to block debate on a resolution condemning Bush's war policies last week, it will be much easier for Democrats in the House to bring a measure to the floor.

The GOP, whose members have conceded they are likely to lose, is treating the debate like a mini-political campaign, deploying a rapid-response team to counter Democrats' statements, aggressively trying to get its leaders on television and radio, and creating a "resource center" off the House floor where members can fill their arms with maps, research material, videos or other visual aids to use during their floor time.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/11/AR2007021100933.html

[Thor_MN]

1. Those that side with * are defective by definition

So saying that the GOP expects defections must mean that they are starting to own up to their existence.

[BlueManDude]

2. I bet not as many cross party lines as expected

GOPers are reflexively partisan and in the end can't help themselves - very few will go against the party dogma. Look what happened in the Senate.

[Supersedeas]

3. Walt Jones and Howard Coble better be among them