A "WTF" Raw Story teaser..."Bush privately meets with 18 Democrats...

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

...in effort to shore up support for Iraq war... Developing..."

http://www.rawstory.com/

[babylonsister]

1. This should be interesting...

how many Dems will cave?

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

2. Depends on the Dems...

...and what he offers them (or threatens them with)...

[mmonk]

3. Good strategy.

Legitimize his war while splitting the dems for more fodder on the broadcasting networks.

[still_one]

4. I know who two of them are

liberman and clinton

I want to know who they are, so I know who NOT to support

I suspect all those democrats also voted for the IWR, and then said if only I knew then what I knew now

BULLSHIT, I knew then, and I wasn't privey to your information

There was enough sources from within the state department, CIA, FBI, past administrations, and foreign nations that told us otherwise

[Rose Siding]

5. Newsweek's bubble boy story said even the hawks figured he'd play them

Dec. 19, 2005
snip>
Now the White House is trying to reach out to Democrats. On Tuesday, Bush is scheduled to meet with a group of conservative Democrats who support the war and to have lunch with Rep. John Dingell of Michigan, who is celebrating his 50th year in the House. But the Democrats are wary. "A lot of us feel like we have a Charlie Brown and Lucy relationship with the White House," says one Hill staffer. "They say they want to play ball with us, but then they kick us when they get a chance." Until recently, the White House has not seen the need to court Democrats, since the Republicans control both houses of Congress.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10417159/site/newsweek

[MaineDem]

6. I read yesterday that the Dems were meeting at the White House

I don't think this is anything secret or sudden.

[peacetalksforall]

7. Don't you think that Joe met with him and submitted the names? Don't

we already know that the Nelson's will be there and a few who always vote with them on critical issues. Except this time, Landrieau might not join this group because of confliction over the money not being spent in LA, the State.

[mmonk]

8. Democrats against the war

or "stay the course" should meet with republicans who want to see a change in policy and counter the damage and issue a press release.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

9. The story's up...

Eighteen House Democrats meet Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld to discuss Iraq

As part of his two-week effort to regain credibility on the war in Iraq, President Bush and senior members of his Cabinet met privately with 18 moderate House Democrats on Wednesday in order to gauge their concerns and once again make the case for the war, ROLL CALL reports Thursday. Excerpts:

Bush, Vice President Cheney, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld called the Democrats to the White House for the hour-long session. The meeting was held just one day before the Iraqi national elections. Publicly, Democrats characterized the meeting as a positive give-and-take session. Privately, however, some worried that the White House may be trying to provide itself political cover.

The 18 Democrats included at least four ranking members — Reps. John Spratt (S.C.) of Budget, Jane Harman (Calif.) of Intelligence, Tom Lantos (Calif.) of International Relations and Ike Skelton (Mo.) of Armed Services — as well as other Democrats who either voted for the October 2002 resolution authorizing U.S. involvement in Iraq or have not embraced a timeline for troop withdrawal. An aide to Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) told the paper the president should “also reach out to Members who disagree with him.”

“We’ve said all along he should talk more to Congress and have a dialogue,” spokesman Brendan Daly said. “But he should also talk to people who don’t agree with him, who didn’t vote for the war. He needs to hear dissenting views on this because obviously what he’s doing now isn’t working.”

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Eighteen_House_Democrats_meet_Bush_Cheney_1215.html

[kpete]

10. Dupe