Democrats conceding on war bill

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Democratic leaders in Congress are slowly backing down from a standoff with the White House over tying war funding to a troop-withdrawal timetable, saying they can use other bills to confront President Bush on Iraq.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, is courting Republican support for compromise war-funding legislation to follow Mr. Bush's promised veto this week of a $124 billion bill that would start a pullout as soon as July.

Senior Democratic aides say that although House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is not similarly talking to Republicans about a post-veto agreement, she privately acknowledges that eventually the "money will get to the troops without timetables."

"Probably a weakening of is what is going to happen," said an aide close to Mrs. Pelosi, California Democrat.

House Democrats are expected to attempt to override the veto this week, although they likely are at least 70 votes short of the two-thirds majority needed to succeed. The failure of the House vote would make a Senate action unnecessary because both chambers are needed to defeat a veto.

"There are a number of opportunities to try to force a change of policy in Iraq," Reid spokesman Jim Manley said, citing upcoming Defense Department budget bills and legislation to limit war funding to noncombat missions in Iraq.

But, for now, Mr. Reid, who along with congressional leaders from both parties will meet with Mr. Bush tomorrow, is focused on the emergency war-funding bill, which would pay for the war in Iran and Iraq until Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year.

"We have to see if we can get that is acceptable to Republicans," Mr. Manley said. "I don't know if that is possible."

Still, Mr. Reid took to the Senate floor yesterday and implored Mr. Bush to sign the bill that is scheduled to reach the White House today, citing unyielding bloodshed in Iraq.

"There is still time to come to grips with the facts on the streets of Baghdad and throughout Iraq," Mr. Reid said. "There is still time to sign this bill and change course in Iraq."