The War Chicken and the Funding Egg

Tonight's CBS poll is good news for Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic leadership. When asked whether they supported a Congressional bill setting a deadline for withdrawal, a large majority refused to accept President Bush's position. The numbers were 58% for a deadline, 9% for an immediate funding cut-off, and 29% for giving President Bush what he wants. With 2/3rds of the public opposed to giving the President the blank check he wants, the Democratic leadership can hold out for a deadline and threaten to cut off war funding altogether if President Bush vetoes. Actually, cutting off funding doesn't require legislation. Congress can just refuse to send up another funding bill after Bush vetoes this one.

From the anti-war perspective, there is still some softness in public sentiment. A large majority of the public views the debate over war funding as harming troop morale. The percentage of those who believe that Bush should consider Congress in decision making about the war has gone down from 51% to 44%. Still, the President has a huge margin to make up at a time when the public largely disapproves of his job performance, is pessimistic about the surge, and believes that the war is going poorly.

The Bush administration might be in a classic chicken and egg dilemna. Bush administration chicken hawks might have to prove that the surge is successful before they get the nest-egg needed to implement the surge fully.

It couldn't happen to better people.