Iraq Vote Splits Democrats Again

[NewJerseyDem]

http://www.rollcall.com/issues/49_94/news/4791-1.html (subscription required)

With the House set to vote today on a GOP-drafted resolution stating that the world is a safer place since the fall of Saddam Hussein, Democrats were scrambling late Tuesday to find a way to express their support for U.S. troops without providing an endorsement of Bush administration policy.

The resolution, which is timed to coincide with this week’s first anniversary of the start of the war in Iraq, left Democratic Members privately fretting about the potential fallout for them in a presidential election year.

House Democrats, including Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (Md.), have so far stood divided on every key vote related to the conflict.

“They again are putting us in a tough, tough position,” said a Democratic leadership aide, adding that “even highly paid political consultants” couldn’t come up with a way for Democrats to uniformly support the troops and oppose a resolution with partisan overtones.