The Coming Showdown Over the Supplemental

The Congress passes a bill fully funding the occupation, but includes a timetable for withdrawal. The bill also fully funds healthcare for wounded soldiers and returning vets. It also includes money for military families and other provisions of support which the President insists on calling "pork". The President insists he will veto this bill, because it isn't "clean" (what Congressional bill eve is?). He has even made up timelines that suggest the occupation will cease being funded if Congress doesn't pass a clean bill. Of course, none of it's true, and even the withdrawal timeline isn't binding, but Bush, apparently, feels he needs to teach Congress who's boss (the Decider), so this is where he's taking his stand.

I shall leave commentary on the up-coming showdown - what President in American history has ever won against Congress? - to digby, who always says it better, and first:

Republicans have the most dangerous habit in the world: they believe their own hype. And it gets them into trouble again and again. Having a president that has been hovering for many, many months at around 30% approval rating is a weakness so huge that it can't be overcome with a swagger and a sneer. I do not know how this "showdown" will turn out. It's a very fluid situation and anything can happen. But in this case . . . the Democrats are working on behalf of the majority of Americans and the Republicans are not. That is far more likely to govern the outcome than some miraculous return of the mythic man with the bullhorn.

If Bush really believes what he's been saying about executive power and the need to fund the troops by the middle of April then he can sign the supplemental and then issue a signing statement that says he can ignore the withdrawal dates. But he won't. And he won't issue that signing statement because it would cause a national uproar and possible constitutional crisis, which it would. He's not doing it because crazy men are telling him that this confrontation is the way to bounce back --- the same crazy men that advised him to invade Iraq and told him that he didn't need to respond to the worst national disaster in American history.

So have at it George. The Democrats will take their chances. Your track record wouldn't scare a seven year old girl.