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| Bush Surprises Senate Aides With Unexpected Interruption of White House Meeting |
| 2007-07-17 |
| President Bush shocked Capitol Hill staffers and Republican leaders Monday when he crashed a meeting at the White House to deliver a blunt message that he wasn't backing down on Iraq and Republicans need to understand that. "It was stunning," said one GOP aide who attended the meeting. "We couldn't believe he came in." "We kept looking at each other, amazed he came in," said another Republican aide. Bush was described as folksy, adamant and mildly profane as he interrupted the meeting between senior White House communications staffers Tony Snow and Ed Gillespie and GOP leaders. His message: the policy on Iraq isn't changing. He is not backing down and no one on Capitol Hill should be confused into thinking he is letting up. The interruption precedes what is expected to be an all-nighter in the Senate on Tuesday, ordered by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid as a way to protest GOP blocking tactics on moves to compel U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq. Speaking on the Senate floor, Reid said Iraq is the most important issue facing the United States and attempts to block legislation calling for troops to be withdrawn from Iraq will be met with a hardball response. "We're going to work on this amendment until we get an up or down vote on it," he said. Senate Republican leaders, alerted to Reid's plans on Monday, said they have the votes to keep the president's surge policy in place, at least for now, and called Reid's up-all-night gambit a stunt that wouldn't change any minds. Senior Democratic leadership aides acknowledged that Reid's all-nighter — complete with roll-away beds — is meant to draw public attention to GOP demands that any changes to Iraq policy carry a 60-vote majority. "Is this a publicity stunt? Yes," a senior Democratic aide told FOX News. "This is the only way we know to highlight their complete ignorance of the will of the people!" Republicans said they've applied that standard for months on Iraq policy changes and aren't about to change now, especially when recent GOP defections have given Democrats bipartisan majorities on troop drawdowns and other policy changes. Reid will seek a test vote Wednesday on an amendment by Sens. Carl Levin of Michigan and Jack Reed of Rhode Island to begin troop withdrawals late this year and have most combat forces out of Iraq by spring 2008. Republicans predict that amendment will fall well short of the 60 votes required and probably attract no more than 55 votes, possibly fewer. Other non-binding policy changes are expected as well, but nothing is expected to garner the required 60 votes. "The much-discussed Republican revolt has yet to materialize," a senior GOP aide said. |
| Posted by:Sherry |
| #9 I hope they talk all night. There is a chance that a Red State "moderate" will spout something that annoys his/her constituents. I hope ther are plenty of pictures. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2007-07-17 22:23 |
| #8 What? The President has been given counsel for some changes in war strategy. He would be open to constructive criticism. The status quo won't wash. |
| Posted by: McZoid 2007-07-17 21:06 |
| #7 Sherry is correct. No quorum, no vote. (Wonder if Sens Byrd or Kennedy will be wheeled in, for different reasons, to mumble 'here' at 0400 and propose a self-congratulatory toast.) |
| Posted by: Phinater Thraviger 2007-07-17 18:08 |
| #6 I don't think Webb is too hard to figure out. In fact he's easy to understand when you look the world through his perspective: It's all about James Webb. |
| Posted by: Angaiger Tojo1904 2007-07-17 16:08 |
| #5 So why can't W go on an"..adamant and mildly profane..." tirade in the full House or Senate, or beter yet, prime time to rally the folks, instead of just appearing to sit back and jack his doinker....? |
| Posted by: USN, Ret. 2007-07-17 15:20 |
| #4 When it comes to cajones we know Bush has brass ones and the Democrats [even Jim Webb, who I still can't figure out] have little pea sized ones just like their spirit and patriotism. If anyone can stare down these useful idiots it will be W. All I know is that if there was someone other than W as Potus at this time and place, Petraeus would be home by now. |
| Posted by: Jack is Back! 2007-07-17 14:28 |
| #3 Dang it! And, reading the headline, I'd hoped that his quote was: "Bombing begins in 5 minutes!" |
| Posted by: BA 2007-07-17 14:25 |
| #2 Reid's Defeat-A-Thon is yet another example of why the Donks should never be in charge of anything. |
| Posted by: Phinater Thraviger 2007-07-17 14:17 |
| #1 and... Reid needs to read up on his parliamentarian rules It's called a quorum This is a really, really stupid stunt, and I'll tell you why: It can all be over in 15 minutes, unless the anti-war Republicans decide to cooperate — and why should they? Right now, there are only 50 working Democratic Senators (Tim Johnson D, S.D. hasn't cast a vote yet this year), and there are only 49 if you don't include Joe Lieberman (who I hear isn't really up for this sleepover, whether you want to count him as a Dem or not). You need 51 senators for a quorum, in the event that someone makes a quorum call — which any senator can make at any time. So all it takes is one Republican to stay in the chamber, object to anything the Democrats try to do, and then note the absence of a quorum. When the quorum is called, and only 50 senators are present, the Senate adjourns (or at least it can't come out of the quorum call without unanimous consent), and the whole stupid stunt is over before Senator Byrd can even begin his outraged four-hour speech. Any parliamentarians out there can correct me, but I've checked with two Senate sources and I'm pretty sure I'm right about this. I can't even imagine what Reid is thinking. |
| Posted by: Sherry 2007-07-17 14:15 |