Mixed Signals

Yesterday I put a post up indicating that (out of his own mouth) Senator Reid was caving in on negotiations with the White House over the Iraq war spending bill.

Today we get this:

The meeting between Dem Congressional leaders and the White House over how to resolve the Iraq war spending standoff has just ended, and it looks like things are at a serious impasse.

Dem leaders just said at their post-meeting press availability that the White House's negotiators rejected everything that Dems offered. A Dem offer of a war timetable that the President could actually waive -- that is, not follow? Rejected. A Dem offer to get rid of the pork in the supplemental? Also rejected.

It appears as if the Dems are trying to cave-in (at least from my viewpoint) and Bush will have none of it. I agree with Atrios:

Since the decider guy will not engage in any genuine negotiation or compromise, it's time for Democrats to flip things around. I don't know why they let Bush get away with claiming that the Democrats refused to fund the troops after he vetoed the bill with those funds. Just keep sending him the same bill over and over again.

Yep, lather, rinse, repeat. The Preznit is the one on the hot seat despite the feeling among conservative Dems that they are.