Democratic Leaders in House Will Seek to Block Party Vote on Iraq War

Democratic leaders in House will seek to block party vote on Iraq war

RAW STORY

House Democratic leaders this week will try to block any effort by members to adopt an official Democratic Caucus position on the Iraq war, recognizing such a move would highlight internal party differences and invite new political troubles, the paid-restricted ROLL CALL reports Monday. Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) supports Rep. Murtha's (D-PA) recent call for an immediate beginning to an Iraq withdrawal; her deputy, Steny Hoyer (D-MD) opposes the measure.

Leadership sources say Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.), Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (Md.) and Caucus Chairman Bob Menendez (N.J.) agree that while members are becoming increasingly vocal about the war, a unified position on the subject is still impossible to settle on. Because of that, Pelosi recently asked Menendez to keep this week’s Caucus focused on a discussion of the war and away from a vote on the subject.

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Another high level Democratic aide tells ROLL CALL a position rallying around the Murtha stance would not only be "politically damaging" to the party, but also give Republicans ammunition against Democrats at a time when the GOP is on the defensive about its handling of the conflict.

“Will we step out of the way and take advantage of their political problems and be successful, or will we step into the fray and make it about us and muck up a golden opportunity that hasn’t presented itself since we lost the House in 1994?”

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Democratic_leaders_in_House_will_seek_1205.html

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