More Hot Color From White House Meeting Between Bush And Congressional Dems!

[babylonsister]

http://electioncentral.tpmcafe.com/blog/electioncentral/2007/apr/19/more_color_from_white_house_meeting_between_bush_and_congressional_dems

More Hot Color From White House Meeting Between Bush And Congressional Dems!
By Greg Sargent | bio

The Associated Press and The New York Times today both confirm much of our account of the behind-the-scenes back and forth between President Bush and Congressional Dem leaders at their meeting yesterday over Iraq. And both news orgs add some more in the way of juicy details.

From The Times:

A White House official who attended the meeting, and spoke on condition of anonymity in order to describe details, said Mr. Bush’s first question to the Democratic leaders was, “When can you get me a bill?”

And, this official said, Mr. Bush told the Democrats that he hoped to ultimately follow several of the guidelines set forth last year in a report by the Iraq Study Group, which called for an eventual draw-down of American troops. According to the official, Mr. Bush noted that the Study Group, whose co-chairman was his father’s former political aide, James A. Baker III, had suggested that a temporary troop increase could be a necessary step on the way to an eventual withdrawal...

According to several participants at the meeting, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi offered to accept the Senate timelines. But Mr. Bush and Republican leaders said they would not support any deadlines.

The Associated Press adds:

At one point, according to officials familiar with the meeting, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said Democrats had no intention of leaving the troops without funds and noted that gives Bush enormous leverage to bend Congress to his will. He said he hoped some sort of accommodation could be worked out and gave the president an op-ed article making the case for requiring the Iraqi government to make political reforms.

Bush responded by saying he had invented so-called benchmarks for political reforms, one official said.

Of course, the issue is whether there will be consequences for the failure to reach said benchmarks. Anyway, all good stuff.

[TexasThoughtCriminal]

1. Congress to **:

**: “When can you get me a bill?”
Congress: "We gave you a bill, asshole! It's your choice to veto it."