They knew it would fail, we knew it would fail, the President knew it would fail and they STILL WASTED their time and OUR taxpayer money on the vote!!!!!
222-203 vote falls far short of the two-thirds majority Democrats sought
The Democratic-controlled House failed Wednesday to override President Bush’s veto of an Iraqi war spending bill with timetables for troop withdrawals.
The 222-203 vote, far short of the two-thirds majority needed for a veto override, occurred just ahead of a White House meeting that Bush called to begin compromise talks with congressional leaders of both parties on new legislation to finance the war, now in its fifth year.
Nancy Whines even though she KNEW she didn't have the votes.
“The president has turned a tin ear to the wishes of the American people,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said during the hour-long debate before the vote. “The president wants a blank check. The Congress will not give it to him.”
Rep. Jerry Lewis backs the President's Veto:
But Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Calif., urged his colleagues to sustain the veto, saying politicians should not make military decisions.
“Now is not the time for the United States to back down in its war on terror,” Lewis said.
Hoyer, reluctantly says:
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said before the vote that he hopes to have a new bill passed in the House in two weeks, with a final measure sent to the president before Memorial Day. “We’re not going to leave our troops in harm’s way ... without the resources they need,” said Hoyer, D-Md.
Murtha's plan is Dead on Arrival:
Hoyer would not speculate on exactly what the bill might look like, but said he anticipates a minimum-wage increase will be part of it. He said the bill should fund combat through Sept. 30 as Bush has requested, casting doubt that Democratic leaders will adopt a proposal by Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., to fund the war two or three months at a time.
The Dems need Republicans help:
Democrats won control of the House and Senate in elections that largely focused on Iraq. They showed impressive solidarity in passing the bill that Bush vetoed Tuesday, losing only 14 House Democrats while holding 216.
But top Democrats say they have no hope of replicating that showing once they begin making even modest concessions to Bush. That makes them dependent on Republican help.
Thats gotta sting!!!
Thats what happens when your so called "mandate" in a midterm election gives you such a slim majority you cannot withstand a veto.
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