Whoever said, people should never watch laws or sausages being made? Was absolutely right....
Democrats add teacher money to war funding bill
House Democrats, who are trying to pass a long-stalled war funding bill this week, have attached $10 billion to help local school districts avoid teacher layoffs when schools reopen.
The approximately $70 billion measure is anchored by President Barack Obama's $30 billion request for the troop surge in Afghanistan and contains money for disaster aid accounts, foreign aid and disability benefits for Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange.
The bill's release late Tuesday night was the surest signal yet that House leaders are committed to passing it this week, despite great resistance among many Democratic lawmakers and deepening anxiety over the Afghanistan war effort among Obama allies such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
The Senate passed an almost $60 billion version of the bill last month. Successful action by the House would send the measure into negotiations aimed at producing a final measure next month for Obama's signature.
The difficulty in passing the bill in the House is magnified by disagreement between Republicans supportive of the war — who insist the measure be "clean" of unrelated spending — and Democrats who want funding for the unpopular war to carry unrelated party priorities. Republicans are threatening to withhold support for the overall package if Democratic add-ons are included.
From reading that, it becomes overwhelmingly apparent that the only way a liberal democrat can become interested in funding our troops at war? Is if there is some pork barrel spending attached concerning favored projects. Enter one 10 billion addition to "prevent teacher layoffs" (a union payback by democrats.)
One thing for sure, you can't account for that 'deepening anxiety' that speaker Pelosi seems to have over the war in Afghanistan. But then again? All you have to do to get that piece of dry toast legislation past her palate? Is to grease it up with some pork pate and some liberal democrat congressional "earmarks" (AKA liberal caviar)..
Do that? And the old gal will unhinge that jaw like a python and swallow just about anything.