Bush is in a strong position? How is that? You assholes know you’re going to give him whatever he wants, so why not just stop with the fucking dog and pony show and do it. God forbid you can’t wrap up in time to go home for yet another lengthy vacation!!!

Democrats controlling Congress sent the most explicit signals yet on Thursday that they are resigned to providing additional funding for the war in Iraq before Congress adjourns for the year.

Conceding that President Bush is in a strong position as Congress seeks to wrap up its work, Democrats are cooking up a pre-Christmas endgame that would deliver tens of billions of dollars for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan on conditions acceptable to the White House.

The Iraq funding would ultimately be attached by Bush’s Senate GOP allies to a $500 billion-plus “omnibus” appropriations bill taking shape in closed-door talks. That’s the only way they would let the measure advance through the Senate.

House Democratic leaders, though hardly enthusiastic about the idea, recognize it is the only way for Democrats to have a chance to wrap up their long-unfinished budget work and adjourn just before Christmas.

“I anticipate at some point in time that will be the case,” said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., when asked if Congress would ultimately vote on Iraq funding without a timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops.

Hoyer acknowledged Democrats are considering a legislative two’step in which the House would initially pass the catch-all spending bill next week without Iraq funding attached. But the Senate would add the money - as the only way to avoid a GOP filibuster - and House Democrats would reluctantly accept it.

More at the AP