The Standoff over the Iraq Spending Bill

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The President is meeting with Congressional leaders today about the Iraq spending bill. The House of Representatives wants a time limit on funding the Iraq war, the Senate wants a nonbinding goal of troop withdrawal next year, and the President says he'll veto any bill with a hint of withdrawal in it. Polls indicate that a majority of Americans support Congressional Democrats' call for a timetable for withdrawal. Is there a way out of the deadlock? Can Democrats in the House and Senate resolve their differences over a withdrawal schedule?  Can they eventually produce a bill the President will sign? What does the political struggle in Washington mean on the ground in Iraq? Lawrence O'Donnell guest hosts. (An extended version of this discussion was originally broadcast earlier today on To the Point.)

Credits

Guests:

  • Jonathan Weisman - New York Times - @jonathanweisman
  • Scott Lilly - former Staff Director, Congressman David Obey (D-WI)
  • Steven Simon - Visiting professor at Colby College. Former US National Security Council and senior director for counterterrorism and for the Middle East and North Africa
  • Carlos Pascual - Vice President at the Brookings Institution