Democrats on the Iraqi funding bill

In case you thought that the Democrats were serious about this bill and trying to find a solution, here are two indications otherwise. The bill has been held up because Nancy Pelosi has not yet signed it.

The much-anticipated presidential veto of the Iraq supplemental spending bill was to have taken place already, but a signature - or lack thereof - has been standing in the way.

And it's not President Bush's signature - it's House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's.

The conference report on the bill (HR 1591 - H Rept 110-107) was adopted by the House and cleared by the Senate last week, but Pelosi, D-Calif., wanted time to personally read it and sign it before sending it to Pennsylvania Avenue.

"It's a major piece of legislation and you have to go through it word for word and line by line," Pelosi spokesman Nadeam Elshami said Monday. "She believes this is very important legislation, which she will sign and the president will receive Tuesday."

John Boehner, the House Minority Leader, has sent out this press response to Pelosi's excuse for not signing the bill until she has read it.

Now we've heard everything. The Speaker recommended the conference report on the war funding bill last week, voted for it last week, and could have sent it to the President as early as last Thursday when the Senate passed it (the House was in session). But NOW she wants to read it?? Wow.

Think how much time it has taken to get to the point that the serious negotiating to resolve the impasse between the White House and the Congress. First they wasted time with a meaningless, non-binding resolution. Then they took their own sweet time to pass this current bill, putting pork in and taking it out.

And now that the President is set to veto the bill and figure out what the next step is, each party is jockeying for position. Joe Biden let one voter know what his approach was.

"We're going to shove it down his throat."

Check Ben Smith's blog for the video.