LAT: War votes target GOP lawmakers, No signs Democrats plan to let up

[Rose Siding]

Convinced that Bush will never listen to their calls to bring troops home, senior Democrats have concluded that they must force Republicans to vote again and again in defense of the unpopular war until enough plead with the president to change course.
...
"Our goal is to keep giving them votes" on Iraq, said Emanuel, widely considered one of Capitol Hill's savviest political tacticians.

The Democratic withdrawal plan is scheduled for a vote today in the House and Thursday in the Senate. A presidential veto is expected within days.
...
"There are only three ways that we're going to bring about a change in direction on the Iraqi war," said Rep. David R. Obey (D-Wis.)..."The first is if the president has sort of the 'St. Paul on the road to Damascus' conversion in his views. I don't see that happening any time soon. The second is to muster sufficient votes to override a presidential veto. I don't see that happening any time soon...The only avenue open to us is to try to create enough pressure … so that we can persuade enough members of Congress who today do not agree with us to reconsider."

Obey, first elected to the House in 1969, often compares the current political environment to the Watergate scandal, when President Nixon ultimately resigned after key congressional Republicans told him he had lost the confidence of members of his own party.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-na-warvote25apr25,0,4581024.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[Hart2008]

1. GHWB was the RNC party chairman who told Nixon to resign. n/t

[gratuitous]

2. Yep, the Republicans love this war and this president so much

Let them have vote after vote after vote to prove their loyalty. Meanwhile, 60% of American's opposed to the war becomes 70% of Americans, becomes 80% of Americans, and the GOP finds itself holding its next convention in the banquet room at Shakey's Pizza.

If there weren't so many people dying and so much money being wasted in the meantime, I'd be fully behind this strategy. But sooner or later, and sooner is better, impeachment has to get on the table.

[w4rma]

3. Good tactics. (nt)

[beyurslf]

4. They should vote on quarterly supplementals for the war funds.

That way we have this debate constantly.