Obey calls out Bush on budget

House Appropriations Chairman David Obey has basically decided to tell Bush and Congressional GOP to “stick it” on a new budget. Tired of bad-faith negotiations from the White House, he’s going to craft a new budget that meets the WH overall bottom line, while stripping out every earmark necessary to meet that bottom line, as well as a bunch of Bush priorities.

“When the White House refuses to compromise, when the White House continues to stick it in our eye, I say to hell with it.”

And, he’s prepared to wait Bush out:

“If anybody thinks we can get out of here this week, they're smoking something illegal,” he said.

Especially given that, barring some surprise change, whatever budget the House passes is going to add massive Iraq funding in House-Senate conference anyway, I’m in favor of the budget getting stuck for several months, not just a couple of weeks.

Meanwhile, at least a few House Republicans ARE sweating:

“There are a lot of people who were very disappointed last year when nobody got any earmarks. If they do it again for the second year in a row, it will be a very bitter pill to swallow,” said Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.), an appropriator who complained that he could lose $400,000 he needs for the Abraham Lincoln bicentennial celebration, slated to begin Feb. 12.

LaHood is not the only Republican appropriator who is angry at the White House and at GOP leaders who have refused to negotiate with Democrats on domestic spending levels. In recent days, Rep. David L. Hobson (Ohio), ranking Republican on the Appropriations subcommittee in charge of energy and water projects, had a heated discussion with House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio), arguing that Boehner should come off his hard line.

Rep. James T. Walsh (N.Y.), another senior Republican appropriator, took to the House floor to argue: “If the proposal is to split the difference, to reduce the amount of spending above the president's request by $11 billion, I would advise the president to take yes for an answer.”

Right now, there’s not enough movement to create a veto-proof majority, but the longer Congressmen have to withdraw from pork addiction, the more antsy they will get.

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House Leadership Nixes War Surtax

The Hill is reporting that Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic House Leadership have nixed the war surtax House Appropriations Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.) proposed yesterday when he argued that if the war is worth fighting, it is worth paying for. “If you don’t like the cost, then shut down the war,” Obey said Tuesday. Republicans took little time before they started mocking Obey for wanting to pay for the war. Democrats took even less time distancing themselves from Obey's commonsense proposal.

Nancy (impeachment is off the table) Pelosi quickly nixed the idea when she issued a press release stating, “Just as I have opposed the war from the outset, I am opposed to a draft and I am opposed to a war surtax.” When given a choice between making a leadership decision that is courageous and honest as opposed to one that is weak and ineffective, our girl Nancy will chose weak and ineffective every time. On the bright side she does wear designer clothes.

Sticks and stones may break our soldiers bones, but words will always scare Nancy.

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David Obey and Surrendercrat Caucus Hand Vice President A Victory

Here's something that was only lightly touched in the news. Remember how all week we had been watching as Rahm Emanuel led a principled charge to defund the Vice President's office. At 6:30 Thursday night Surrendercrats David Obey, John Murtha and Ike Skelton persuaded 21 other Democrats to join with Republicans to defeat Rahm Emanuel's resolution 207-214. Many of the same "powerful" old farts who bowed to the President on the Iraq supplemental demonstrated that they are more interested in keeping their rich and powerful friends happy than in returning America to greatness. Take a look at the linked roll call to see if your Democratic congressman is a member of the Surrendercrat caucus.

Raw Story reports that the leader of the Surrendercrat caucus, David Obey, was unavailable for comment. Apparently he was able to slink out of town before anybody could ask him why the Surrendercrat caucus voted to fund the Vice President.

The White House is tickled. "We are pleased to see a bipartisan majority reject this political stunt," said Cheney spokeswoman Megan McGinn.

What is it going to take to convince Obey and the Surrendercrat caucus that their majority power will be fleeting if they don't stand up to the Republicans and start representing the will of the people? I don't know about you, but I am tired of having my chain pulled by Congressional Democrats. Just when you think they are growing a pair, the Surrendercrats come out of the woodwork and neuter them.

Everybody says things will be different on Iraq in September. I don't see it. The Surrendercrats are still large and in charge. They never miss an opportunity to bow to the the President.

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